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      • autor_nameLightspeed Escrow
      • titleIs Title Insurance a Waste of Money or a Necessity?
      • body<script type="application/ld+json"> { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BlogPosting", "mainEntityOfPage": { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://lightspeedescrow.com/blog-post/is-title-insurance-a-waste-of-money" }, "headline": "Is Title Insurance a Waste of Money or a Necessity?", "description": "Is title insurance a waste of money or a necessary part of the home-buying process? If you’re unsure, we’ll explain everything - read the article to learn more.", "image": "https://lightspeedescrow.com/files/blog/16757486-41f8-4dd2-a1fc-b03fe47d75f2_negotiating-insurance.jpg", "author": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Lightspeed Escrow", "url": "https://lightspeedescrow.com/" }, "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Lightspeed Escrow", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "" } }, "datePublished": "2022-12-02", "dateModified": "2022-12-02" } </script> <p>Buying a home is an undertaking that comes with not only many challenges, but also many expenses. Because of that, home buyers often look for chances to save some money and avoid unnecessary costs, and rightfully so. One of the things people often consider skipping is title insurance. But is title insurance a waste of money or is it a good investment after all? </p> <p>If you’re not familiar with what title insurance is, how it protects you and why it’s significant, we’re here to explain. In this article, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about this part of the home-buying process and help you decide if it is a good choice for you. So, keep reading to find out if this is something to splurge or save on. </p> <h2>What Is Title Insurance?</h2> <p>To figure out if title insurance is a waste of money, we need to start at the basics. Understanding what it entails will help you decide if this is something you need. So, let's see what title insurance is in the first place.</p> <p>When you're buying a home, one of the final steps of the transaction is passing the property title from the seller to you (the buyer). Before that happens, the title company has to conduct a search to see if the title is clear and produce a <a href="https://lightspeedescrow.com/blog-post/preliminary-title-report" rel="noopener" target="_blank">preliminary title report</a>. A clear title means it has no liens on the property, building code violations, etc. </p> <p><strong>Title insurance protects homeowners from potential financial losses resulting from defects in the title that are uncovered after closing. </strong>It can protect you against fraud, forgery, unknown liens or encumbrances on the property, mistakes in public records relating to the real estate transaction, and other issues that may arise with your home ownership.</p> <h3>Owner's Title Insurance vs. Lender's Title Insurance</h3> <p>While we're explaining what title insurance is, we can't fail to mention the different types that exist. There are two types of title insurance you should be aware of: lender's title insurance and owner's title insurance.</p> <ul> <li>Lender's Title Insurance - it protects the mortgage lender and covers them in case there are any issues with the title of the property. This is usually an obligatory part of the real estate closing process, and most lenders will require you to purchase it to secure financing for your home purchase.</li> <li>Owner's Title Insurance - it is optional and not required, but it can be very helpful in protecting you as the homeowner. It covers both present and future issues that could arise as a result of problems with the title.</li> </ul> <h2>How Long Does Title Insurance Last?</h2> <p>The question on everybody's lips is how long title insurance is good for. You'll be pleased to hear that <strong>the title insurance you buy when assuming the property title will be valid for as long as you own the property</strong>. So, once you finally sign the closing contracts and purchase the insurance, you don't have to think about it again. Until you decide to buy another property, that is.</p> <h2>Who Pays for Title Insurance - the Buyer or the Seller?