Let's talk about "escrow". To finalize the sale of a home, a neutral, third party (the escrow holder) is employed to assure the transaction will close appropriately and on time. Escrow agents hold money for "safe-keeping" in transactions between a buyer and seller. For example, in a Web transaction, PayPal is the neutral third party that obtains the buyer's cash, and then hands over the money to the seller.
Tying up any loose ends like receiving funds, finishing forms, getting the documents for loans and liens, and assuring you get a clear title to the home before your purchase gets finalized are all part of the job of the escrow company.
Escrow companies want to obtain the following pieces of paperwork:
- Fire and other insurance policies
- Title insurance policies
- Terms of sale and any seller-assisted financing
- Requests for payment for various services to be paid out of escrow funds
- Loan documents
- Tax statements
You're ready to close when all steps are complete in escrow process. All payments owed and fees are collected and paid off at this time (covering expenses such as title insurance, inspections, real estate commissions). The home's title gets transferred to you and title insurance is issued per the policies of your particular escrow agreement.
At the close of escrow, payments are submitted in an acceptable form to the escrow. I'll keep you up-to-date on what comes next.