Au Courant Escrow Solutions prides itself on providing a superior quality service which ensures you that your escrow will be smooth and professional. Our experience is not limited to the ordinary; we provide the following types of escrow transactions.
Each type of Real Estate transaction requires specific knowledge and expertise.

Residential Purchase

The role of escrow in the sale or purchase of a previously owned home is to ensure the following steps and requirements are met by all parties involved in the real estate contract:

• Both the Buyer and Seller complete all forms and instructions necessary to complete the transaction, including documentations required by federal, state and local governments.

• The Buyer deposits funds sufficient to meet the total sales price plus costs. (Usually, some of the funds are obtained through new lender financing, although Buyers sometimes assume the Seller's current loan, obtain financing directly from the Seller or pay all cash.)

• The Buyer furnishes any documentation required by the new lender, such as evidence of new fire insurance coverage for the property.

• The Seller deposits a deed to the property in favor of the Buyer. (This is generally prepared by escrow.)

• The Seller furnishes all required disclosure reports and the governing documents of any applicable Homeowners Associations.

• The new lender deposits loan proceeds. Once all conditions of the escrow have been met, the deed is recorded to transfer the ownership interest in the property to the Buyer (other documents may also be recorded at this time, including a trust deed, which is the lender's security document), and net proceeds are paid to the Sellers.

Choosing an escrow company that will treat your closing with personal attention and the highest level of customer service is a crucial component of your timely closing. Your Escrow Officer must meet every deadline and understand each factor in your transaction.

Au Courant Escrow Solutions understands that every residential resale has its own unique combination of circumstances, and our Escrow Officers possess the education and experience to overcome both the anticipated and unforeseen.

In real estate, an "earnest money" deposit accompanies the buyers offer to purchase. If the contract is accepted, this money received by a selling broker is placed in an "escrow" account and serves as a binder or promise to complete the sale.

Short Sales and Foreclosures

Au Courant Escrow Solutions has teamed up with Au Courant Transaction Management Services which provides professional counsel and solutions to Homeowners facing foreclosure and / or real estate owners who have lost equity in their property and need to dispose of the property in the most efficient way. Our first priority is making the short sale experience easier for their clients. Additionally, our experts can recommend ways to reduce or eliminate any tax liability due to a short sale or foreclosure.

Refinance and Purchase Loans

The process of refinancing and purchase can sometimes be a problematic and cumbersome endeavor that requires innovative problem solving and timely follow-up. Several top lenders and independent loan brokers trust Au Courant Escrow Solutions to process refinance and purchase transactions for their customers.

We can also prepare or request subordination documents from lenders which are not paid off during the refinance process.

Commercial Escrow

Commercial / Industrial transactions are considered by some to be the most difficult to manage and close successfully. The sale often requires that more than just real property pass through escrow and may include multiple leases and deposits (and, in the case of business sales: personal property, inventory, and/or liquor licenses).

While commercial / industrial sales follow the same basic procedures as residential resale, there are many more details involved in commercial closings. For this reason, an Escrow Officer who comprehends every aspect of the transaction and can establish the most efficient processes in the best interests of all parties often proves to be a rare commodity. Our specialized commercial / industrial Escrow Officers have successfully managed and closed a wide variety of transactions including:

Apartments
Hotels
Investment Properties
Land Acquisitions
Malls
Restaurants
Retail Properties
Office Buildings
Shopping Centers

We are proud that brokers and principals trust our Commercial Transaction Specialists to manage thousands of commercial, industrial, investment properties and business opportunity escrow transactions every year.

Tax Deferred Programs

A Tax-Deferred Exchange was first introduced in 1921 allowing owners of investment property to defer the payment of capital gains associated with the sale of those properties. In the summer of 1990, this procedure was finally outlined under the Internal Revenue Code section 1031, and involves a series of rules and regulations that must be met in order to take full advantage of this tax benefit. These new rules allow owners of certain types of like kind Real and Personal property to sell their property and other like kind property without paying the Capital Gains Tax.

The rule also required that the "Exchanger" use a safe harbor to hold the proceeds while the exchange was in progress, and spelled out what the safe harbors were. The only safe harbor for most "Exchangers" is a "Qualified Intermediary." A Qualified Intermediary has a complete understanding of everything that is involved in utilizing this section of the code and will walk you through this process.