</h2> <p>In any real estate transaction, there are various expenses that need to be paid and it can be hard to keep track of all of them. Some costs are the buyer's responsibility, others are covered by the seller, and then there are some that you split. So, what happens with title insurance?</p> <p>The buyer is typically the one who pays for title insurance at closing, although it can vary depending on your local market and the terms of your real estate contract. The cost of title insurance is usually set by the state and varies from state to state.</p> <p>According to the <a href="https://www.insurance.ca.gov/01-consumers/105-type/95-guides/03-res/Title-Insurance.cfm" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3c78d8;">California Department of Insurance</span></a>, the rules will vary from place to place. In Northern California, the buyer is usually the one paying for the title insurance premium. Occasionally, though, the seller and the buyer will split the cost. In Southern California, the seller typically pays the premium for title insurance.</p> <h3>Is Title Insurance a One-Time Fee?</h3> <p>While we're talking about payment details, there's another question we want to cover. Many people wonder if title insurance is a one-time fee or if you pay it in multiple installments.</p> <p>Title insurance is, in fact, <em>a one-time fee and not an ongoing cost</em>. You pay the premium up-front, and that's it. As mentioned above, the cost of title insurance is typically set by the state and varies from locality to locality. Remember to factor in these costs when budgeting for your home purchase.</p> <h2>The Importance of Title Insurance</h2> <p>What does title insurance protect against; is it crucial? Well, it covers a wide range of potential issues that could arise as a result of title defects. These include:</p> <ul> <li>Errors in public records</li> <li>Undiscovered liens or encumbrances on the property</li> <li>Potential boundary disputes</li> <li>Forged documents and fraud</li> <li>Unpaid property taxes</li> </ul> <p>It protects both you, as the buyer, and your mortgage lender in case there are any issues or disputes with the title of the property after closing.</p> <p>It also helps protect against unknown liens or encumbrances that may have been missed during the title search. This can be a huge help if the seller hasn't paid their <a href="https://lightspeedescrow.com/blog-post/when-are-property-taxes-due-in-california" rel="noopener" target="_blank">property taxes</a> or has failed to disclose any other issues with the property that could affect its value.</p> <p>Ultimately, <strong>title insurance provides peace of mind in knowing that you're fully protected against potential complications that could occur after your home purchase</strong>. Even if you're working with an experienced professional, and the title search comes back clean, it never hurts to be extra safe. It might not happen very often, but sometimes the title search can be inaccurate, so you shouldn't risk it.</p> <p>While you may think that title insurance is just another cost in your home-buying process, it's important to remember how beneficial it can be in protecting your investment. Just make sure you understand all the details before signing any closing contracts.</p> <h2>Title Insurance: A Waste of Money or a Must-Have?</h2> <p>If you’re posing the question ‘’Do I need title insurance?’’, you now have all the facts that will help you decide. Just like <a href="https://lightspeedescrow.com/blog-post/escrow-fees" rel="noopener" target="_blank">escrow fees</a>, paying a title policy is not obligatory, but it does give you peace of mind and protect you in case things go south. So, if you want to be sure that you will be safe in case any issues with the title come up in the future, getting title insurance is the way to go. </p> <p>We understand that these decisions can be tough and that real estate transactions are often stressful. But with the right partners by your side it can be smooth sailing. So, <em>don’t hesitate to </em><a href="https://lightspeedescrow.com/contact-us" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><em>contact us</em></a><em> and lean on our expedient services no matter what kind of real estate transaction you’re dealing with.</em></p>
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      • titleWhen Are Property Taxes Due in California and How Are They Calculated?
