Escrow services
Escrow for homes, apartments, commercial buildings and 1031 exchanges.
Iris Chae opens and runs Cal West escrows from our office at 888 S. Figueroa St., Suite 2030, for agents, buyers, sellers, builders and investors across Los Angeles and Southern California.
Want a fee quote first? .
Seven kinds of escrow, one escrow officer
Pick a type to see what escrow handles on that kind of sale and what Iris needs from you to open the file.
- 01Residential resaleSingle-family homes, condos and townhomes
- 02Multi-family and income propertyDuplexes through apartment buildings
- 03Commercial and officeOffice, retail and mixed-use buildings
- 04IndustrialWarehouse, flex and manufacturing properties
- 05New constructionNew homes and units sold by builders
- 06RefinancesNew loans for owners and investors
- 071031 exchangesSale and purchase escrows for tax-deferred exchanges
- +Trust, probate, short sales and moreEstate sales, bank-owned sales, land, FHA and VA, holding escrows
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01
Residential resale escrow
Single-family homes, condos and townhomes
Ask Iris about a residential resaleEscrow is the neutral holder in a home sale. Iris holds the buyer’s deposit and closing funds, follows the written instructions buyer and seller sign, and releases money and the deed only when every condition in those instructions is met.
What escrow handles
- Orders the preliminary title report and reviews it for liens, judgments and vesting questions
- Requests payoff demands from the seller’s lenders
- Orders HOA documents and the HOA demand on condos and townhomes
- Prorates property taxes and HOA dues to the closing date
- Coordinates loan documents, signing and funding with the buyer’s lender
- Prepares the estimated and final settlement statements
- Disburses seller proceeds, payoffs and commissions after the deed records
Send Iris to open
- The fully executed purchase agreement, with every counter offer and addendum
- Names, phone numbers and emails for the buyer, seller, both agents and their TCs
- The buyer’s lender and loan officer, if the buyer is financing
- HOA and management company contacts, if there is an HOA
- The title company and home warranty choices from the contract
- Commission instructions
Free guides: LA Seller Closing Costs Guide, LA Buyer Cash-to-Close Guide and the Day-One Escrow Checklist.
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02
Multi-family and income property escrow
Duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes and apartment buildings
Ask Iris about an income property saleAn income property escrow carries everything a home sale does, plus the tenants. The purchase agreement decides what gets prorated and what the seller delivers, and escrow carries out those instructions.
What escrow handles
- Prorates the month’s collected rents as the purchase agreement directs
- Credits tenant security deposits to the buyer, per the contract
- Tracks delivery of the rent roll, leases and tenant estoppel certificates when the contract calls for them
- Coordinates loan documents and funding with the buyer’s lender
- Figures county and city transfer tax, including Measure ULA, which applies to apartment sales in the City of Los Angeles above the 2026-27 thresholds
Send Iris to open
- The fully executed purchase agreement and every addendum
- The rent roll and security deposit list, if the contract has escrow handle them
- Property manager contacts
- Contacts for both parties, both agents, the lender and the TCs
Free guides: 2026-27 LA Transfer Tax and Measure ULA Cheat Sheet and the 1031 Exchange Escrow Guide.
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03
Commercial and office escrow
Office, retail and mixed-use buildings
Ask Iris about a commercial saleCommercial sales run on longer, negotiated contracts with due diligence periods, lease assignments and lender conditions of their own. Iris drafts escrow instructions that track each date and condition the contract sets.
What escrow handles
- Tracks due diligence, contingency and closing dates from the purchase agreement
- Holds deposits, and releases them on the schedule the contract sets
- Prorates rents, property taxes and other items the contract assigns to escrow
- Collects lease assignments and tenant estoppel certificates delivered through escrow
- Works with the title company and the buyer’s lender on recording and funding
Send Iris to open
- The purchase agreement and every amendment
- Contacts for principals, brokers, attorneys and lenders
- Entity documents for LLC, trust or corporate buyers and sellers, since title will ask who can sign
- The rent roll and lease list, if leases transfer with the sale
Free guides: FIRPTA and California Withholding Quick Guide and the 1031 Exchange Escrow Guide. Related reading: escrow on commercial sales.
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Industrial sales follow the same core steps as commercial ones, with more reports and documents moving between buyer and seller during due diligence. Escrow keeps the dates, the deposits and the closing conditions in one set of instructions.
What escrow handles
- Escrow instructions that follow the contract’s due diligence and closing dates
- Deposit handling and releases as the contract directs
- Prorations of taxes, rents and other items assigned to escrow
- Coordination with the title company when the buyer orders an ALTA survey or extended title coverage
- County and city transfer tax figures for the settlement statement
Send Iris to open
- The purchase agreement and every amendment
- Contacts for principals, brokers, attorneys and lenders
- Entity documents for each buyer and seller that is not an individual
- Any lease and tenant information that transfers with the property
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05
New construction escrow
New homes, condos and townhome units sold by builders
Ask Iris about a new construction saleBuilder sales add documents a resale doesn’t have: the builder’s own purchase contract and addenda, new HOA documents on condo and townhome projects, and a release from the construction lender for each unit that sells.
