Escrow, explained in plain English.
Short guides, written for people, not lawyers. Every one is downloadable as a PDF. If your question is not here, call and a licensed escrow officer will answer it plainly.
Start here
The three everyone should read, whichever side of the table you are on.
What escrow is, and what it does
Escrow explained in plain English: a licensed neutral party that holds money and documents until every condition of the sale is met.
The 30 day escrow timeline
What happens in a standard 30 day California escrow, day by day, and what can move the dates.
Wire fraud safety in escrow
Wire fraud targets real estate closings. One phone call defeats most of it. How to send funds safely during escrow.
Your side of the table
Written for the seat you are sitting in.
The home buyer’s guide to escrow
What California home buyers do during escrow: deposits, disclosures, loan documents, closing costs, and the final day.
The home seller’s guide to escrow
What California home sellers do during escrow: disclosures, payoffs, the grant deed, and how proceeds arrive.
The refinance escrow guide
How a refinance escrow works in California: flat fee tiers, payoffs, signing, funding, and the three day right to cancel.
Specialty work
The files most escrow companies turn away. Bring them here.
1031 exchange escrow
How escrow supports a 1031 exchange: the 45 and 180 day deadlines, the accommodator, and published processing.
Bulk sale escrow for business transfers
What a bulk sale escrow does when a business changes hands: notices, creditor claims, and a clean transfer.
Probate and court supervised sale escrow
How escrow works when a court supervises the sale: confirmation, required notices, and documentation the court accepts.
Mobile and manufactured home escrow
How escrow handles mobile and manufactured home sales in California: title, registration, taxes, and park approval.
For sale by owner (FSBO) escrow
Selling without an agent in California: what escrow does and does not do in a FSBO sale, and how both sides stay protected.
Holding escrows
What a holding escrow is: a licensed neutral account that holds funds or documents under signed instructions until conditions are met.