      • body<script type="application/ld+json"> { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BlogPosting", "mainEntityOfPage": { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://lightspeedescrow.com/blog-post/when-are-property-taxes-due-in-california" }, "headline": "", "description": "When Are Property Taxes Due in California and How Are They Calculated?", "image": "https://lightspeedescrow.com/files/blog/341299b6-5c36-4d4a-8007-2cbad8506d07_property-taxes.jpg", "author": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Lightspeed Escrow", "url": "https://lightspeedescrow.com/" }, "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Lightspeed Escrow", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://lightspeedescrow.com/img/logo.png" } }, "datePublished": "2022-11-28", "dateModified": "2022-11-28" } </script> <p>Nobody wants to think about paying taxes, but there’s no getting around it. If you are a homeowner, property taxes are just another facet of homeownership you need to deal with. But, we understand that it can get confusing. When are property taxes due? How are they calculated? What are the penalties if you miss a deadline?</p> <p>We wrote this article to answer these questions. By the end, you will know how property taxes work in California, how they are calculated, when they are due, and the penalties if you miss deadlines, plus you’ll get some tips on how you can avoid delinquent payments. So let’s get started.</p> <h2>How Are Property Taxes Calculated in California?</h2> <p>Property taxes are calculated based on the value of your home at the time of purchase, annual increases to the value, and additional voter-approved levies that are specific to each area. <strong>In California, you pay 1% of your assessed home value in property taxes</strong>. The additional voter-approved levies are typically between 0% and 0.5% of the assessed value.</p> <p>The assessed value of your home increases annually, which is why your property tax bills are not the same each year. We should note that the assessed value of a home, even with the annual increases, is not the same as the fair market value of your property. So let’s explain all the components of your property taxes.</p> <h3>What Is the Assessed Value of a Home?</h3> <p>When you buy a property, the County Assessor determines it’s value. The assessed value will typically be the same as the purchase price, unless there is a very significant discrepancy between the purchase price and the fair market value of the property. This value is called the base year value. So, the base year value of your property is the value at the time of purchase.</p> <p><strong>The assessed value of your home for tax purposes is the base year value with added annual increases</strong>. This is called the factored base value. This is important because your property taxes are calculated based on the factored base value and not on the fair market price of the property in the current real estate market.</p> <h3>How Is the Added Value Calculated?</h3> <p>Value is added yearly to your home’s base year value based on the inflation rate that is measured by the <a href="https://www.dir.ca.gov/OPRL/capriceindex.htm">California Consumer Price Index</a>. So, as the inflation rate rises, so does the value of your home, as well as the property taxes that you need to pay.</p> <p>However, <a href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?lawCode=CONS&article=XIII+A">Proposition 13</a>, an amendment to the California Constitution from 1978, capped the annual increase at 2%, regardless of the inflation rate. Thus, your factored base value (the one which is used to calculate your property taxes) cannot be higher than 2% compared to the previous year.</p> <p>Proposition 13 is one of California’s most important tax amendments because it safeguards people from paying unreasonably high property taxes due to changing market conditions (and potentially even losing their homes as a consequence). While the amendment was introduced over 50 years ago, it is still as important today.</p> <p>Just think of the circumstances of the last few years and how real estate prices have skyrocketed. You don’t feel it too much on your property tax bills because of the 2% yearly increase cap. But what would happen if that safeguard wasn’t in place?</p> <p>Let’s say the assessed value of your home for tax purposes increased by 10% in 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022 (in practice, it would have been even higher). These increases are cumulative, so your property tax bills would increase exponentially. However, as a result of Proposition 13 and the 2% cap, California has some of the lowest property taxes, percentage-wise.</p> <h3>Additional Levies on Your Property Tax Bills</h3> <p>On top of the general property taxes you pay, there are additional levies that will be added to your tax bill. These additional levies are based on the district where your property is located. They are approved by the constituency of the district and are typically used to fund community services, like education and transportation.