Buying or selling a home is often the most expensive transaction a person makes in their entire lifetime. Spending hundreds of thousands of dollars is certainly worth a relatively small amount of money to retain a real estate attorney to explain your rights and obligations. Many real estate agents, brokers and associate realtors will routinely tell buyers and sellers that "you don't need to bring lawyers into this.....It's a routine contract." For the realtor, the purchase and sale agreement may be a "routine contract" because they deal with the same documents all the time. But for the seller or the buyer, who may not have ever seen such a document, understanding its terms can be daunting. Every single word in the contract has been written there for a specific reason. If it costs you some money to pay for a real estate lawyer who has your best interests in mind to make sure your rights are protected before you sign any contracts, then that is money well spent. Do not sign any contracts or other legal documents until you completely understand and agree to be bound by the terms. If you have questions, stop and contact a competent real estate attorney before you sign on the dotted line.