The Buying Process




Select A REALTOR® :Selecting the Right REALTOR® is just as important as finding the Right Home. Be sure to ask questions to make sure that an agent is the right fit for you and your family.  A REALTOR® can assist you in many ways:


  • Looking– Once you know how much you want to invest, the next step is to find the properties that most nearly fit your needs.  This is the time to choose the right real estate agent.
  • Choosing a Property-  Your job is to make the final selection of the right property for you.  This is when excitement and emotion run high.  Your real estate agent can assist you in the selection process by providing objective information about each property.  Your real estate professional of choice can provide you with a variety of informational resources (like utilities, schools, etc.)
  • Negotiating– There are myriad negotiating factors, including but not limited to price, financing, terms, date of possession and often the inclusion or exclusion of repairs and furnishings or equipment.  The purchase agreement should provide a period of time for you to complete approperiate inspections and investigations of the property before you are bound to complete the purchase.  Your agent can advise you as to which investigations and inspections are recommended or required.
  • Due Diligence– With a negotiated agreement in hand, it is time to complete the evaluation of the property.  Depending on the area and the property, this could include inspections for termites, dry rot, asbestos, faulty structure, roof condition, septic tank and well tests, just to name a few.  Your agent can assist you in finding qualified responsible professionals to do most of these investigations and provide you with written reports.
  • Financing– Your agent can help you in understanding differnt financing options and in identifying qualified lenders.
  • Closing-  Finally, there is the closing.  Your Real Estate Agent can guid you through this process and make sure everything runs smoothly.

Get Approved: Your Real Estate Professional can provide you with a list of preferred lenders to contact for Mortgage Approval if you do not have someone you choose to work with. You will need to contact a lender to discover what price point you should focus on when searching for a new home. Many buyers have a monthly note that fits their budget that they wish to stay within. If you have this number, work with your lender on what price home you can afford. Once you are approved, you Agent will begin the home search on your behalf.

Tour Homes: I have systems in place to streamline the home-buying process for you. As part of my services, I will commit to helping you with your home search by:


  • Automated Home Search: Contact Monique Lambert to customize a search just for you! Anytime there are new homes on the market, price changes, etc. for homes that meet your criteria- you will be notified via email.
  • Custom Home Search: Click Custom Home Search and you will be able to formulate searches that meet your criteria, as well as save your favorite homes! You can log into the site with your personal username and password and search anywhere, anytime.
  • On The Go: As you pass homes on the road, pull up your home search App to view details and photos. Go to MoniqueLambert.com on your mobile device. If using an iPhone, use the forward button at the bottom of the screen (looks like an arrow shooting out of a box), then select add to Home Screen. Next time you are passing a home you would like more information on, click your App.  If you like what you see, add it to your Saved Searches by logging into your favorites- – Just that easy!

Make An Offer: Once you have found the home that is best for you and your family, I will gather data for a Comparative Market Analysis. This data will provide us with information we need to make an offer on the home. At that time, we will work thoroughly through the Real Estate Purchase Agreement to make sure that you are educated on the terms and conditions in purchasing a home. I will work my best in negotiating on your behalf.

Get Under Contract: Once you and the seller agree on a sales price, you are considered “Under Contract”. At this time, all terms in the contract are in place.

Home Inspections: One of our first tasks we will accomplish together is having the home properly inspected by a licensed home inspector. This will help determine:


  • Major and Minor Issues with the Home
  • Recommendations or needed repairs
Once the Inspection Report is provided by the inspector, we will discuss what repairs, if any, we would like to ask the seller to make before moving forward with the Act of Sale.

Appraisal: The lending process begins with and accepted purchase agreement. This will be completed in parallel with the home inspection. Your lender will request an appraisal to access the value of the home you are purchasing. In order for a lender to provide you with the funds to purchase a home, they have to show that the home is in fact worth the agreed sales price. Should the home appraise for more than the sales price, the buyer is still only obligated to purchase the home for the price in the agreement. However, if the appraised value is less than that written in the accepted purchase agreement, they buyer will be allowed so many calendar days to renegotiate the price due to the appraisal. If the seller does not agree with the price change, the buyer is able to walk away from the purchase of the home. In other words, you will not pay more than what a home is worth unless you, as a buyer, are willing and able to come up with the difference.

Home Insurance: First and foremost, you should contact your current insurance carrier due to the advantages of multi-line discounts. Once you have gathered the necessary information from your insurance company, your insurance agent will be able to send the information on the homeowner’s policy to your lender. A lender cannot lend you fund for a home without proper insurance.


Utilities: The week of your closing, you should contact the utility companies to have them transferred into your name. Your REALTOR® will be able to get the companies information for you.

Title Work: We will select a title company that will perform what is called an “Abstract of Title”. This is a search for real estate records in the parish where the home resides. An Abstract will:

  • Determine the legal owner of the property
  • Reveal any mortgage liens, judgments, or unpaid taxes that will have to be satisfied before the property is conveyed
  • Provide existing easements, restrictions or leases that affect the property
 If any of the above issues are revealed, work is done on your behalf to ensure you will receive clear title at the Act of Sale.


Congratulations, Homeowner! You will need to bring your driver’s license, a money order or cashier’s check for the funds needed by your lender (down payment/closing costs), and your hand ready to sign, because in about an hour, you will be a HOMEOWNER!


Change of Address: Print our Change of Address Checklist to assist you in all areas that apply to your needs.


Maintain your new home: Print our Maintainence Manual and Reminders to assist you on keeping up with your new home.