Tarlena, Stephanie and the whole crew up at Federal Escrow are amazing! Friendly, communicative and hard working! I love them...

My husband and I used this federal escrow company that was chosen by the seller's agent in closing of our new home. The agents, Kristie Mann and Ilona Mann, did a horrible job handling the escrow. They were NOT professional nor transparent with what was going on during the process. They delayed the closing of the escrow even though they knew what was going on and put us on the bottom of their list. I will NOT recommend this escrow office nor the agents. You will regret ever opening escrow with these two people. read more

I have worked with Federal Escrow for many years and more particularly with Team Tarlena. Tarlena and her Team go beyond your average working escrow relationship. As busy as they are they always find the time to talk to me and help me find solutions to sometimes a difficult escrow. They have saved many but the one we most recently worked on together was saved single handily by Tarlena. I can't thank you enough for the fierce protection you displayed to make sure my difficult position did not go south. I always enjoyed working with Team Tarlena but my respect has grown 10-fold!! Thank you Team Tarlena, you really do have our best interest at heart to see a successful close for everyone!! Nancy read more

Federal Escrow - Real Estate Services Near Me - Santa Clarita, California

WARNING!!! Do not do business with this company. NOTE: THIS COMPANY ISN'T EVEN RECOMMENDED OR REGISTERED WITH THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU! THAT SHOULD BE A RED FLAG!!! During the entire time it was nothing but chaos!!! Anytime I asked a question it took hours for someone in their office to get back-sometimes days. Escrow Officer Tarlena was extremely rude, condescending and most of the time wouldn't get back to me and when she did it was always a smart ass remark. She kept a deposit for escrow and refused to return over 1/2 of it stating it was her fee. For what?? They Didn't do much but send out paperwork that was not correct and when asked any questions, she felt it was taking up too much of her time. Most of the time she was out of the office. A number of messages were left on her email and phone but she never would return the call. I doubt they knew how to handle any of their paperwork. I had to drive to the office to drop off information and documents with signatures. Never received a confirmation, etc. Constantly rude with a superior attitude! read more

I highly recommend Federal Escrow. They were amazing and the process was seamless because they were so professional. This is the 1st home I purchased by myself and I am now a proud home owner in the community that I love! read more

Had a vague email from a B**** named Ellie. Went in and picked it up, acted like we had no reason to be there. No one helped and when Ellie came out she pretended like we were no one! She asked us what we wanted and for what "file" WTF does that even mean, and at the ended turned her back, handed and envelope and said easy as that. What a B****! Avoid this place! AVOID! read more

I wish I checked Yelp before opening escrow with Federal Escrow. Frankly, monkeys could've done a better job. Our escrow officer (should she even have that title?), Melissa Perez, should be working at McDonald's instead. She made several errors on the initial escrow paperwork, and when I asked her to change them, her response was "it's not a big deal". Well, Mrs. Perez, yes it is a big deal. You need to be 100% accurate when dealing with a transaction worth hundreds of thousands of dollars and affects over 10 people working on the transaction. Even though I was stuck using them, and couldn't have changed companies midway through, I should have. Even as escrow closed, and I received a refund check, the check had the wrong names. It had someone not even part of the transaction! The one pleasant thing about them is their General Manager, Val, who worked to ease my concerns and apologized repeatedly for her incompetent employee, Melissa Perez. Instead of apologizing, perhaps you should look to end Melissa's tenure there - she is everything wrong with the escrow industry. I'd never use them again, and will urge every person out there to think twice before hiring them. read more

Hands down the best escrow company I've done business with. I've been in real estate 19 years, the level of service here trumps any other that I've worked with in the past.... well, there is one that completes but that's another review. Thanks to Ellie Martinez and her team, they will ALWAYS have my business.... I just wish you guys were nationwide !!! I still have to deal with people that should have no business doing what they do. Thanks guys, I'll try to get more deals in Cali but the REO's are hard to get out here now a days. read more