</p> <p>Because these additional levies are a result of local regulations, there is no exact calculation that we can give. Most counties have websites (often the County Assessor’s website) where you can find the exact tax rates for your district. However, these additional levies are generally between 0% and 0.5%, so you can make a rough estimate.</p> <h2>Bringing It All Together</h2> <p>To sum it up, the two components of your property taxes are:</p> <ul> <li>The yearly base value - the value of the property at the time of purchase;</li> <li>The factored base value – the value of the property with increases capped at 2% annually.</li> </ul> <p>In California, you pay 1% of the factored base value in general property taxes and possibly have additional district-specific levies. So, the formula used to calculate your yearly property taxes is:</p> <ul> <li>1% of the factored base value + added district levies (typically up to 0.5%)</li> </ul> <p>Let’s give an example to make it even clearer:</p> <ul> <li>You bought a house in 2020 for $200,000 (that is your base year value).</li> <li>The additional levies in your district are 0.5% of the property’s value.</li> <li>In 2020, you would pay $3,000 in property taxes (1% in general taxes + the additional 0.5%).</li> <li>In 2021, the value of your home increases but is capped at 2%. So, the factored base value of your home is $204,000 and you would pay $3,060 (1% in general taxes + the additional 0.5%).</li> <li>In 2022, the factored based value is $208,080 and you would pay $3,121 (1% in general taxes + the additional 0.5%).</li> </ul> <p>This would continue for as long as you owned the house.</p> <h3>One More Important Tip</h3> <p><strong>The base year value of a property is assessed when it changes owners</strong>. Thus, when you buy a house, there is a new assessment made which is the basis for property taxes. Because property appreciates much faster than the factored base value (as it is capped at 2% annually), you will be paying significantly higher property taxes than the previous owner.</p> <h2>When Are Property Taxes Due in California?</h2> <p>By now, you know how property taxes are collected, but when are property taxes due in California? The fiscal year is divided into two parts, July 1st (start of the fiscal year) to December 31st and January 1st to June 30th (end of the fiscal year).</p> <ul> <li>For the first half, property taxes are due on November 1st and become delinquent if unpaid by December 10th</li> <li>For the second half, property taxes are due on February 1st and become delinquent if unpaid by March 10th</li> </ul> <p>Additionally, you can pay both instalments when the first instalment is due without waiting for the second bill.</p> <p><em>Important</em>: Your local Treasurer-Tax Collector office should mail your property tax bills. However, pursuant to California law, <strong>it is the taxpayer’s responsibility to obtain all tax bills and pay them on time</strong>. So if you don’t get your bills in the mail, you should contact the appropriate public office for your county.</p> <h2>What Happens if You Miss Your Property Tax Due Date?</h2> <p>In case you miss the deadline and your taxes become delinquent, you will get a 10% penalty after December 10th and March 10th. In case you haven’t paid your delinquent taxes from the previous fiscal year when the new fiscal years starts, they will be transferred to the defaulted tax roll and you will get an additional 1.5% monthly penalty on any unpaid amount.</p> <h2>What’s the Easiest Way to Pay Property Taxes and Avoid Penalties?</h2> <p>Having an escrow account that you use to pay property taxes is the easiest way to avoid any late fees or stress about paying your taxes on time. <a href="https://lightspeedescrow.com/">Lightspeed Escrow</a> is a professional escrow service that can take care of all of your needs at minimal cost. <a href="https://lightspeedescrow.com/contact-us">Contact us</a> to open an impound account and stop worrying about paying your property taxes.</p>
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      • short_descriptionHaving trouble understanding the tax process? When are property taxes due in California? How can you calculate them? Find out in a 5-minute read.
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      • titleExplaining Escrow Fraud – How You Can Protect Yourself
      • body<script type="application/ld+json"> { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BlogPosting", "mainEntityOfPage": { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://lightspeedescrow.com/blog-post/explaining-escrow-fraud" }, "headline": "Explaining Escrow Fraud – How You Can Protect Yourself", "description": "Do you know what escrow fraud is and how damaging it can be? Do your due diligence and learn how to protect yourself before you become a victim.", "image": "https://lightspeedescrow.com/files/blog/61132e90-58ef-4db1-9842-80f809b3a168_fraud-protection.jpg", "author": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Lightspeed Escrow", "url": "https://lightspeedescrow.com/" }, "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Lightspeed Escrow", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://lightspeedescrow.com/theme/Public/images/logo-dark.svg" } }, "datePublished": "2022-09-30", "dateModified": "2022-09-30" } </script> <p>Every real estate transaction is a complicated process that has a lot of moving parts. And, crucially, large sums of money are being transferred. So it should come as no surprise that escrow fraud, and real estate fraud in general, are common crimes that hurt hundreds of thousands of Americans every year.