Real Estate Paralegal-FG

About the role

Forestar Group Inc. is a residential and real estate development company and a majority-owned subsidiary of D.R. Horton, Inc., the largest homebuilder by volume in the United States for sixteen consecutive years. The Real Estate Paralegal will assist the Forestar Region teams with processing the contracting, entitlement, and closing of real estate acquisitions.

Responsibilities

• Review and confirm legal descriptions of property based on third-party title work
• Work with municipalities, governmental agencies, and outside consultants in obtaining key due diligence information and documentation for acquisition targets
• Manage communication, document execution, and workflow for closings of Forestar acquisitions
• Review and confirm closing statements, including tax prorations and other fees/charges
• Facilitate communication between Forestar Region, seller’s counsel, and closing counsel/settlement agent
• Coordinate acquisition file management, ensuring appropriate steps are taken in a timely fashion
• Provide key closing documents to Corporate Accounting and deliver entire closing package to corporate for permanent filing
• Assist in drafting purchase and sale agreements, assignments, development management agreements, amendments, deeds, affidavits, and create closing checklists for all real estate deals
• Assist in drafting and revising vendor agreements for construction and development of real estate, and create checklists regarding deliverables for Forestar and vendors
• Calculate legal deadlines and file documents as required
• Ensure adherence to due diligence calendars and eliminate schedule conflicts
• Review title reports and exception documents
• Review certificates of insurance to confirm appropriate coverage and policy amounts
• Draft and sign legal correspondence that is informative in nature but does not include legal opinion or advice
• Prepare requests for funding of acquisitions and monitor financial transactions
• Prepare closing instruction letters, closing documents and binders, review title policies, and work with title companies regarding any policy issues
• Perform clerical and administrative duties as needed
• Understand entitlement processes and procedures
• Perform legal research, fact gathering, and information retrieval via traditional and computer-based systems
• Respond to requests for information
• Archive files and documents
• Conduct all business in a professional and ethical manner to serve customers and increase the company’s goodwill and proficiency
• Ability to work overtime if needed based on office workload and impending deadlines

Requirements

• Associate degree or equivalent from a two-year college or technical school
• 5+ years of Real Estate transactional experience
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Highly organized with the ability to track an acquisition from initial contact through closing
• Self-starter with the ability to work independently and within a team
• Ability to meet strict deadlines with multiple projects while maintaining organized project files
• Creative problem-solving skills, resourcefulness, and tenacity
• Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or via applications
• Proficiency with MS Office, including MS Excel, Outlook, and high proficiency in MS Word
• Ability to sit for the majority of an 8-hour workday; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; talk and hear
• Specific vision abilities required include close vision and peripheral vision
• Moderate noise level in the work environment

Preferred Qualifications

• Paralegal experience and/or certification is a plus
• Experience in residential real estate is preferred

Benefits

• Medical, Dental, and Vision coverage
• 401(K) plan
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Life & Disability Insurance
• Vacation, Sick, Personal Time, and Company Holidays
• Multiple Voluntary and Company-provided Benefits