Lita Smith-Mines

The undercurrent of disgruntlement running through residential real estate these days is decidedly different. Like the flowers that bloomed early, a number of sellers are trying to burst out of the basement and make their way above ground.

As an attorney focused on real estate, I represent buyers or...

I thought I'd heard every excuse for not buying a home in our current real estate market. There's the practical reason, "I can't be restricted to the local job market," the prediction defense that "I'm waiting because prices are still falling," and the pragmatic justification of "All I can afford...

"I came here to spend money!" exclaimed a visitor to our table at the recent Long Island Boat Show. Within moments of meeting her, I wanted to hug her.

She told me that she received her first raise in three years (a "good, good one") and though she had to...

The closing location appeared as empty as if the bomb squad had just evacuated the building. What else could explain the choice of parking outside and the absence of people inside?

Usually, stepping into the waiting room at this attorney's office felt like wiggling into too-small jeans. You might get...

The New York Mets are seeking $20 million from minority investors. Though any bucks in a storm will do, the target investors aren't those content to see a modest return. No, the team who can't find its back pocket with its catcher's glove is hunting for that small segment of...

The home seller sobbed when she heard her real estate transaction fell through. "I've got to get out of here," she let me know for the umpteenth time. "I can't keep pretending to be middle class."

Though I offered my cellular shoulder to cry on, I couldn't give her what...

The protesters gathered in one of the toniest areas of Long Island, within steps of luxury yachts and swanky stores. Among us were babies, great-grandparents, those who came of age protesting the Vietnam War, and more than a few raised on Nickelodeon.

Some of us brought signs. Others brought...

The homeowner considering refinancing his home came to my office with a notebook filled with numbers. He and his wife owned a home worth about $450,000, with a current mortgage obligation of approximately $180,000. In addition, they had an RV loan of $65,000 they wanted to pay off, and figured...

A caller to my law office said she was having a disagreement with her husband. They'd been bickering for a while as to whether "short sale" homes were all bargain priced. Hubby said they were the best deals in town, but his spouse was skeptical. As a real estate agent...

The woman was fidgety as she shared her qualms about buying a house. More than once she said, "I know this doesn't make total sense..." as she discussed the reasons for her reluctance.

"I don't want to take a big mortgage out now," she explained, "because I don't know...

"I'm selling my house, not mugging anyone," vented a homeowner who's been trying to sell since March. Optimistically, he thought he'd discuss hiring me as his attorney. Pessimistically, he griped about the way potential buyers reacted to his asking price. "They seem offended, you know? Like I'm stealing their money."

As long as I've been practicing real estate law, there have been festering feuds and flaming fights. Real estate agents take exception when attorneys wrest control over deals, attorneys resent agents for picking up bigger paychecks, buyers begrudge sellers who continue to act like homeowners until closing, and sellers harbor...

I'll share a little secret with you: sometimes, I'm happy when a real estate deal dies sooner than later. My delight in a speedy passing means I never advocated or sidestepped multiple renegotiations. A quick demise lets me dodge reading a home inspection report or discussing the intricacies of a...

I was chatting with a man who declared that he was withdrawing his home from the real estate market. Why? "I'm absolutely not giving my house away!"

I questioned the audacity of any buyer that expected him to bestow a house for free, but he didn't realize that I was...

Whenever I'm representing a home seller these days, I'm tempted to swap my suit for some scrubs. As an attorney, I take it in stride when a homeowner needs their thorny title issues treated or building department woes made well, but these days, I have no remedies for what's ailing...

If there's a news report soon about a formerly nice suburban neighborhood morphing into a home-selling battlefield, I may have to take a bit of the blame.

Last week I had the same introductory chat about the challenges of selling a home with owners living a few houses apart. There...

The man sitting at my conference table admonished me. "I'm not here for you to give me permission to buy a house. I already decided that I am."

I earn a living representing buyers and sellers of real estate, so discouraging a client from entering into a transaction was certainly...

When I was solvent, the Mets weren't for sale. When I had money, I spent tons of it on Mets partial season ticket plans. I should have taken the major bucks I shelled out over many disappointing seasons and invested that money.

I never moved in Madoff-circles, or even people-who-had-cousins-who-played-tennis-with-Madoff...

He was trying to elicit referrals from me; he boasted how many homes he had in inventory. "Enough to fill the wish list of every client you send my way. I'm one of the leading listers of distressed properties in [the area]."

I had already spoken to two clients who'd...

He was a business owner who'd weathered economic downturns before. When things were bad he fretted and worried, but he always believed that an upturn was around the corner. In 2010, he begged, borrowed, and stretched to make payroll each week. Scrounging together extra money for the lavish bonuses of...