I just happened to be looking here at some of these reviews and am compelled to leave a "real review" since obviously there are some that are not real. Here's why I say that, ... For my first home purchase as a divorcee, I was guided by my real estate agent to use Federal Escrow and Tarlena Owens' team (Melissa, Kaitlin and Kathleen). Frankly at the time it really didn't matter to me who I used. But when I had questions the only folks that seemed to have answers were Tarlena and her team members. I remember how easy they were to work with and how they kept my best interest at heart. The next two homes I purchased I insisted on using Tarlena and her team. They continued to be professional, timely, and easy to get a response from. They even stayed after hours to meet me to insure that my last home loan closed on the day it was supposed to. I've sent my father and a handful of friends to her team since, knowing that they would be treated equally fair and honestly. The team is ethical and has integrity. This last year I made a career move, along with my wife (yep, remarried). We decided to try our hand at real estate and of course have turned to Tarlena's team when asked by our clients who they should use. My confidence in her team to give my clients the same courteous, ethical treatment has paid off ten fold. I sleep well knowing that Tarlena's team has my clients best interests in mind. Thanks a bunch ladies! Keep up the great work. Anthony & Kim read more

Minor flaws in the fine print and some unclear directions for paperwork that is too serious for guessing. The companies that excel these days think about the little things. Other Escrows I've dealt with in the past pay for same-day shipping and provide you the courtesy of paying for same-day return labels or pick ups from my home. These little things go a long way. Wasn't expecting to send these back and pay for them myself. In the grand scheme of my purchase, this cost was pennies; however, because I know how much better other title companies are, I had to say my piece. This just seemed too outdated. read more

I am in the process of dealing with Tarlina on the sale of a property, and so far so good. She is speaking very clearly re details of a transaction (selling of a property)...Other review states that they are more costly than other escrow co. so you may want to look around. I will update this review upon close of escrow. I am not an agent. 5-10-2016 Yes, Tarlina is very good at what she does. She knows her stuff and she was very expedient and informative. I do want to stress that it is your responsibility to know and go over every word of what your signature gets attached to. TAKE YOUR TIME; GO IN THE CONFERENCE ROOM, read every word, AND ASK QUESTIONS if you are unsure about anything. Once you sign, it's too late. She's on the funny side too. Got through the escrow process rather quickly. The office attendants aren't all that upbeat or friendly..so that's why minus 1 read more

I was in a panic as my refinance closed and noticed a problem my lender had made not only did federal escrow help me fix it they totally took over and helped me straighten everything out. Great staff , friendly, responsive and saved the day ! read more

Federal Escrow is the best!!!!!! I've been working with Tarlena Owens and her wonderful team for over 7 years now and I'm just amazed at how helpful, courteous and knowledgeable they are....Melissa, Kathryn and Kaitlin are always there to help me or my clients at a moments notice. They go above and beyond any other escrow company I've ever worked with and I've been in the business for 20+ years.....I have to admit, I consider them family as they are always there whenever I need them, even when it's not a direct referral or direct business for them.....I appreciate the time and special care they take with my clients.......They are the BEST, period!!!!! Love you guys!!!! read more

I closed my 2nd escrow with Valentina Friedik yesterday. My first was a refi a couple years back that went smooth as can be. This 2nd escrow was a little tougher for me personally because I was selling my mom's home after her passing. Valentina was extremely knowledgeable, professional and thorough, but she was also very compassionate with my family circumstances. Anyone can be good at their job, but it's the level of service that I received that makes Valentina great at her job. I'm very grateful to Valentina and the Federal Escrow team!!!! read more

The worst escrow we've done business with! You always are so behind if you have a plan to work with them! If your time, money, business and reputation is valuable and important for you just please stay away!!! read more

My name is Farris Tarazi with Century 21 Fine Homes & Estates. I primarily specialize in High-End/ Luxury Estates. I worked with many Escrow Company's before but with my high-end cliental who wants things to get done successful and right away it is vital that I have an escrow company who can provide results. Federal Escrow w/ Kristie & Ilona are the two that make that happen and will make you look like a super star for your clients. Kristie & Ilona are two of the most amazing escrow officers I have ever dealt with. Anything I needed or my clients needed they were able to provide right away. Their communication skills are excellent and their vast knowledge and experience will impress any client. I trust Kristie & Ilona with all my deals and never once has one not closed in time. As my clients rave positively about their experience with them, I am confident you and your clients will enjoy a successfully experience as well. read more

