The choice of escrow agent is typically agreed upon by the buyer and seller. However, the specific preferences can vary depending on local practices and negotiations between the parties.
“Close of escrow” means that both buyer and seller have met the conditions in the homebuying contract and the third party that holds the documents and funds can move forward with the sale.
After the buyer and seller agree to terms of a sale, the transaction goes into escrow, which can take several weeks (30-45 days or more) to reach closing. Escrow can be opened by the buyer or the seller's real estate agent.
All monies entrusted to the broker must be deposited into a neutral escrow depository in Arizona unless otherwise agreed to in writing by all parties to the transaction (A.R.S. § 32-2151).
They provide security for both parties in the transaction by ensuring that funds or assets are not released unless all agreed-upon conditions are met. They establish an impartial third party (the escrow agent) to handle the assets, reducing the risk of fraud or mismanagement.
The escrow letter is typically issued by a title company and states that all necessary documents and funds related to the transaction have been received and will be processed when the transaction is completed.
An escrow funds release certificate is a certification of the amount of the escrow funds (all or part) to be released from those funds placed into escrow with an escrow agent pursuant to an escrow holdback agreement. Escrow funds are only disbursed to the applicable party when it satisfies its outstanding obligations.
On your paper mortgage statement or your account dashboard online, you'll see two different balances if you have an escrow account: the escrow balance and the principal balance. Your escrow balance is the amount held for payments like insurance and property taxes.
In essence, an escrow is a type of legal holding account for funds or assets, which won't be released until certain conditions are met. The escrow is held by a neutral third party, which releases it either when those predetermined contractual obligations are fulfilled or an appropriate instruction is received.