622 Vineland Rd., Winter Garden, FL 34787
Chelsea L. Metka, Esq.

Chelsea L. Metka, Esq.

Founding Attorney · Board Certified in Real Estate Law, The Florida Bar

Fifteen minutes, no obligation. Bring us your contract, your lease, your loan, or your question.

Welcome to Closing with Confidence!

Closing With Confidence

Closing With Confidence is the real estate law podcast from The Metka Law Firm—built for buyers, sellers, agents, landlords, and tenants who want deals done fast, clean, and without surprises. Each episode delivers practical guidance on contracts, timelines, costs, title/closing questions, and the real-world issues that can derail a transaction—so you can move from offer to closing with confidence.

You’ll also hear straight talk on the common mistakes we see in the Central Florida market: inexperienced representation, misaligned incentives, and professionals operating outside their wheelhouse. Our goal is simple: replace confusion with clarity—and help you protect your deal, your money, and your peace of mind.

014: Florida Family Property Transfers: Protecting Your Homestead Exemption and Save Our Homes Cap

014: Florida Family Property Transfers: Protecting Your Homestead Exemption and Save Our Homes Cap

Chelsea Metka takes on one of the most common do-it-yourself tasks in Florida real estate: transferring a home to a family member. A parent adds an adult child to the
013: Does Your Spouse Have to Sign the Mortgage? Florida Homestead Rules Explained

013: Does Your Spouse Have to Sign the Mortgage? Florida Homestead Rules Explained

Chelsea Metka welcomes back Eric Putt, branch manager at Waterstone Mortgage, to tackle a question that lands in her inbox on a near-weekly basis: does the spouse have to sign?
Down Payment Assistance Programs Are More Available Than Most Buyers Realize

012: Mortgage Myths & Real Estate Truths

Closing with Confidence welcomes Eric Putt, branch manager with Waterstone Mortgage in Winter Park, for a conversation on financing a home purchase without the surprises that derail deals late in
The Legal Backbone of Private Lending in Florida

011: Private Lending in Florida: Legal Protections Every Investor Needs to Know 

Private lending has become one of the fastest-growing paths to funding real estate deals across Central Florida, and Chelsea Metka breaks down what makes those transactions work, and what makes
Why the Cheapest Title Quote Isn’t Always the Best Deal

010: What Your Title Company Isn’t Telling You About Settlement Fees

Chelsea Metka opens up about the questions buyers rarely think to ask before choosing a title company, and the answers could save thousands at closing. Two companies can charge the
What Title Insurance Actually Covers

009: Title Insurance Explained: What Florida Buyers Actually Pay For

Title insurance shows up on almost every closing statement, but most buyers have no idea what they’re actually paying for. Chelsea Metka breaks down what the policy covers, why it
Commercial Leases in Florida: What Every Business Owner Should Understand Before Signing

008: Commercial Lease Basics Every Florida Tenant Should Know

Commercial leases operate by their own rules, and getting them wrong costs real money. Chelsea Metka breaks down what separates a commercial lease from residential rentals, why Florida statute leaves
What Commercial Real Estate Buyers Get Wrong Before They Sign

007: Commercial Real Estate Closings in Central Florida: What Buyers and Sellers Need to Know

Commercial real estate closes on a different clock, with a different rulebook, and a lot more moving parts. In this episode, Chelsea Metka sits down with Eileen O’Hara, Metka Law
006: What Actually Happens at a Real Estate Closing? A Step-by-Step Guide for Florida Buyers and Sellers – Part 2

006: What Actually Happens at a Real Estate Closing? A Step-by-Step Guide for Florida Buyers and Sellers – Part 2

Closing day looks simple from the outside. Sign the papers, get the keys. But the process running underneath that moment is where deals survive or fall apart. In this episode,
What Actually Happens Between a Signed Contract and a Set of Keys

005: What Actually Happens at a Real Estate Closing? A Step-by-Step Guide for Florida Buyers and Sellers – Part 1

Real estate closings confuse almost everyone. Buyers show up expecting keys. Sellers expect a check. Neither happens the moment the paperwork is signed, and that gap between expectation and reality