Escrow, explained
Escrow is a neutral holding arrangement. We keep the money and the documents until every condition in the written instructions is met, then everything moves at once. Here is the whole thing, step by step.
What escrow does
The buyer’s deposit comes to us first, and the loan funds follow. The seller signs the deed, and it waits with us too. Nobody can take anything back out alone.
Inspections, appraisal, loan, title report, payoffs and signatures. Each one is checked against the written instructions everyone signed.
When every condition is met, the deed records with the county. Then we pay the seller, the lenders and everyone else named in the instructions. Your agent hands over the keys.
Who is at the table
Your escrow officer stays in touch with all of them. Pick anyone to see what they do and where escrow comes in.
The timeline
Pick your role, the day your contract was accepted and a 30 or 45 day escrow. Each step shows what happens, what you do, and whether the date comes from your contract, the law or common practice.
Day 0
The buyer and seller sign the purchase contract, and the final signed copy is delivered. Every contract deadline counts from this day.
Contract defaultSet by the purchase contract. Your agreement can change it.
This is a typical 30-day escrow for a purchase with a loan. Your contract sets the actual dates and can change any of these deadlines. A cash sale can close faster because there is no loan to wait on. In a 45-day escrow, the loan and signing steps happen later. The 17-day and 21-day deadlines stay the same unless the contract changes them. Dates that land on a weekend or a federal holiday move to the next business day.
Where the money goes
What you sign
Bring a current government photo ID. Tap an underlined word to see what that paper does, and ask us about any page before you sign it.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.