I work with Federal Escrow and Tarlena in particular all the time. I find her attention to detail, calm and professioanl attitude very useful in running my Real Estate business. I recommend Tarlena all the time. read more

We just purchased a home, and on the advice of our agent, asked the seller to change escrow companies. Boy was that a mistake! Federal Escrow company and Ms. Tarlena Owens never once communicated with us and Ms. Owens seemed to be on vacation most of the time. We never even met her. Our lender contacted us and told us we were closing on X date, and gave us a reminder call the day prior. Again never heard from the Escrow company. We went to the Escrow office at the appointed day and time, and the receptionist (who was very nice), asked us to wait. And we waited... One of the assistants to Ms. Owens, whose name unfortunately did not get, as she never introduced herself, came to the waiting room and gruffly told us we did not have an appointment and that Ms. Owens was on vacation. We responded that yes we did, our lender even called to remind us. She responded by saying we could not close since they had not received final documents from our lender. Again, I stated she must be mistaken as the lender called us twice with the date and time. She YELLED at us, "They don't tell you when to come in, we do!" and walked away. My husband was livid! We called the lender who told us the documents were sent two days prior. He even gave me a specific time! We walked thru to the back (ignoring the "employees" only sign) and told her the lender was on the phone and wished to speak to her. After a couple of minutes on the phone we were told to wait, and that yes they had received the documents. We were told to wait yet again. 20 minutes went by, and we asked what was taking so long as we had to return to work. Her response was that there was an issue with the computer...We rescheduled for Monday. Went back signed all the papers, and guess what? They did not have our check(s), (the deposit from a previous home). We had to come back again. Those 3 days we had to wait, because the loan did not fund on time, pushed the closing of our home. Our agent was nice enough to rent back the home we were purchasing for those days. The moral of this long story: If you have a choice, do not use them. I used Pathway Escrow for the sale of my house, and it was effortless. read more

I have worked with Jackie Benton for years, and followed her to Federal Escrow. I find Jackie's work to be amazing....she's hardworking, dependable, and is passionate about her job. A pleasure to work with and great with my clients. read more

Team Tarlena at Federal Escrow goes beyond "as good as it gets"! Outstanding job with a difficult loan and lender. Every time line was meet, every promise was kept! She is the ultimate professional and very knowledgeable in her field. If you have the opportunity to do business with Team Tarlena at Federal Escrow DO NOT HESITATE!! Thank-You Tarlena....we know this would not of happened if it were not for you!! read more

Jackie Benton has just taken another one of my escrows and she did so with total professionalism, enthusiasm and good vibes. Her escrow company, Federal is one of the best around because they get it right and they always are so efficient. read more

My husband and I were first time home buyers. SO, when we met Jackie Benton, we were happy she was our loan officer as she seemed enthusiastic and happy to help. Naturally, as first time buyers, as the process went on, we found ourselves calling with a variety of questions. Overtime, the enthusiasm and willingness to assist appeared to dwindle. On the day we were supposed to sign, extenuating circumstances brought us into the office towards the latter part of the day. She was accommodating and took us in without an appointment but appeared to be rushed and tried to get us signed and out as quick as possible which translated to limited explanations and a sense of pressure and discomfort. When we did pause to ask about certain legalities and documents, we were confronted with short curt responses with somewhat of an attitude... Again, buying a home isn't like buying a plate of chicken fajitas at Chili's, so explanations and ensuring that the client understands, in my opinion is paramount...my point, Jackie seemed annoyed by our questions. After closing, we reviewed our final closing statement and did find a minor error. We called her up and she is in the process of remedying it. Unfortunately, as buyers, we rarely have the opportunity to choose our escrow company, so if you do get paired with Fed. Escrow., take all the time you need to review your documents at signing and be sure to review those closing statements with care. Jackie, did get the deal closed on time. With a bit more patience and understanding of her clients, it would have been a more positive experience. read more

