Escrow From a California Homeowner's Perspective
The Escrow ProcessBoth Buyer and Seller deserve the assurance that no funds or property will change hands until all of the instructions in the Purchase Contract have been satisfied. The Realtor submits Buyers and Sellers signed documents and Buyers deposit money to be held by an independent ... more...

Understanding the Escrow (Closing) Process
1. What is an escrow?Escrow is defined as a process where parties deposit instructions and funds with a "disinterested" third party until conditions of the instructions are met. This applies whether the purchase is real estate or an expensive Ebay item. In a real estate escrow, a title insurance ... more...

Is Comparing Escrow Fees Online the Way to Go?
Did you know that not all escrow closing fees are the same? It is true, these fees are not regulated by law at all and just like shopping for insurance, you need to look around for the best deal on your escrow fees. Your escrow fees could depend largely upon where it is that you are living. The ... more...

Real Estate Tip: Escrow Accounts -- Do You Really Need Them?
If you have a mortgage on your property, whether it's for your personal residence or a real estate investment, chances are you have an escrow account. But if you are working on building wealth through real estate, you may want to take a hard look at your escrow account (or accounts, if you own more ... more...

RESPA: The Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act
The Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) is a consumer protection statute, first passed in 1974. One of its purposes is to help consumers become better shoppers for settlement services. Another purpose is to eliminate kickbacks and referral fees that increase unnecessarily the costs of ... more...

FSBOs The Secret of 'After Settlement Escrow' to Solve Problems
Most FSBOs (people who are selling their own homes) are aware of the conventional use of escrow. In this article, we look at ways to use escrow to solve problems.EscrowEscrow means different things in different parts of the country. In California its part and parcel of the settlement process. In ... more...

Life of an Escrow
Escrow is one of the last stages in the purchase or sale of a real property. When someone says that they are in escrow, it means that they have either accepted an offer on the sale of their property, or their offer to purchase has been accepted. The offer to purchase agreement is the instrument ... more...

Escrow Accounts, Do You Absolutely Need One?
With escrow accounts the money for your home insurance and property tax is added to your monthly mortgage payment and is paid out each year. With that said, you may think that having an escrow account takes the responsibility off your shoulders because the bank will make the payment for you each ... more...

What is Tax-Deferred Exchange?
Under Section 1031 of the Internal Revenue Code, owners of real estate held for investment or use in a trade or business can swap their property tax-free for "like-kind" real estate. Exchanges are made for people wanting to stay invested in real estate, increase their leverage and to avoid paying ... more...