Real Estate
- Residential and Commercial Closings
- Buyer or Seller Representation
- Coordination with Mortgage Lenders and Real Estate Agents
- Preparation and Review of Offer to Purchase and Contract, Deeds, and other documents
- Title Searches/ Issues
Our history of excellence began over sixty years ago with founding partners, Jack Senter and Larry Stephenson. Linda Johnson carries on the tradition of excellence, serving a community that has grown exponentially since those early years. Today’s Senter, Stephenson, Johnson, P.A. real estate team has over forty years of combined experience navigating the continuously evolving federal lending requirements amidst the growing commercial and residential markets of Wake, Harnett and surrounding counties. Whether you’re buying, selling, building or refinancing your home or business, our experience working with local and national lending institutions can serve to simplify a complex process.
More About Real Estate
Real Estate Excise Tax, also known as Revenue Stamps, is imposed by North Carolina law (G.S. 105-228.28) and collected by the Register Of Deeds at the time of recording. The transferor (grantor, seller) buys the tax stamp from the Register Of Deeds of the county in which the land that is being sold lies.
Owner’s Title Insurance protects you against defects in the title to your property which originate prior to the policy date. While lenders often require property owners to purchase the lender’s title insurance to protect their interests, property owners must purchase a separate owner policy to protect themselves from covered losses—including court costs and attorneys’ fees—that could result from title defects.
Lender’s Title Insurance insures that the lender’s lien is valid and in the intended lien position, and that title to property is as shown on the policy. Lender’s title insurance protects against title defects which originate prior to the date of the policy.
Real Property Taxes (also known as “ad valorem” taxes) are imposed by municipalities and counties based on the assessed value of the real property as of January 1st and the tax rate the municipality and/or county sets by June 30. Although the local government budget operates on a fiscal year (July 1 to June 30), the tax lien on real property and the tax billing and collection process operates on a calendar year (January 1 to December 31). As it pertains to taxes paid at a real estate closing, the North Carolina legislature enacted a law that “unless otherwise provided by contract, property taxes on the real property being sold shall be prorated between the seller and buyer of the real property on a calendar year basis” (N.C.G.S. 39-60)