</p> <p>However, there are ways you can protect yourself from ever becoming a victim. That is what this article is supposed to help with – you will learn what escrow fraud is, how it works, and the actionable steps you can take to protect yourself. So let’s get to it.</p> <h2>What Is an Escrow Scam?</h2> <p>In its simplest form, <strong>escrow fraud is when cybercriminals attempt (successfully or not) to get people to transfer money to them by pretending to be their escrow agent or company</strong>. After the transaction, the fake escrow agent/company disappears and the money is gone.</p> <p>Another form of an escrow scam is when cybercriminals attempt to steal personal information, with the ultimate goal being <a href="https://www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/identity-theft/identity-theft-and-identity-fraud">identity theft</a>. In such circumstances, you may not lose money by sending it to the scammers, but loans and credit cards may be taken out in your name or money may be withdrawn from your account.</p> <h2>The Most Common Methods Employed in Real Estate or other Types of Escrow Fraud</h2> <p>There are three common tactics that scammers use:</p> <ul> <li>Phishing – sending fake emails</li> <li>Smishing – sending fake text messages</li> <li>Pharming – setting up a fake website</li> </ul> <p>These three fraudulent tactics can be used independently or in conjunction. However, the most common method that initiates escrow fraud is a fake email.</p> <p>Imagine you are selling or buying real estate. You are most likely using escrow services as an intermediary for the transaction. A certain amount of funds needs to be put into escrow, such as closing costs, homeowners insurance, etc. You receive an email that appears to be from your escrow company or agent, with instructions on how and where to wire the money.</p> <p>You may even receive an email that asks you to verify your bank account details, with additional links (possibly to a fake website) or attachments. These links or attachments will contain viruses intended to steal your personal information. With that information, the scammers may steal your identity for the reasons mentioned above or use it to make the escrow fraud harder to detect.</p> <h2>Why You Might Not Realize You’re Dealing with Fake Escrow</h2> <p>Selling or buying a house is a stressful process with a lot of moving parts, which is why real estate fraud is so common. <strong>The scammers are counting on you being preoccupied and less attentive than you would be otherwise</strong>. They will set up an email account that is similar to the one your real escrow agent uses.</p> <p>For example, let’s say your agent’s address is JDillion@exampleescrow.com. You may receive an email from JDillion@exampleescrow1.com or JDil1ion@exampleescrow.com. When you are paying attention, these differences are obvious. But when you are preoccupied with other things, it is easy to dismiss them. The emails will likely also use the logo of the true company you are dealing with.</p> <p><strong>The base version of escrow fraud would be if the fake email directly asked you to wire money to a certain account</strong>. However, internet escrow scams are usually more complex. The scammers may create a website that looks legitimate at first glance. Before you receive the email, you may get a message or even a call from your escrow agent’s “secretary”.</p> <p>They will inform you that your agent will contact you to verify your information and lower your guard by doing so. Because you are not being asked to send money, you don’t think much of it and do as you are instructed. In truth, the <strong>scammers hack your accounts and have access to your information and your conversations</strong>.</p> <p>They can find out how much money you agreed to send to your escrow agency, by which date, and other information that should be confidential between you and your agent. In the near future, you get a follow-up email directing you to transfer the money before the agreed date.</p> <p>It may be because the buyer has gotten another offer and the deal will fall through unless you hurry. Their goal is to rush you and stress you out so that you don’t do your due diligence. Because they hacked your accounts, they know the exact amount of money you agreed to send.</p> <p>As the amount and initial date are correct (as well as other information you shared with your escrow agent), everything seems legitimate at a cursory glance. They tell you the account you should wire the money to and, in fear of losing the property, you do it.