Serving Los Angeles & San Fernando Valley DRE# 02118273 SBN# 2497088 LIC# 4004589
LAREALTi — Real Estate

Your Realtor Is Also
Your Attorney.

Most transactions close without anyone asking the legal questions that matter most. LAREALTi brings an attorney's perspective into every buy, sell, and probate transaction — so title, ownership, and long-term planning are never an afterthought.

⚖️ Attorney + Realtor in One 🏡 JohnHart Real Estate 🌟 5.0 Zillow Rating 📜 Free Estate Planning Included
5.0★
Zillow Rating
10+
Years Experience
3-in-1
Attorney · Realtor · Agent
🔗 Zillow Profile & Reviews → 🔗 JohnHart Broker Profile →
⚖️ Attorney-Level Protection
🏡 Buy · Sell · Probate
📜 Free Estate Planning for Clients
🔗 Coordinated with Insurance
📍 Los Angeles & San Fernando Valley
The LAREALTi Difference

What happens when your
Realtor is also your attorney.

Most people hire a real estate agent and a lawyer separately. Those professionals rarely communicate — leaving critical gaps in title ownership, estate planning alignment, and property protection. LAREALTi fixes this by design.

Shekhar Chikhalikar is a California-licensed Realtor (DRE# 02118273) and an Estate Planning attorney (CA Bar #249708) operating under JohnHart Real Estate. That dual credential is rare — and it means every transaction benefits from both legal and real estate intelligence in a single conversation.

  • Title and ownership reviewed with legal eyes — not just transactional ones
  • Probate sales handled with full court-process understanding, reducing delays
  • Trust ownership, step-up basis, and Prop 19 reassessment addressed during the deal
  • Insurance coordination through INSUREDLA so coverage matches how property is owned
  • Free comprehensive estate planning included for real estate clients
❌ Typical Agent
✅ LAREALTi
❌ Title reviewed by escrow only
✅ Title reviewed with legal awareness
❌ No estate plan coordination
✅ Free estate planning included
❌ Probate = refer out & wait
✅ Probate handled in-house
❌ Insurance is your problem
✅ Coordinated via INSUREDLA
❌ Prop 19? Not my job
✅ Tax impact discussed upfront
❌ 3 pros, no coordination
✅ One team: Legal · RE · Insurance
Services

Whether you're buying, selling,
or navigating a complex situation.

LAREALTi handles the full transaction spectrum — with legal awareness built into every step.

🏠

Buyer Representation

Finding the right property is only part of the job. Understanding what you're actually buying — the title history, ownership structure, and long-term implications — is where having an attorney in your corner makes a real difference.

  • Help finding your dream property across all LA markets
  • Identify great deals on REO and distressed properties
  • Secure the right financing for a smooth transaction
  • Negotiate the best possible deal with sellers
  • Top financing options and relocation assistance
  • Title and ownership structure reviewed with legal insight
  • Trust vesting and step-up basis considerations discussed
  • Referral to lenders with a strong track record in complex deals
⭐ Exclusive: Free Comprehensive Estate Planning — protect your new property from day one.
📋

Seller Representation

Selling a home is one of the largest financial transactions most families will ever make. It deserves more than a lockbox and an MLS listing. LAREALTi brings a full marketing system and legal intelligence to the seller side.

  • Strategic marketing across MLS, Zillow, and major platforms for maximum visibility
  • Extensive network to attract non-local and relocation buyers
  • Expert guidance on foreclosures and short sales to minimize credit impact
  • Negotiate with banks to secure the best possible short sale terms
  • Probate sale services to streamline and accelerate the selling process
  • Title and ownership review before listing to avoid closing-day surprises
  • Coordination with estate planning if the sale affects a trust or estate
⭐ Probate & Trust Sales: In-house legal experience — no waiting on outside referrals.
Exclusive Client Benefits

What every LAREALTi client gets —
that no ordinary agent offers.

These exclusive benefits are what make LAREALTi fundamentally different from any other real estate service in the San Fernando Valley.

📜

Free Comprehensive Estate Planning

Every real estate client receives a full estate plan review — including living trust guidance — coordinated through LAESQUIRE at no additional cost.

