Barron Lakeman, Attorney at Law | Owner, Lakeman & Associates, LLC
barron@lakemanlaw.com
Barron grew up in Birmingham and has been involved in the real estate industry all his life. His mother, Rita Lakeman, has been a successful realtor in the Birmingham area for over 25 years. He first worked for First Real Estate (now RealtySouth) while attending Hoover High School and also later worked as an assistant for two other successful Birmingham closing attorneys while attending college at Auburn University.
After graduating from the University Of Alabama School Of Law in 2004, Barron worked as an associate at a larger Birmingham law firm where his practice focused primarily on civil litigation as well as handling real estate closings. Barron’s four years of experience in litigation allowed him the opportunity to represent numerous clients in all types of construction and property disputes in addition to closing several residential and commercial transactions. Barron firmly believes that his litigation background is essential to being a successful closing attorney.
In May 2007, Barron formed Lakeman & Peagler, LLC along with fellow University of Alabama School of Law graduate, Zach Peagler. In March 2008, Barron decided to purchase an additional real estate practice from well-known closing attorney, Courtney Mason. Barron purchased the building from Courtney in order to maintain the same location and contact information. More importantly, Barron was also able to retain the entire staff of closing secretaries, who are widely considered to be the best in the Birmingham area.
Christina Crabtree | Secretary
christina@lakemanlaw.com
Christina has worked in the real estate business for over six years. She started working for Courtney Mason & Associates, PC in February, 2002 and was retained to work for Barron Lakeman & Associates, LLC after the acquisition of the business in March of 2008.
Christina is the first stop in the closing process in our office. She generally schedules the closings and also orders and collects all the required items in the closing file until the closing package is received. Christina handles most communication with real estate agents, mortgage companies, title companies and builders. Her main goal is to make sure that your closing goes as smoothly as possible and that any title issues are discovered long before you reach the closing table. If you want to know what items we have in your file or whether the closing package has arrived, Christina is the one you need.
In addition, Christina also assists Barron in drafting various contracts that are available in our office to be used for all types of transactions. If you need a specialized contract, please let her know and she will be glad to assist you in making sure you get the appropriate contract to fit your need. Whether you are a new client or someone who has been with us for years, Christina will make you feel right at home. It is this type of personal attention that sets our office apart from most other closing attorneys in the Birmingham area.
Debbie Leonard | Closing Secretary
debbie@lakemanlaw.com
Debbie has worked as a closing secretary for more than sixteen years. She began as a closing secretary for Courtney Mason & Associates, PC in February of 1992, and has been with D. Barron Lakeman & Associates, LLC since Barron purchased Courtney’s practice in March, 2008.
As a veteran closing secretary, Debbie is very knowledgeable in every aspect of the closing process. She can do everything from organizing the closing to shipping the closing package back to the mortgage company. Debbie has been nicknamed “The Equalizer” in the office as she is good at maintaining order and remaining efficient and productive amidst the inevitable chaos that comes from closing real estate transactions. Her cool demeanor allows Debbie to handle any problems that arise at the closing table without causing undue delays.
Armed with knowledge and patience, Debbie works well with For Sale By Owner transactions and gives you the individual attention needed to have a smooth closing. After years in this business, she is capable to help with every step throughout the closing process. Whether you need to schedule your closing, have a question, or just want to check the status of your file, Debbie is available and more than willing to help.
Peggy Mann | Office Manager
peggy@lakemanlaw.com
Peggy has been closing real estate transactions for 24 years. During her career, Peggy has worked in all aspects of the closing process. She began as a receptionist who handled scheduling and quickly worked her way through the post closing and refinance departments. Later, Peggy was promoted to closing secretary and eventually to Office Manager. As a result, Peggy has a tremendous amount of experience in working through all of the potential problems in closing a real estate transaction. In short, there is not much she hasn’t dealt with over the years. Peggy enjoys using her experience to help others in solving whatever problems may arise during the closing process. Buying and selling a home is one of the most important things a person will do during his or her life and Peggy has always strived to make it as painless and informative as possible.
As office manager, Peggy oversees the other staff and she feels truly blessed to work with our other team members each day. Each person has their own unique way of making our team efficient and productive. If you have visited us in the past, you understand. If you have not worked with us before, we encourage you to give us a try.
Peggy is always available for any questions and is usually the one to ask for if problems arise.
Ginger Burke | Disbursement and Shipping Department
ginger@lakemanlaw.com
Ginger Burke has worked in the real estate closing business for 19 years. She began working in the post closing department for Courtney Mason & Associates, PC in 1987 and now serves as the Disbursement and Shipping Department Coordinator for D. Barron Lakeman & Associates, LLC.
Ginger is the final step in your closing experience. Ginger’s primary responsibility is shipping the closing package back to the lender in the proper order and issuing all the disbursement checks and payoffs to the appropriate parties. She also rechecks your deed prior to having it recorded to ensure that it is accurate. Ginger also handles mailing the Purchaser his or her recorded deed after closing and provides instruction on how to claim your homestead exemption in order to reduce your property taxes. In addition, she makes sure you receive the final title policy in a timely manner, thus enabling you to obtain reissue credit on your next transaction. Lastly, Ginger handles all of the filing in our office. She is always ready and willing to help should you need any additional copies from your closing file after the fact.