</p> <p>The scammers will withdraw the money as soon as it is sent and close the account. By the time you realize what has happened, the scammers are long gone. Now, you may think that escrow fraud sounds so simple that it could never happen to you. But don’t be so certain – practice has shown that escrow fraud happens often and should not be taken lightly.</p> <h2>How to Protect Yourself from Escrow Fraud</h2> <p>First and foremost, be <em>extremely careful</em> when giving out your personal or financial information, particularly in the course of a real estate transaction. Further:</p> <ul> <li>Check every detail in an email you receive, with a focus on the address</li> <li>Don’t trust any information you receive in an email. If you are informed via email that any contact information for your agent or company has been changed, do not use it. Call your agent on their personal number or the agency directly to verify.</li> <li>Do not click on any links you receive.</li> <li><strong>Do not send money directly to an individual</strong> or via unusual payment methods that are difficult to trace.</li> <li>If you are informed of any changes to your transaction via email, contact your escrow agent directly to verify. Escrow fraud is based on the presumption that you will not do your due diligence.</li> </ul> <h2>Where to Report Fake Escrow Services</h2> <p>In case you do fall victim to escrow fraud or even suspect a scam, there are government entities you can contact:</p> <ul> <li>Your local police</li> <li><a href="https://www.ic3.gov/">The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center</a></li> <li><a href="https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/#/">The Federal Trade Commission</a></li> </ul> <h2>Looking for a Trusted Escrow Service for Real Estate or Other Commercial Transactions?</h2> <p>The easiest way to avoid escrow fraud is to hire an escrow company you trust. <a href="https://lightspeedescrow.com/">Lightspeed Escrow</a> can help make all of your transactions run efficiently and quickly. You will be provided with an escrow agent that will guide you through the process. They will always be available to you for whatever questions you need answered.</p> <p><a href="https://lightspeedescrow.com/contact-us">Contact us</a> if you wish to know more about our escrow services.</p>
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      • titleWhat Does an Escrow Company Do? - and How To Choose the Right One
      • body<p>Are you confused by the roles of everyone in a real estate transaction? You have the principals, the buyer’s and seller’s agent, the attorneys, and an escrow company on top. So why are so many participants needed?</p> <p>In this article, we will explain the role that an escrow company plays and why it is important, the factors you should consider when choosing an escrow company, and answer some other common questions. But before we get to that, let’s start with the basics.</p> <h2>What Is an Escrow Company?</h2> <p><strong>An escrow company is a neutral third party that facilitates financial transactions between the principals in the transaction.</strong></p> <p>To phrase it differently, escrow is an agreement between two or more parties whereby they keep their assets or money in escrow until certain conditions are met and the assets or money are distributed. The neutral party that manages the assets or money held in escrow and makes sure that the agreed-upon conditions are met is the escrow company.</p> <h3>What Is the Role of an Escrow Company?</h3> <p>The ultimate role of an escrow company is to facilitate a transaction and make sure that everything is done as expediently as possible. Escrow companies primarily deal with real estate, which is why we will use real estate deals as examples, but they can also facilitate any other type of financial transaction that requires special care.</p> <p>But what is the role of an escrow company in particular? There are many moving parts to any transaction, but the role of an escrow company can be boiled down to three segments:</p> <ul style="list-type:disc!imporatant;"> <li>Holding the funds or assets of the buyer and the seller.</li> <li>Ensuring that the seller doesn’t receive funds until the conditions of the transaction are met.</li> <li>Ensuring that the buyer doesn’t receive the rights to a property or any other assets that are being sold until the conditions of the transaction are met.</li> </ul> <p>To simplify, let’s say you are selling your house. You find a buyer and sign a purchase agreement. For the sale to go through, specific conditions need to be met - a lot of documents need to be signed, the buyer may need to take out a loan, earnest money needs to be deposited and there may be some contingencies in the purchase agreement.</p> <p>All the required documents, the deed to the property, and the funds will be held by the escrow company in a separate account until both you and the buyer have fulfilled your part of the agreement. Once everyone has done their parts, the deal can go through and it’s time for the <a href="https://lightspeedescrow.com/blog-post/close-of-escrow">close of escrow</a> when the sale is completed.</p> <h2>5 Tips for Choosing an Escrow Company<!