Title & escrow
Your money and your paperwork, protected.
Title insurance and escrow are the quiet safety net of every home sale. This page explains what title insurance covers, what the escrow officer does, and how the process moves from an accepted offer to closing day, in plain language. It is general information, not legal advice.
What title insurance is
It protects the rights you are actually buying.
When you buy a home, you are buying more than a building. You are buying the ownership rights to the property. Title insurance protects those rights.
Before a sale closes, the title company searches public records for anything that could cloud ownership: unpaid taxes or liens, easements, boundary questions, missing signatures on older deeds, or claims from past owners. The title policy then stands behind that search, so covered losses that surface later are protected.
What a title policy covers
A title policy protects against title defects that a search of public records cannot guarantee against: an old lien that was never released, a forged signature on a past deed, an undisclosed easement, or a claim by an heir. It is a one-time premium paid at closing, and the coverage lasts as long as you own the home.
Why buyers get it
Nearly every mortgage requires a lender's title policy that protects the lender's interest in the property. A separate owner's policy protects the buyer's equity, and most buyers purchase one at closing so their ownership is covered too, not just the loan.
Why sellers get it
Sellers typically do not buy a title policy, but the sale depends on delivering marketable title: clearing known liens and providing the documents the title company needs. The purchase agreement states who pays for which policy, and the custom varies between Oregon and Idaho.
The escrow officer
The neutral referee of the transaction.
Escrow is the middle ground of a real estate sale. The escrow officer is an independent professional who holds the buyer's money and the seller's documents while each side completes its obligations. Neither the money nor the deed moves until the conditions of the contract are met.
Holds the money and documents
The buyer's earnest money is deposited into escrow and credited toward the purchase at closing. The seller's signed deed is held until the buyer's conditions are met.
Orders the title work
The escrow officer orders the title search and the title commitment, then works with the title company to clear exceptions before closing.
Tracks deadlines and conditions
Inspections, appraisal, financing, and every other contingency have a date in the contract. The escrow officer keeps the file on schedule and flags anything that stalls.
Prepares the closing documents
Property taxes and HOA dues are prorated between buyer and seller, the funds needed from each side are totaled, and the settlement statement is prepared for review.
Coordinates signing and funding
The officer arranges the signing, then releases the deed and disburses funds only when every condition of the contract has been satisfied.
Records and closes
The deed is recorded with the county, the seller is paid from the closing proceeds, and the buyer receives the keys. Escrow then closes the file.
Offer to close
How escrow works, step by step.
The exact order and timing vary by state, by contract, and by how the lender operates. This is the shape a typical Oregon or Idaho purchase takes from accepted offer to closing day.
Your agent, escrow officer, and lender all track these steps together. Paul's job is to keep the whole calendar moving so nothing quietly stalls.
- 01
Offer accepted
Both parties sign the purchase agreement, which names the escrow and title company and sets the key dates for the transaction.
- 02
Escrow opens
The escrow officer receives the contract, opens the file, and collects the buyer's earnest money deposit.
- 03
Title search
The title company searches public records and issues a title commitment that lists what the policy will cover and any exceptions.
- 04
Contingency period
Inspections, the appraisal, and financing move forward against the deadlines in the contract.
- 05
Loan processing
The lender completes underwriting and sends its final conditions; the escrow officer collects everything the lender needs.
- 06
Signing
The buyer and seller sign the closing documents, and the buyer delivers the balance of the down payment and closing costs.
- 07
Funding
The lender wires the loan funds, and escrow confirms that every condition of the contract has been met.
- 08
Recording and keys
The deed is recorded, the seller is paid, and the buyer receives the keys to the home.
Buyer's vs seller's policies
Who is insured, and who is not.
A financed purchase usually involves two title policies, and both protect the buyer's side of the table. Here is how they differ, and where the seller fits in.
Lender's policy
Protects the mortgage lender
A lender's title policy covers the lender up to the amount of the loan. It is almost always required when a purchase is financed, because it protects the bank's security in the property.
Owner's policy
Protects the buyer's equity
An owner's title policy covers the buyer up to the purchase price of the home. It is purchased once, at closing, and protects the buyer for as long as they own the property.
The seller's side
Delivering marketable title
In a typical sale, the seller does not receive a title policy. The seller's obligation is to deliver marketable title: clear known liens and provide the documents needed to transfer ownership. Who pays for the buyer's policies is set by the contract.
Title & escrow contacts
Available in Oregon and Idaho.
Title and escrow services are available in both Oregon and Idaho. Paul works with established title and escrow companies in each state and will connect you with the right office for your transaction.
Oregon
Annette McCarthy
Senior Escrow Officer
First American Title
4350 Galewood Street, Suite #125, Lake Oswego, OR 97035
Idaho
Alec Cindrich
Escrow Officer
Stewart Title
1944 S Eagle Rd, Meridian, ID 83642
General information, not legal advice.
This page explains how title insurance and escrow generally work in a real estate transaction. It is general information, not legal advice. Every transaction is different, and the terms of your purchase agreement, your lender's requirements, and the laws of your state control the details. For advice about your specific situation, talk to a real estate attorney or a licensed professional.
Need a quick one-line definition? Browse the Title & Escrow glossary for plain-language terms like title insurance, earnest money, and recording.
Questions about your closing?
Paul has guided hundreds of transactions in both states and can walk you through exactly what to expect at the closing table.