Q: We are going to purchase 4 acres plus a double wide mobile home in rural area of Louisiana. This is a second home for retirement near family. I live out-of-state now. I intend to sell the mobile home down the line and build a home on the land.

My family knows and trusts the couple selling the property. It’s an elderly couple who has lived there for years, who are moving to be near their children in Texas. We’ve verbally agreed on the price and I will get a loan to pay for property. Is it necessary for me to have an attorney present at the closing? I won’t be able to be there myself.

A: If this were me, I’d hire an attorney to represent my interests, draw up the legal documents, and make sure that the money flows properly at the closing. You also need to make sure you will be able to build on the land, that you know what will be necessary to build a home on that land and that there are no title issues that adversely affect the land.

This isn’t about the people who are selling you the property. I’m sure they’re perfectly lovely folks. It’s about making sure that there are no mistakes, especially since you can’t be there yourself. You should find a good attorney to help you out. He or she should certainly be well worth the money to make sure it all goes properly and that there are no problems with the property or your ability to build on the land later on.