⚖️

In-House Legal Services

Legal support for the underlying transaction is available in-house. No waiting for outside counsel on title issues, probate questions, or contract review.

🛡️

Insurance Coordination

After the deal closes, your coverage is reviewed by INSUREDLA to make sure it matches how the property is owned — not just a default policy slapped on.

🔗

One Team for Everything

Legal, real estate, and insurance under one roof. No coordination gaps, no conflicting advice, no repeating your story to three different professionals.

When This Matters Most

Situations where the attorney-realtor combination
makes the biggest difference.

These are the moments when working with an ordinary agent creates real risk.

Probate & Trust Sales

Selling property from an estate or trust involves court processes, executor authority, and legal timelines most agents don't understand. LAREALTi handles these in-house — faster and with fewer surprises.

Title & Ownership Strategy

How you take title on a new purchase affects reassessment, step-up in basis, and what happens to the property when you're gone. These decisions deserve legal review, not just escrow paperwork.

REO & Distressed Properties

Bank-owned properties, short sales, and foreclosures carry additional legal complexity. Negotiating with banks and protecting your earnest money requires experience on both sides of the transaction.

First-Time Buyers

The most important protection a first-time buyer can have is someone who explains not just the contract — but the long-term implications: vesting, insurance, and what an estate plan looks like from day one of homeownership.

Family Transfers & Prop 19

Parent-child and grandparent-grandchild transfers carry significant tax implications under Proposition 19. Coordinating the real estate transfer with estate planning is critical to getting this right.

Relocation & Non-Local Buyers

Buyers relocating to the San Fernando Valley need a guide who understands the local market and can help them get settled — including new insurance and estate planning considerations from day one.

Credentials & Profiles

Verified, licensed, and publicly listed.

Every license is publicly verifiable. Every profile is live and current.

5.0★
Zillow Rating · Verified Reviews
View Zillow Profile →
JohnHart
Real Estate
Brokerage Affiliation · DRE# 02118273
View Broker Profile →
CA State
Bar
Attorney License #249708 · 10+ Years
Explore Legal Services →
The Coordinated System

Real estate decisions don't live in a vacuum.

Every property transaction connects to a legal strategy and an insurance picture. LAREALTi is the real estate lane inside a fully integrated system.

LAESQUIRE

Legal Foundation

Your estate plan, trust structure, and ownership documents need to reflect your real estate reality. Trusts must be funded. Deeds must match beneficiary designations.

  • Living trusts and pour-over wills
  • Property deeds drafted and recorded
  • Probate avoidance planning
  • Guardianship and incapacity documents
LAREALTi

Real Estate Transactions

Buy, sell, or manage property with legal intelligence already in the conversation — not introduced after a problem emerges. Affiliated with JohnHart Real Estate.

  • Buyer and seller representation
  • Probate and trust-related sales
  • REO, short sales, foreclosures
  • Title and ownership review
INSUREDLA

Property Protection

After the transaction closes, your insurance needs to match how the property is titled, used, and exposed to liability — especially if a trust now owns it.

  • Home, landlord, and umbrella insurance
  • Trust-owned property coverage review
  • Business and liability coordination
  • Claims support when it matters most
About LAREALTi

Real estate for Los Angeles families and investors — with legal protection built in.

LAREALTi is the real estate service inside LA Vakil, serving buyers, sellers, and investors throughout Los Angeles, Chatsworth, Northridge, Woodland Hills, and the broader San Fernando Valley. What sets LAREALTi apart isn't just local market knowledge — it's the combination of a licensed California Realtor credential and an estate planning attorney's perspective working together in every transaction.

Why Most Real Estate Transactions Leave Families Exposed

The typical real estate transaction is designed to close fast, not to protect you long-term. Escrow handles the paperwork. The lender handles the financing. Your agent handles the showing and the offer. But nobody is asking: How should you take title? Does your existing trust need to be updated? What happens to this property if something happens to you before you update your estate plan? What insurance does a trust-owned property actually need?

These aren't hypothetical concerns. They're the issues that end up in probate court, trigger reassessment surprises, or leave a family fighting over a property that was never properly transferred into a trust. LAREALTi is designed specifically to prevent these outcomes.

