 TITLE: Do You Need a Real Estate Attorney to Buy a House? CONTENT: How Much Does a Real Estate Attorney Cost?\n------------------------------------------\nReal estate attorneys can charge anywhere from $100 to $500 per hour, with rates often varying by location and relative demand for services. It pays to shop around for legal services, but while you may not have to pay top dollar, legal advice isn't a service you want to pinch pennies on, either.\nIt's not unusual for an attorney to set a flat fee for review of sale documents, as opposed to billing by the hour, if your home purchase is straightforward—such as if it's a sale in the state where you live, there aren't occupants that need to be evicted from the property and you're not buying at a foreclosure auction or short sale. Even then, however, it's important to recognize that issues uncovered during a standard legal review (outstanding liens against the property, for example) could lead to charges above an agreed-upon fee. END