Services · Tustin and statewide
Our escrow services
Alliance Mutual Escrow, in Tustin, handles escrow for home sales and refinances anywhere in California. We also handle business sales, bulk sales and liquor license transfers, plus trust and probate sales, mobile homes and the escrows that are part of a 1031 exchange.
What we handle
Choose the one that fits your deal.
What escrow holds, deal by deal
In every deal, the money waits in escrow. What you bring on day one depends on the kind of deal. So do the rules.
| Kind of deal | Held in escrow | Whose rules apply | Bring this to start |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home sale | The deposit first, later the loan and the buyer’s other funds | Your purchase contract, plus the escrow instructions signed by both sides | The signed contract, with all counteroffers and addendums |
| Refinance | The new lender’s money, until the old loans are paid off | Your new lender’s instructions. On the home you live in, federal rules usually give you three business days after signing to cancel. | Your loan officer’s name and number, and a statement for each loan being paid off |
| Business sale | The purchase price, as the notices go out and the tax clearances come back | When the bulk sale law applies, Commercial Code Division 6 sets the rules. Tax clearances come from the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA), the Employment Development Department (EDD) and the Franchise Tax Board (FTB). | The signed purchase agreement, plus each business name the seller has used in the past three years |
| Bulk sale | The price, while creditors of the seller send in their claims | Commercial Code Division 6, which sets the notice, the claims process and who is paid first | An inventory and equipment list for the sale, with the address where it is kept |
| Liquor license transfer | The whole price, deposited before the license transfer is applied for and held until the state approves | The Business and Professions Code, as applied by the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) | The license number, plus the purchase agreement if a business is sold with it |
| 1031 exchange | Only the money for the escrow that’s open. Between the sale and the purchase, the exchange funds sit with your qualified intermediary. | Federal tax rules from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), plus your intermediary’s instructions and your tax adviser’s plan | The exchange agreement and your intermediary’s contact details |
| Trust or probate sale | The buyer’s money, until the seller shows the authority to sell and any needed court approval is given | The trust, or in a probate estate the Probate Code and the court. The court must confirm the sale unless the executor or administrator has full authority to sell without that step. | A certification of trust, or the court papers (called letters) that name the executor or administrator |
| Mobile home | The purchase money, until the title can transfer and any loans, taxes and park approval are taken care of | The Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) and the Health and Safety Code, plus the Mobilehome Residency Law in a park | The home’s HCD title and registration card. If a lender holds the title, that lender’s name. |
The one thing every escrow shares
It doesn’t matter what is being sold. The money stays in escrow until both sides have done their part.
- HeldEvery dollar, from the first deposit on
- CheckedEach promise both sides made in writing
- ReleasedSent out only when the deal closes
Questions about our services
Where do you handle escrows?
Anywhere in California. From our office in Tustin, we handle many escrows in Tustin and North Tustin, across Orange County and in the San Gabriel Valley. Buyers, sellers and lenders elsewhere in the state work with us too.
Which kinds of deals do you handle?
We handle home sales and refinances, liquor license transfers, bulk sales and other business sales, along with trust and probate sales, mobile homes and the escrows in a 1031 exchange. We are not a title company, and we don’t act as a 1031 qualified intermediary.
Who chooses the escrow company?
The buyer and the seller agree on it, usually in the purchase contract. Either agent may recommend a company, and you’re free to ask for Alliance Mutual Escrow.
Do you handle sales without a real estate agent?
Yes. A buyer and a seller can open an escrow with us directly. Escrow stays neutral, so we can’t write your contract or advise either side. Our for sale by owner (FSBO) guide explains what escrow does and what stays with you.
Sources and fine print
- California DRE: Escrow, information for consumers
- Cal. Commercial Code §6105 (the bulk sale notice)
- Cal. Commercial Code §6106.2 (paying claims through escrow)
- Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code §6812 (CDTFA clearance)
- Cal. Unemployment Insurance Code §1732 (EDD clearance)
- Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code §18669 (FTB withholding clearance)
- Cal. Business and Professions Code §24074 (liquor license escrow)
- IRS: Instructions for Form 8824 (like-kind exchanges)
- CFPB: 12 CFR 1026.23, the right to cancel
- Cal. Probate Code §10308 (court confirmation of sales)
- Cal. Probate Code §8400 (letters)
- Cal. Probate Code §18100.5 (certification of trust)
- HCD: Registration and titling of manufactured homes
Sources checked September 2026. Page updated . General information, not legal or tax advice.