What escrow handles
- Escrows for a single new home or for several units in the same project
- Partial releases from the builder’s construction lender as each unit closes
- New HOA documents and demands on condo and townhome projects
- Loan documents and funding with each buyer’s lender
- Settlement statements for the builder and for each buyer
Send Iris to open
- The builder’s purchase contract and addenda for the unit
- Construction lender contacts for the release
- HOA or project management contacts
- Contacts for the buyer, the buyer’s lender and both agents
Buyers of a newly built home should expect a supplemental property tax bill after closing, once the Assessor sets the new value.
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A refinance has no buyer and no seller: just an owner, a new lender and an existing loan to pay off. Escrow makes sure the old loan is paid from the new loan’s funds and the new deed of trust records.
What escrow handles
- Requests the payoff demand from the current lender
- Schedules loan document signing at our office or with a mobile notary
- Receives the new lender’s funds and pays off the existing loan
- Has the new deed of trust recorded through the title company
- Sends the payoff with a request that the old lender reconvey its deed of trust
Send Iris to open
- The new lender and loan officer’s contact details
- The name of the current lender to pay off
- The owner’s phone and email
- HOA contacts, if the property has an HOA
On many refinances of a primary residence, federal law gives the owner three business days after signing to cancel, so funding waits until that period ends.
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07
1031 exchange escrow
Sale and purchase escrows for tax-deferred exchanges
Ask Iris about a 1031 exchangeIn a 1031 exchange, an investor sells one property and buys another, and a qualified intermediary holds the sale proceeds in between. Cal West runs the escrows on both sides and works with the intermediary you choose.
What escrow handles
- Adds the intermediary’s assignment and exchange instructions to each escrow
- Sends the sale proceeds to the qualified intermediary, not to the seller
- Closes the replacement purchase with the funds the intermediary sends to escrow
- Puts the 45-day identification and 180-day closing deadlines on the escrow calendar
- Collects the seller’s California Form 593, since an exchange changes how real estate withholding applies
Send Iris to open
- The purchase agreement, with the exchange cooperation clause
- The qualified intermediary’s name and contact
- Contacts for the investor, the other party, both agents and any lender
- The replacement property escrow details, if it is already in contract
Cal West is not a qualified intermediary and does not give tax advice. Your CPA and intermediary set up the exchange. Free guide: 1031 Exchange Escrow Guide.
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Trust, probate, short sales and more
Sales with extra documents or a third party’s approval
Ask Iris about a special situation- Get the checklist
Trust, probate and estate sales
Sales by a trustee, an estate, a conservator or an agent under a power of attorney need proof of authority before closing, such as a certification of trust or court orders. The free checklist lists what each type needs.
Short sales
Iris follows the short sale lender’s approval letter, which sets the payoff the lender accepts, the costs it allows and a deadline to close.
Bank-owned and foreclosure sales
Bank-owned sales come with the bank’s own addenda, which usually control over the purchase agreement. Escrow follows them.
Vacant land
Lot and land sales, with title review for access, easements and liens recorded against the land.
FHA and VA purchases
Iris follows the FHA or VA lender’s closing instructions, including which costs the buyer may pay.
Holding escrows
When money or documents need to be held until an agreed date or event, a holding escrow keeps them with a neutral holder under written instructions.
What escrow costs
Escrow fees are set by each escrow company and usually scale with the price and type of transaction. In Southern California, buyer and seller customarily split the escrow fee, though the purchase agreement can say otherwise.
Title insurance, transfer taxes, recording fees and lender charges are separate from the escrow fee and appear as their own lines on the settlement statement.
What escrow doesn’t do
Escrow is neutral and follows the written instructions of the parties. Iris can’t give legal or tax advice, tell you how to hold title or choose terms for you. Your attorney, CPA or real estate broker can.
This escrow company holds California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation Escrow License No. 96DBO-108128. Licensed vs. exempt escrow, explained.
Which types of escrow does Cal West handle?
Residential resales, multi-family and income property, commercial and office, industrial, new construction, refinances and 1031 exchanges, plus trust and probate sales, short sales, bank-owned sales, vacant land, FHA and VA purchases and holding escrows.
Does Cal West handle escrows outside Los Angeles County?
Yes. We handle escrows in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura and San Diego counties from our office at 888 S. Figueroa St. in Downtown Los Angeles. Buyers and sellers can sign at our office or with a mobile notary.
Can an LLC, trust or corporation buy or sell through Cal West?
Yes. Escrow and the title company will ask for documents showing who can sign for the entity, such as a certification of trust or an LLC’s operating agreement. Iris tells you what the title company needs when the file opens.
Is Cal West a qualified intermediary for 1031 exchanges?
No. A qualified intermediary is a separate company that holds the exchange funds between the sale and the purchase. Cal West runs the escrows and works with the intermediary you choose.
Who pays the escrow fee?
In Southern California, buyer and seller customarily split the escrow fee, but the purchase agreement can say otherwise. Fees are set by each escrow company and usually scale with price and transaction type. Call Iris at (323) 300-6122 for a quote.
This page is general information about California real estate transactions as of October 2026. It is not legal or tax advice, and laws and figures change. Talk with your attorney, CPA or real estate broker about your situation.
Got acceptance? Send Iris the signed contract.
Email the fully executed purchase agreement, with every counter and addendum, to iris@calwestescrow.com, or use this form. Iris opens the file, issues the escrow number and orders the preliminary title report.
- Iris, office line(323) 300-6122
- Text Iris(213) 500-9875
- Fax(323) 300-5996
- HoursMonday to Friday, 9am to 5pm