The Closing Process
Louisiana
01 File Opening
After the title company receives the purchase agreement from the agent or borrower, our Closing Assistant will enter the purchase agreement information into the new file and email the buyer and seller additional forms to complete.
The Closing Assistant may contact you throughout the process of your file to assist your assigned Closing Specialist in collecting information needed for the closing.
The Closing Assistant is also the first point
of contact who will provide title quote
requests on all new orders.
02 Closing Specialist
When your file is opened, it will be assigned to a Closing Specialist. Your Closing Specialist will reach out to you when the file is assigned to introduce herself to you.
She will be the point of contact throughout the closing process and will regularly check in with you to keep you informed of the status of your file and to get additional information needed to complete the closing.
Dondra Chandler
Closing Specialist
Allana Rush
Commercial Closing Specialist
03 Title Search
Once the lender provides the title order request, the closing assistant or closing specialist will contact the title abstractor to order a title search on your property.
The title search will show the last 30 years of recorded history on the property including all transfers of title and recorded liens. The abstract order typically takes 2-3 days to complete.
05 Balancing CD and Clear to Close (with Mortgage)
Once the title review is completed by the reviewing attorney, the Closing Specialist will work on finalizing any curative requirements by the attorney.
The next step in the process is receiving the clear to close by the lender. Or if it is a cash sale, the Closing Specialist can proceed to balancing the CD.
Following the clear to close, the Closing Specialist will balance the CD with the lender which typically happens in one day.
04 Attorney Review
Once the abstract title report is returned, the title attorney can begin the title review process. A residential title review typically takes two days. A commercial property title review or a residential property with more extensive documentation to review can take more time.
The attorney will review through all transfers and liens on the property and prepare a title commitment to the lender outlining any curative requirements necessary to clear title prior to closing.
Natalie Smith is the Residential Louisiana Title Attorney and Christina Huguet is the Commercial Louisiana Attorney.
Natalie Smith
Residential
Title Attorney
Christina Huguet
Commerical
Title Attorney
06 Scheduling Closing and Closing Day
Once the Closing Disclosure has been finalized and sent to all parties, the Closing Specialist will contact all parties to schedule your real estate closing.
Your closing will be conducted by a Closing Notary Public or by one of our Closing Attorneys. Traci and Kyle have closed hundreds of closing transactions in the past seven years and will each provide you with an exceptional closing experience in our Covington, Metairie and Slidell offices. Natalie and Bradford are a husband-and-wife attorney duo who will provide you with a unique experience in their Baton Rouge office.
Traci Cougle
Closing Notary
Natalie Smith
Closing Attorney
Bradford Smith
Closing Attorney
07 Recording Documents and Issuing Title Policies
Once your file is closed, the Closing Assistant will e-record (or record submit by mail for recording) your deed and mortgage with the clerk of court's records for recording. Once your documents are recorded, the Closing Assistant will generate the lender and owner's title policy documents.
The Closing Assistant will then email the buyer the Recorded Deed, Recorded Mortgage and the issued Owner's Title Policy; email the seller the Recorded Deed; email the lender the Recorded Deed, Recorded Mortgage and the issued Lender's Policy.
08 Filing for Homestead Tax Exemption
Once a copy of the Recorded Deed has been received, the buyer may file for Homestead Exception by bringing in a copy of the Recorded Deed with their updated driver's license (with their new address) to their local parish tax assessor's office.
Only one of the named buyer's needs to bring their license and deed to the assessor's office to file for a Homestead Exemption. It is best to file your exemption as soon as you receive your Recorded Deed.
You can only file for a Homestead Exemption on your primary residence which will exempt you from taxes on the first $75,000 of the sales price of your home.
Bradford Smith
Baton Rouge
Kyle Catalano
Mandeville
09 Quality Review
Following the close of each of our files, we internally provide a Quality Review facilitated by our operations team to assure that all requirements were completed, documents were properly recorded, and policies were accurately issued.
As a part of our Quality Review process, you may also receive a Customer Survey following closing generated through Google Review Surveys or through our internal survey portal.
One of our Sales Team members may contact you following the close of your file to assure that everything went smoothly in your file and ask if there are any ways in which we can better serve you.