I have only been in the Real Estate business for a short while. The being said I have been very fortunate in closing several transactions. I have dealt with many other Escrow companies and I can tell you that no one comes close to the service I receive from Jackie Benton. I am always greeted with a happy, energetic, professional Jackie! Calls are returned the same day and a promised deadline has never been missed. If you;re looking for a partner in the Escrow business you found her... read more

Ellie was the worst. She is a big liar. I buy and sell many properties but this transaction was the worst. I has no choice because I was the buyer in this transaction. Would never recommend. She responds to everything at the end of business day. Overall she is bad. She is not educated at all. read more

We were buyers in this transaction, and Federal Escrow was chosen by seller's agent. This was a cookie-cutter escrow--no second liens, judgements, clouds, or complications. One loan was involved in this escrow, without any hitches. I never received any calls with updates; all calls were initiated by me. Besides being non-communicative, the few times I actually spoke to Tarlena Owens, she was curt, snappy and defensive, which is hardly the demeanor you need when going through the stress of a home purchase. Their fees were higher than a couple of other escrow companies that I checked. Plus, one of their disclosures was in total error, so I called T. Owens about it. Her reply? "Well...it's just a disclosure ya'know". Really? So, it's okay with her if the disclosures are wrong. And it was me who had to make the necessary calls to sort it all out. I noticed that a lot of these good reviews are made by RE agents, who are really only reviewing their business to business relationship---(you get my deal through escrow, and I'll give you more business)----so do not truly reflect the transaction from the buyer's perspective. Nah...definitely would not recommend. There are much better and cheaper escrow companies out there with much more pleasant escrow officers. read more

This organization will not take accountability for their errors. They neglected to pay the seller's property tax at the close of escrow, and won't answer the phone. After my lender advised me that my escrow could not be recorded on a Friday due to the county process, they made out like it was my fault for not pressing the issue. read more

Federal escrow has its good and bad days or should I say good and bad files. I have purchased cookie cutter houses and they do a good job with those, but anything complicated will throw them for a loop. The service is usually really good and they do it with a smile. read more

It's kinda odd to think "ya, I need to leave a review for an escrow company" as a non industry professional (I sold a property and our realtors used Federal Escrow), however, I need to publicly brag about Val and Sandra (and the rest of the Valencia office!). First off, we ended up working with 2 escrow company's (Federal Escrow for the selling of our previous home and another as "buyers" for our current home). Federal Escrow has great manners! I always knew who I was talking to, why I was talking to them, what I needed to do, what they were going to do, and who to call (direct # and name or email if I preferred) if I needed anything. They always responded promptly and gave me the correct info needed. Sounds simple but so so so underrated! (We did not have this positive experience with the other escrow company) We sold our home of 10+ years and our escrow process was full of unanticipated challenges that were caused by a major error that the county made before I was even born. It was a major out-of-left-field, you laugh or cry type thing. Val and Sandra handled us with such compassion and kindness knowing what we just got handed a few hours before needing to come in to sign. Not only did they rush to update all the paperwork so we didn't need to prolong the shock/hurt but they also acknowledged our stress and saw us as people before just a name on a form. Val and Sandra also ran interference for us when our lender & the other escrow company of the "new" house we purchased dropped that ball and helped us to get funded on time. Thanks Val and Sandra for making us laugh thru the stress and guiding us along! (Gregory Real Estate uses Federal Escrow and we totally get why! They make a great team!) read more

We refi'd our home and Skyline Financial used Federal Escrow. We dealt with Kristi and Ilona. Most horrible experience ever. They take zero responsibility for any errors. We had to sign TWICE because they did not understand how to list the trust properly. We have a toddler so signing once was hard enough. Did they apologize for the inconvenience? No. We were blamed for not wiring funds when we were never given the green light to do so. Sorry I'm not wiring thousands of dollars without being specifically told when to. After not being contacted all week I was called at 4:45 p.m. on a Friday asking where our funds were, leaving me no time to do anything about it. They blamed the notary for not pointing out a spot that was to be initialed. This was noticed days after we signed. Obviously they are not paying attention and everything is someone else's fault. I'd be afraid for anyone with a trust to use them in an actual sale involving other parties! STAY AWAY. read more