For buyers and sellers
Nothing changes hands until both sides are ready.
Advantage One Escrow is the neutral middle of your sale. We hold the buyer’s money and the seller’s signed deed. When every condition in the instructions is met, everything moves at once.
What escrow does for you
A home sale asks two people who barely know each other to trade a deed and a large sum of money at the same moment. Neither wants to go first. So both hand their part to us, and the trade happens only when everything checks out.
We don’t represent the buyer or the seller, and we can’t give legal, tax or financial advice. We follow the written instructions both sides signed.
What happens during escrow
Most California escrows take 30 to 45 days. During the first few days, we open the file and receive the deposit. The middle weeks cover inspections, the appraisal, the loan and the title report. In the last week, everyone signs and the lender funds. The sale closes when the deed records with the county.
Your contract sets your real dates. Our step-by-step timeline shows a typical 30-day escrow for each person in the sale.
If you are buying
Send your deposit within the time your contract allows, usually 3 business days. Read each disclosure and the title report when they arrive. Sign your loan documents when your lender is ready.
Near closing, you will wire the rest of your down payment and closing costs. We will never email or text you new or changed wire instructions. Call us at (714) 962-0999, a number you look up yourself, before you wire money.
If you are selling
We order the payoff for each loan on your home and pay it from the sale. You sign the grant deed in front of a notary, usually a few days before closing.
After the deed records, we send your proceeds the way your signed instructions say. If you get an email or text asking to change where your money goes, call us at (714) 962-0999, a number you look up yourself.
What it costs
For a sale, the buyer and the seller each pay their own escrow fee. The fee is $300 plus $2.15 per $1,000 of the price, and $1.75 per $1,000 on any part above $2,000,000. On a $1,000,000 home, each side pays $2,450.
Other costs pass through escrow but are set by others. These include title insurance, the county transfer tax and your lender’s charges. Our fee calculator shows your side line by line.
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What does an escrow company do?
We are the neutral middle of a sale. The buyer’s money and the seller’s signed deed wait with us until every condition in the written instructions is met. Then the deed records with the county, and we pay out the money the instructions name.
Does escrow work for the buyer or the seller?
Neither. Escrow is neutral and follows the instructions both sides signed. That means we can’t give legal, tax or financial advice. For advice about your situation, talk with an attorney or tax professional.
Who chooses the escrow company?
The buyer and seller agree on the escrow company, usually with help from their agents. The choice is written into the purchase contract. Like the price, it can be negotiated.
How long does escrow take?
Most California escrows run 30 to 45 days. A cash sale can close faster because there is no loan to wait on. Your contract sets the closing date.
What is the difference between title and escrow?
The title company researches the property’s ownership and issues title insurance. Escrow holds the money and documents and follows the instructions. In Southern California, they are usually two separate companies working on the same sale.
When is the sale final, and who hands over the keys?
The sale is final when the deed records with the county. Your real estate agent hands over the keys as your contract provides. Escrow stays neutral to the end.
How much is the escrow fee for a sale?
Each side pays $300 plus $2.15 per $1,000 of the sale price. On any part of the price above $2,000,000, the rate is $1.75 per $1,000. On a $1,000,000 home, the fee is $2,450 for each side.
What other charges might I see from Advantage One?
A buyer with a loan pays a $500 loan processing fee. Sellers may see small flat charges, such as $30 for each loan payoff and $50 for each homeowners association. Our published fee schedule lists each charge.
Who pays the county transfer tax?
In Orange County, the seller usually pays it, though your contract decides. The tax is $1.10 per $1,000 of the price everywhere in Orange County, including Huntington Beach. Some cities in other counties add their own tax.
Who pays for title insurance?
The owner’s policy is usually the seller’s cost, and the lender’s policy is the buyer’s. The title company sets both premiums, and your contract can change who pays.
What does a refinance escrow cost?
For a single-family home, it is one flat fee based on the loan amount: $650 up to $750,000, $850 up to $1,000,000 and $1,200 up to $2,000,000, plus $200 processing. Loans above $2,000,000 are quoted. Multi-family and commercial refinances are $95 plus $0.95 per $1,000 of the loan, with a $500,000 minimum.
When is my deposit due, and where does it go?
Your contract sets the amount and the deadline. Under the standard California contract, the deposit is due within 3 business days after acceptance. It goes into our trust account and is credited to you at closing.
Can I lose my deposit?
Your contract decides that, and we can’t give legal advice about it. In general, contingencies let a buyer cancel while they are in place. Talk with your agent before you remove any of them.
What is cash to close?
It is the money you bring to closing. It includes your down payment and closing costs, minus your deposit and any credits. Your lender’s Closing Disclosure shows it, and we confirm the exact figure before you sign.
What should I bring to my signing appointment?
Bring a current government photo ID that matches your name on the file. Your escrow officer will tell you if anything else is needed. If someone will sign for you with a power of attorney, tell us early. The lender and title company must approve it first.
What if I still have a loan on the house?
We order a payoff statement from your lender and pay off the loan from the sale. We do the same for a line of credit or any other lien. Demand processing is $30 for each payoff.
How do I get my sale proceeds?
After the deed records, we send your proceeds the way your signed instructions say. If you get an email or text asking to change where your money goes, call us at (714) 962-0999, a number you look up yourself.
Do I have to be there on closing day?
No. In California, you sign your documents with a notary a few days before closing. The sale closes when the deed records with the county, so there is no closing meeting to attend.
What if my home is in an HOA?
We order the association’s sale documents and a statement of what it is owed. We pay that amount from the sale. HOA processing is $50 for each association.
Is my money safe in escrow?
Your money is held in a trust account, separate from the company’s own funds. It moves only on signed instructions. Advantage One is licensed and examined by the California DFPI, license no. 963-1716. We are also a member of Escrow Agents’ Fidelity Corporation (EAFC), the industry fund that protects member escrow companies against losses from employee theft or embezzlement.
How do I send money to escrow safely?
Never wire money based on an email alone. We will never email or text you new or changed wire instructions. Call us at (714) 962-0999, a number you look up yourself, before you wire money, and confirm the instructions with us.
What if I think I sent money to the wrong place?
Call your bank right away and ask it to recall the wire. Then call us at (714) 962-0999 and report it to the FBI at ic3.gov. The first hours matter most.
What if I get an email that changes the wire instructions?
Treat it as fraud, even if it looks like it came from us, your agent or your lender. Don’t reply and don’t send money. Call us at (714) 962-0999, a number you look up yourself.
Should I email my Social Security or bank account number?
No. Don’t send Social Security numbers, bank account numbers or photos of your ID by regular email or through our website forms. Your escrow officer will tell you how to get them to us safely.