What "Attorney-Realtor" Actually Means for You

When Shekhar Chikhalikar, Esq. represents you in a real estate transaction, you're not just getting a licensed Realtor. You're getting someone who can read a title report like a lawyer, understand the probate implications of a property sale, advise on how ownership choices interact with Proposition 19, and help draft the estate planning documents needed to properly protect the property — all in one relationship, without referring you out.

This is especially valuable in Los Angeles, where real estate transactions often involve trusts, multi-generational properties, probate estates, and complex ownership structures that a standard agent is simply not equipped to address.

JohnHart Real Estate Affiliation

LAREALTi operates under the JohnHart Real Estate brokerage — one of the leading independent brokerages in Southern California. This affiliation provides clients with broad MLS access, marketing reach, and brokerage support, while maintaining the personalized, attorney-informed approach that defines the LAREALTi experience.

Serving Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley

LAREALTi serves clients throughout the greater Los Angeles area with particular depth in the San Fernando Valley — including Chatsworth, Northridge, Woodland Hills, Reseda, Canoga Park, Granada Hills, Porter Ranch, Calabasas, and surrounding communities. Whether you're buying a first home, selling a family estate, handling a probate property, or looking for investment opportunities, LAREALTi brings both the market knowledge and the legal awareness to guide you well.

Common Questions

Real Estate FAQ

Questions clients ask before working with LAREALTi.

What does it mean that my Realtor is also an attorney?
It means your real estate transaction benefits from legal awareness at every step — not just when a problem appears. Shekhar Chikhalikar is licensed both as a California Realtor (DRE# 02118273) and as a California attorney (CA Bar #249708). During a transaction, he can identify title concerns, advise on ownership strategy, handle probate-related sales, and coordinate with estate planning — without you needing to hire additional professionals.
What is included in the free estate planning benefit?
Real estate clients receive a comprehensive estate planning review through LAESQUIRE, covering trust structure, ownership, and beneficiary considerations as they relate to the property. If a full estate plan is needed, Shekhar can draft that at standard LAESQUIRE rates. The goal is to make sure the property you just bought or sold is properly protected from day one.
Can LAREALTi handle probate property sales?
Yes. Probate sales are a specialty. Shekhar understands the court confirmation process, executor authority requirements, and legal timelines involved. This means probate listings can be marketed and moved without the delays that occur when an agent unfamiliar with the process is trying to navigate it with outside counsel.
Do you handle short sales and foreclosures (REO)?
Yes. LAREALTi helps buyers identify and acquire distressed properties, and helps sellers navigate short sales with bank negotiation to minimize credit impact. The legal background means both sides of a distressed transaction are handled with a clear understanding of the risks and the protections available.
How does Proposition 19 affect a real estate transaction in California?
Proposition 19, effective February 2021, significantly changed the rules for parent-child and grandparent-grandchild property transfers in California. Properties that are not the recipient's primary residence no longer receive the same reassessment exclusion. Proper coordination between the real estate transfer and an updated estate plan can make a significant financial difference for families — and LAREALTi can advise on this at the time of the transaction.
What areas does LAREALTi serve?
LAREALTi primarily serves the San Fernando Valley and greater Los Angeles, including Chatsworth, Northridge, Woodland Hills, Canoga Park, Reseda, Granada Hills, Porter Ranch, Calabasas, and the broader LA metro area. Shekhar Chikhalikar is based in Chatsworth and is deeply familiar with the local market across these communities.
Start Here

Ready to buy, sell, or protect
your property the right way?

The free 10-minute strategy review is the best starting point. Tell us your situation — buying, selling, probate, or just making sure what you own is protected — and we'll give you focused clarity on the best next step.

📞 818-714-1789

Disclaimer: LAVakil is an informational website about Estate Planning, Insurance, and Real Estate issues in California. It does not provide services nor does it do business under the name LAVAKIL. LAVakil only brings LAEsquire, iNSUREDLA, and LAREALTi together. LAVakil's owner and proprietor, Shekhar Chikhalikar, is a lawyer, a Realtor, and a P&C insurance agent and can be contacted directly to help with your Insurance, Real Estate, or Legal situation. Real estate services provided through JohnHart Real Estate, DRE# 02118273. Legal services provided by SNC Law Office, CA Bar #249708. This page doe