01RCW 19.36.010
Some deals must be in writing
Agreements that cannot be performed within one year, and promises to pay someone else’s debt, are void unless written and signed by the party to be charged.
Free case reviewTell us what is happening at your property
1 yearAgreements that cannot be performed within a year must be in writing
RCW 64.04Any interest in land must pass by a signed, acknowledged deed
Ch. 61.30The statute that controls seller-financed real estate contracts
Flat feeYou know the cost before you send the document
01 / Our Focus
Form contracts travel. Washington law does not.
A purchase agreement, lease, or vendor contract that reads fine elsewhere can fail here. Washington voids some agreements unless they are written and signed, requires a deed for any interest in land, and layers state and Tacoma rules on every residential lease. An unenforceable clause is worse than no clause, because it invites a counterclaim.
We read the document against those rules, then against the deal. Contingency deadlines, remedies on default, title exceptions, and indemnity are where money is lost. You get the document back with comments in the margin, a one-page summary, and a call to walk through it.
“Most contract problems are visible before signature. Few are fixable after.”
The one-page summary lists the three to five terms that matter, what each one costs you if it stays, and the language to ask for instead.
02 / The law
The Washington rules every contract has to meet
Four statutes decide whether a contract is enforceable, whether a deed records, and what a seller can do when a buyer stops paying.
02RCW 64.04.010
Land moves by deed
Every conveyance of real estate, and every contract creating an encumbrance on it, must be made by deed. A handshake on property does not transfer an interest.
03RCW 64.04.020
Signed and acknowledged
A deed must be in writing, signed by the party bound, and acknowledged. A document that misses this step may not record or protect you after a sale.
04Chapter 61.30 RCW
Seller financing has its own rules
A real estate contract is enforced by statutory forfeiture. Paperwork that skips those steps can leave a seller without the remedy they expected.
03 / The process
How a contract review works
We confirm the turnaround when you book. When a contingency deadline is running, we schedule the review ahead of it.
- 01Day 1
Send the document
A PDF or link, plus one paragraph on the deal and what worries you.
- 02Before your deadline
Marked-up review
Comments in the margin and a one-page summary of the terms that matter and the language to ask for.
- 03After the review
Walk-through call
Thirty minutes so you can negotiate from understanding, not from a memo.
- 04Before signing
Redline, draft, and signing check
We redline if the other side takes changes, draft what is missing, and confirm deeds are signed and acknowledged so they record.
04 / Fees
What it costs
Flat fee Contract review with marked-up copy, one-page summary, and a 30-minute call. Also lease drafting and deed preparation.
PackageSeller financing: real estate contract or note and deed of trust, with the default remedy explained in writing.
HourlyNegotiation and custom drafting, with a written budget before work starts.
05 / Coverage
Where we practice
Tacoma Office on North I Street
Pierce CountyPuyallup, Gig Harbor, University Place
Eastside King CountyBellevue, Issaquah, Sammamish
Snohomish County Purchase and lease reviews
Kitsap County Purchase and lease reviews
The statute of frauds, deed, and real estate contract rules are statewide. Documents can be reviewed remotely; signing and acknowledgment can be arranged wherever you are in Washington.
Not legally, but it is worth it.
The agreement binds you once signed. Contingency deadlines and default clauses are where buyers and sellers lose money, and a flat-fee review costs less than one missed deadline.
Before you sign
Send the contract first. Sign it second.
The review is flat-fee, the summary is one page, and the call is included. If a deadline is running, say so when you book.
Bring to your consultation
01The contract or draft
02Any addenda or title report
03The deadline you are working against