Escrow Services in Redlands, California

Older homes are a big part of escrow work here. A house built before the 1940s often has a long chain of title, past additions that may or may not have permits, and sometimes easements recorded generations ago for irrigation ditches or shared driveways. We order the preliminary title report early so those items surface while there is still time to clear them, not the week you plan to move.

Redlands has designated historic districts and landmark properties. If a home sits in one, exterior changes can need review by the city, so buyers often want time in the inspection period to ask the Development Services Department what applies. We calendar that contingency and keep both sides informed of the date it expires.

Because we are local, sellers can drop off signed documents in person and buyers can sign loan documents at our office by appointment. That matters for FSBO sales between neighbors, for family transfers of long-held homes near the University of Redlands, and for investors trading a rental here into another property through a 1031 exchange.

When the file is complete, the deed is recorded with the San Bernardino County Assessor-Recorder-County Clerk, and funds are disbursed exactly as the signed instructions say. The county documentary transfer tax is $1.10 per $1,000 of value; your settlement statement shows who pays it under your agreement.

Redlands also has a steady flow of family and estate transfers. The city absorbed older colonies such as Lugonia, Terracina and parts of Mentone and Crafton when it incorporated, so some legal descriptions may still reference tract maps from that era. When heirs sell a house through a trust or probate, we ask for the trust certification or court order at opening, confirm who has authority to sign, and coordinate with the title officer on anything the older records raise. Rentals near the University of Redlands, founded in 1907, are common investment purchases, and we prorate rents and credit tenant deposits as the purchase agreement directs.