Springfield, Real Estate Closings

The firm opened this office in 2020, directly across Belmont Avenue from the main office, to keep up with the volume of real estate closings. It houses the residential and commercial closing practice, with conference space for purchase-and-sale signings and closings. The office is at 198 Belmont Avenue, Springfield, MA 01108. It works by appointment and does not take walk-ins. Call (413) 787-9955 to set a time, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. If you want to walk in, the main office at 185 Belmont Avenue is across the street.

The Hampden County Registry of Deeds

In Massachusetts, residential closings are run by attorneys, not by title or escrow companies as in some other states. Much of that work happens at the registry. Before closing, a title examiner searches the chain of ownership there to confirm the seller can convey clear title and to surface liens, easements, or encumbrances. Defects found then get cleared before closing, not after.

A sale is not finished when the papers are signed. It is finished when the deed and mortgage are recorded at the Hampden County Registry of Deeds, 50 State Street, Springfield. Recording is what protects your ownership against later claims from third parties. Most Hampden County property is recorded land. We handle the recording and confirm it landed.

We handle closings across the Pioneer Valley, and every county has its own recording rules and customs at the closing table. A house closing in Longmeadow raises different questions than one in Amherst.

What working with this office looks like

Call before you sign the purchase and sale agreement, not the week of the closing. The offer usually sets a date, often about two weeks out, to sign the P&S, and by the time you sign it the terms are hard to change. Bring the offer and the agreement with you.

If you are taking out a mortgage, the lender will require a closing attorney, and that attorney works for the lender. In many transactions the same attorney can serve as both the lender's closing attorney and the buyer's counsel, which can save cost. You should understand that arrangement and agree to it knowingly.

From there, most of the work happens before closing day. We hold every party to the dates in the agreement, including the inspection and mortgage commitment deadlines. Miss a financing deadline without an extension and you can lose your deposit. We pull the Municipal Lien Certificate to confirm there are no unpaid taxes, water, or sewer charges, and we schedule the smoke and carbon monoxide inspection most residential transfers need. Every line item goes on your closing statement before you sign. Our closing cost estimator gives you a working number while you are still shopping.

If you are buying a home, ask about a Declaration of Homestead. It protects a substantial portion of your home equity from most creditors, and we can record it as part of your closing.

The fee is one flat fee, quoted before you commit, with no meter running. You talk to the attorney who will handle your closing. You will not be passed to a stranger.

The transactions we close

Buyers. First closing or fifth, we make sure the title is clean, the figures are right, and the deadlines are met.

Sellers. We prepare the deed, handle the smoke certificate and lien certificate, pay off existing mortgages, and calculate your net proceeds before closing day.

Refinances. A new mortgage still runs through title and recording. We coordinate with your lender.

Investors and commercial deals. Multi-property buyers, nominee trusts, 1031 timing, and commercial transactions as well as everyday home sales.

When a deal turns into a dispute over a boundary, a title, an easement, or the purchase and sale agreement itself, the firm handles that too, as civil litigation. Free buyer and seller worksheets, with every deadline and document stage by stage, are on the real estate page.

The people in the real estate office

Pinar Karaaslan, Senior Paralegal. With the firm since 1999. Pinar focuses on real estate and assists clients in English and Turkish.

Derya Tanriverdi, Paralegal. Derya works in the real estate practice alongside Pinar Karaaslan, in English and Turkish.

Busra Yanbul, Legal Assistant. Busra works in the firm's real estate practice alongside the rest of the real estate team, and serves clients in English and Turkish.

Isneiry Bautista, Legal Assistant. Isneiry speaks fluent Spanish and English, and assists clients in both languages.

Paralegals and legal assistants are not lawyers and do not give legal advice. An attorney supervises every matter.

Reach the real estate office

Dunn & Phillips, P.C., Real Estate Closings
198 Belmont Avenue, Springfield, MA 01108
Office: (413) 787-9955
Fax: (413) 731-6614
Email: [email protected]
By appointment only. On-site parking. For walk-ins, the main office is directly across the street at 185 Belmont Avenue.