--?h2--></h2> <p>By now, it’s clear that an escrow company acts as an intermediary and an additional safety net for all parties involved in a transaction. That also means that you are placing a lot of trust in your escrow company, so you should carefully pick the one that should facilitate your transaction. Here are some tips for choosing an escrow company.</p> <h3>Reputation Is Everything</h3> <p>An escrow company needs to deal with a lot of bureaucratic tasks. Improper handling of documentation can delay your transaction and incur additional costs. Thus, you should try to find an escrow company that has a reputation for expediently handling transactions and being very detail orientated.</p> <h3>Do They Specialize in What You Need?<!--?h3--></h3> <p>As we’ve mentioned, most escrow companies deal in real estate transactions. But ‘real estate transaction’ can refer to a lot of different things. Are you selling your house without a realtor? Maybe you are refinancing your mortgage? Or are you looking to buy investment real estate? All of these transactions are different and require different escrow services, so search for a company that can meet your needs.</p> <h3>Where Is the Company Based?</h3> <p>Then, we get to the location of the company. Real estate transactions work differently in individual states, but they may not be the same even within the regions of a single state. This is why you should find a company that is based near the place where the transaction is taking place. A local escrow company will be more knowledgeable of the requirements than an out-of-state one.</p> <h3>Compare Prices</h3> <p>Naturally, not all escrow companies charge the same. You will typically be charged a base fee for escrow services and an additional fee per $1,000 of the purchase price. The base fee can range from $250 to $500, while the additional fee can range from $1.00 to $2.50 per $1,000. Thus, weigh the services you get and the costs when hiring an escrow company.</p> <p><img alt="Comparing Prices For House " class="img-fluid" src="https://lightspeedescrow.com/img/escrow-company-lightspeed-escrow.jpeg" /></p> <p>As a side note, you may come across a cost in your contract named ‘escrow fees’ that is much more expensive than the price range listed above – it can be about 1% or 2% of the purchase price. <strong>This is not the fee you pay to your escrow company for their services</strong>, but additional attorney fees, taxes, insurance, and other third-party costs that are paid through escrow and bundled together with the escrow company’s fees.</p> <p><a href="https://lightspeedescrow.com/blog-post/escrow-fees">Here</a> is a more detailed breakdown of escrow fees.</p> <h3>Try to See if You Click</h3> <p>Finally, you should not disregard the personal connection you can make with your escrow agent. There will be times when you have a lot of questions regarding escrow services and you will need to call your escrow agent. You can think of it as a mini-business partnership. If you and your escrow agent get along well, the stress of the transaction (and there is always stress involved) can be minimized.</p> <h2>Three More Common Questions Answered</h2> <p>We’ve explained what an escrow company is, what role it plays, and gave some tips for choosing one. In the end, let’s answer three more common questions people often have.</p> <h3>Who Selects the Escrow Company?</h3> <p><strong>It’s decided between the buyer and the seller</strong>. There are ways it’s typically done, e.g., in certain regions the seller’s real estate agent traditionally opens escrow, sometimes even before they put the house on the market, while in others, the buyer’s agent opens it after the purchase agreement has been signed. However, ultimately it is both the buyer’s and the seller’s choice.</p> <h3>Who Does the Escrow Agent Work for?</h3> <p>The escrow agent works for everyone. <strong>Regardless of who is paying the escrow company, the escrow agent is a neutral third party that facilitates the transaction</strong> and makes sure everyone has fulfilled their obligations. Thus, the agent doesn’t work for anyone in particular but for everyone at the same time.</p> <h3>Is a Title Company the Same Thing?</h3> <p>No, <strong>a title company and an escrow company are not the same</strong>. A title company has a completely different purpose. However, a title company may offer escrow services in addition to their regular services, which is why terms are sometimes mixed up, but a title and escrow company are not the same.</p> <h2>Do You Need an Escrow Company that Specializes in All Types of Real Estate?</h2> <p><a href="https://lightspeedescrow.com/">Lightspeed Escrow</a> can make sure your real estate transactions go smoothly and finish quickly. Lightspeed was founded by people with a background in real estate, so we know how the get the job done expediently and avoid common pitfalls.</p> <p>We were frustrated with exorbitant costs and unnecessarily cumbersome transactions, and decided to do something about it. Now, we can extend our solutions to you. For quick and accurate escrow services, <a href="https://lightspeedescrow.com/contact-us">contact Lightspeed Escrow</a>.</p>
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