Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer, this is not legal advice, ask a lawyer acquaintance of yours instead of trusting me if this is any more than idle curiosity. A l

Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer, this is not legal advice, ask a lawyer acquaintance of yours instead of trusting me if this is any more than idle curiosity. A lawyer's job when buying a house is mostly dealing with the mortgage. They can explain the mortgage paperwork to you, and find traps like balloon payments or weird escrow structures that a layman might miss. If you pay out of pocket, there's generally a lot less for a lawyer to do. There are of course exceptions where a lawyer is very important, like reviewing the bylaws of a condominium or homeowners' association, or explaining unusual clauses in the sale contract. Unfortunately it's hard to tell when you've run into one of these without having past experience or hiring a lawyer.