So we’ve found our co op apartment and put and offer down. Offer was accepted by the selling agent and we’ve been talking to an attorney we really like about our deal sheet and getting a contract signed. He’s really been great. However. He just sent an email to officially make him our attorney on this purchase and his retainer fee is $3,500. A quick Google search tells me to expect between $1,000 and $4,000 total for a co op attorney. Is $3,500 too expensive? Is that a negotiable number? I’d love to stick with this guy, but if I can get a lawyer for a third of the cost, I’d much rather keep our closing costs lower.

For background, we’ve both only rented in the city until now. We bought a house outside the state a few years ago, but this is our first co op purchase. We’re very excited to be taking this step!