Alliance Mutual EscrowBuilt from scratch.
Mike Hickman started this escrow company in 2001. Today nine people run it from our office in Tustin.
Our story
2001
Mike starts the company
Mike Hickman started Alliance Mutual Escrow from scratch in 2001 and built it himself.
“I started Alliance Mutual … to better support the clients and agents we serve.”
Mike Hickman, founder 2002
Licensed by the state
On January 7, 2002, the state issued our escrow license. At the time, escrow licenses came from the Department of Corporations. That agency is now the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, or DFPI.
This escrow company holds California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation Escrow License No. 9631912. Check it on the DFPI’s website.
Later
Laura Woodbury joins
Laura Woodbury joined many years ago and brought the stability the company needed to grow. She is now our managing escrow officer.
Today
Nine people in Tustin
Our office is on Newport Avenue in Tustin. Most of our escrows start close to home, in Tustin and across Orange County. We also handle escrows in the San Gabriel Valley and anywhere else in California.
Meet the team
Why “Alliance Mutual”?
- Alliance
- For our alliance with the real estate community, including the buyers and sellers in every sale.
- Mutual
- Because the work should benefit everyone in it.
- The A
- A name that starts with A came first in the phone book and in the ads.
What we do
In a sale, we stand between the buyer and the seller and take neither side. We hold the deposit, the loan money and the signed papers. We release them only when the escrow instructions, signed by both sides, say we can.
We handle business sales too. Bulk sales and liquor license transfers follow strict state steps, and we walk buyers, sellers and their brokers through each one.
Escrow can’t answer legal or tax questions. For those, ask an attorney or a tax adviser.
We also work with business brokers. We’re an affiliate of the California Association of Business Brokers (CABB), a group for business brokers across the state.
Meet the team
These are the people who answer your calls. Escrow officers run each file, and the assistants beside them keep the papers moving.
Laura Woodbury
Managing Escrow Officer
37 years in escrow
Read Laura’s bio
Laura loves helping buyers and sellers through the steps of a sale. Her favorite part is hearing their stories and being there for them along the way.
Katie Macias
Residential and Bulk Sale Escrow Officer
18 years in escrow
Ext. 102Read Katie’s bio
Katie works to make one of life’s big milestones as smooth and stress-free as it can be. Away from work, she spends time with her family. She loves a good concert or ballgame, and getting outdoors.
Jeannette Urquijo
Escrow Assistant
Ext. 105
Sylvia Vaca
Residential and Bulk Sale Escrow Assistant
12 years in escrow
Speaks English and Spanish
Read Sylvia’s bio
Being part of someone buying the house they dreamed of is what Sylvia loves most. She calls it an amazing feeling.
Jhana Duncan
Escrow Officer
34 years in escrow
Read Jhana’s bio
Jhana enjoys working with all kinds of people on all kinds of escrows. On weekends, she likes to relax by the pool with her husband.
Heather Lambaren
Escrow Officer
30 years in escrow
Ext. 106Read Heather’s bio
Heather likes that no two files are the same. She helps people buy the homes they hoped for, and she supports families with care when they sell a loved one’s home. Away from work, Heather loves her family, her faith and her dog. She’s also a fan of travel, bald eagles and other birds of prey, Vietnamese coffee, the color pink, fantasy football and the Seahawks.
Erin Hendrickson
Escrow Assistant
7 years in escrow
Ext. 112Read Erin’s bio
Erin grew up in Huntington Beach and now lives in Tustin with her husband and their son. Being a mom is her favorite thing in the world.
Michelle Weber
Office Administrator
Almost 5 years in escrow
Ext. 100Read Michelle’s bio
Helping people become homeowners is Michelle’s favorite part of the job. On weekends, she’s with her kids or out walking her dog.
Yolanda Linan
Sales and Marketing Executive
20 years in escrow
Speaks English and Spanish
Read Yolanda’s bio
Yolanda puts client service first, including concierge signings and notary service. Away from work, she spends time with her two grown sons and her parents, who live nearby. She can’t wait to become a grandma. A “Glam-Ma,” as she puts it.
Our main line is (714) 544-6525. Ask for anyone by name.
What clients say
From our Google reviews: 4.8 stars from 53 reviews, checked September 2026.
Emails and calls were returned quickly, all parties stayed on the same page, and we never had to chase down updates. The transaction closed smoothly without any surprises…
What stood out most was their communication. They kept me updated at every milestone…
Quoted as posted, shortened where you see “…”.
Our details, and where to check them
| Detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| Legal name | Alliance Mutual Escrow, Inc. |
| License | This escrow company holds California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation Escrow License No. 9631912. That department, called the DFPI for short, first issued it on January 7, 2002. See the license on the DFPI’s website. |
| Office | 12681 Newport Ave., Suite B, Tustin, CA 92780. Get directions. |
| Phone | (714) 544-6525 |
| Fax | (714) 368-1539 |
| [email protected] | |
| Hours | Weekdays, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. We’re closed on weekends. |
| Business brokers | An affiliate of the California Association of Business Brokers. See the CABB’s list. |
| Google rating | 4.8 out of 5 in 53 Google reviews, checked September 2026. See them on Google. |
What escrows do we handle?
Kinds of escrow
- Buying or selling a home
- Refinances, working with your lender
- Selling or buying a business, including bulk sales
- Liquor license transfers with the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC)
- Sales by a trust or an estate, including probate sales that need a court’s approval
- Escrow for the sale and the purchase in a 1031 exchange, when an investor trades one business or investment property for another. Between the sale and the purchase, the money goes to a qualified intermediary. That’s a separate company, not us.
Where do we handle escrows?
We handle escrows in Tustin and North Tustin, across the rest of Orange County, in the San Gabriel Valley and anywhere else in California.
Questions about us
Who started Alliance Mutual Escrow?
Mike Hickman started it from scratch in 2001, and the state first licensed it in 2002. The name stands for an alliance with the real estate community, and for work that benefits everyone in the sale.
How long has Alliance Mutual Escrow been licensed?
Since January 7, 2002. This escrow company holds California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation Escrow License No. 9631912. That department, called the DFPI for short, is the California agency that issues escrow licenses. Its website lists our license.
Can I ask for a certain escrow officer?
Yes. Call (714) 544-6525 and ask for them by name. If an extension shows under their photo on this page, you can dial it.
Do you handle business sales?
Yes. That includes bulk sales, plus liquor license transfers with or without a business sale. Katie Macias is our Residential and Bulk Sale Escrow Officer, and we’re an affiliate of the California Association of Business Brokers (CABB).
Sources and fine print
- DFPI: our escrow license record (9631912)
- DFPI: consumer information about licensed escrow companies
- California Department of Real Estate, Reference Book chapter 8: escrow
- Internal Revenue Service (IRS): Instructions for Form 8824, like-kind exchanges
- California Association of Business Brokers: affiliates list
We checked the license record on the DFPI’s website and the CABB’s affiliate list in September 2026. Page updated . General information, not legal or tax advice.