I have seen positive reviews of Granite Escrow at other locations and with other staff. We worked…read morewith Lori Wurzel from Granite on the sale of my parents' condo in Laguna Woods during the summer of 2023 and I have to say, it was a pretty terrible experience. My father has dementia, which is why my parents had relocated back to their original home back East, and it felt like Granite was coming up with tons of last-minute requests to verify his condition and our power-of-attorney authorizations. We would get tons of abrupt emails from Lori demanding new things with very little notice or time to comply, so we'd have to scramble to contact multiple doctors and sign and notarize documents. Not a positive experience at all, but we worked with another escrow service for the sale of their second property in California this year and it was just as bad, if not worse. It would be nice if escrow officers knew their jobs and could help facilitate a complicated process involving lots of documentation and signing rather than just ping you with a thousand emails and phone calls asking for things you never knew you needed for a real estate transaction.

Lori Wurzel was our escrow officer and she was instrumental in moving our escrow along during a…read moreparticularly difficult time...COVID-19! Our escrow closed on 10/14/2020 45 days late, but not due to Granite Escrow. My husband and I have 50 years of combined experience as mortgage lenders with 2 major banks, and no one could have expected the delays and complications we experienced due to COVID. I see a previous review and have to remind everyone, it is not the responsibility of the escrow company to explain the process, rather it is your realtor, mortgage lender and in our case the homeowner association at Laguna Woods Village. Unfortunately for us, the HOA was shut down for an unreasonable amount of time, creating a backlog and unnecessary delays because of poor administrative procedures. This is not escrow's fault, and our escrow team was extremely helpful in bridging the issues with all the parties. If you are purchasing or selling in Laguna Woods Village, we highly recommend LORI WURZEL and her team at GRANITE ESCROW. They are professional, highly knowledgeable of all the nuances of Laguna Woods Village, and easy to communicate with throughout the process. Most of the time, Lori answered the phone on the first ring...very unusual in our business. Job well done Lori! Escrow is always the unsung hero in our business. Thank you for your expertise and guidance, Dolores, William and Cynthia Stage

Don't use this Real Estate Service... they only think about themselves... they don't care about…read moreyou... never tell you the truth... my experience with Marlene was terrible She was a total nut... what a terrible person... lacks integrity and character...

From the owner: VRES Inc., better known as Village Real Estate Services in a full-service residential real estate…read morecompany with old-fashioned service and today's technology, based in Laguna Woods, CA, the heart of sunny south Orange County and beautiful Southern California. For over 12 years, Marlene Bridges (REALTOR, Certified Residential Real Estate Specialist, Seniors Real Estate Specialist) , founder of VRES Inc. has been helping people buy and sell homes and condos in markets such as Laguna Woods Village Condos for Sale, Laguna Woods Homes for Sale, Laguna Niguel Real Estate and all of the Orange County Real Estate Markets.

Disclaimer: This review reflects my personal opinion and experience based on publicly filed court…read morerecords, escrow communications, and my direct involvement in a real-estate transaction that became the subject of litigation (Tyson v. Correa). It is not a statement of undisputed fact, does not allege criminal conduct, and is shared solely for consumer awareness and due-diligence purposes. In my opinion, based on the documents and communications involved in Tyson v. Correa, serious concerns arose regarding the professional handling of escrow by Olivia Mercer during a real-estate transaction that ultimately did not lawfully close. From my perspective, escrow proceeded in a manner that did not adequately address fundamental issues affecting the validity of the transaction. Throughout the process, escrow communications and document processing continued despite unresolved questions regarding legal authority. The individual induced to sign transaction documents was not the lawful trustee and did not have verified authority to sell or convey the property. In my view, this was a material issue that warranted suspension of escrow activity until clarified. Instead, the transaction appeared to continue as though it were routine, despite these unresolved inconsistencies. There were multiple warning signs that, in my opinion, should have prompted escalation or a pause in escrow, including conflicting trustee information, inconsistent instructions, and communications that treated a known tenant as if they had authority to act on behalf of a trust. Based on my review of the records, these issues were not clearly resolved before escrow activity proceeded further. It is my understanding that escrow officers are expected to act as neutral parties and to refrain from facilitating transactions when documents are facially inconsistent or legally unclear. In this situation, I believe escrow should have required verification, clarification, or withdrawal rather than continuing forward under uncertainty. Allowing the process to proceed under these circumstances, in my opinion, exposed all parties to unnecessary legal and financial risk. I am sharing this experience to encourage buyers and sellers to protect themselves. Do not assume that escrow, title, or agents have independently verified authority simply because documents are circulating or deadlines are approaching. Independently confirm ownership, trustee authority, and escrow instructions, particularly in trust-related transactions. If anything does not make sense, stop the process and seek independent advice. This review is offered as a cautionary perspective so others understand the importance of due diligence and active oversight in real-estate transactions.

Big shout out to Debbie at Generations Escrow! She made my two escrows a breeze. Debbie is a true…read moreprofessional and naturally works very quickly. She was always available when I had questions and went out of her way to make things easy and make sure we closed on time. Highly recommend! P.S. She's also really cool, and fun to talk to :)

Donna is the most competent real estate agent we have ever had the pleasure to work with. Before…read morethe listing was out, we worked with her to figure out the most impactful upgrades we could do to get our unit sold. She has a team of excellent contractors that bid very fairly and then managed them for us. The unit looked beautiful, and once listed, we had 4 competing offers almost immediately. Donna understands the unique aspects of the Laguna Woods market and helped us navigate the various complexities involved with association inspections. She is an excellent communicator and kept us fully informed of what was going on during each stage of the selling process. It was the most seamless real estate transaction we had ever gone through. We happily recommend her to anyone looking to buy or sell a property in Laguna Woods.

I worked with Bob DePew and Laguna Premier Realty to buy one home and to sell two others in Laguna…read moreWoods. The quality of service was outstanding. Bob was found to be highly ethical and had genuine concern for my family's best interest in all transactions. He surrounds himself with a team of professionals. This team made both purchase and sales transactions very easy. Guidance was provided throughout the realty and escrow sides of all transactions. I will use Bob again in the future. Larry M.

The staff at Blue Pacific excels in professionalism, and customer service. Which in today's day and…read moreage, is no small feat. They are friendly, and extremely easy to work with. If you are looking for the best suited firm to handle escrow in Laguna Woods, this is it. Go Blue!

Excellent, friendly staff. They work great with clients which helps make the escrow process easy…read morefor the agent. They have a great relationship with the other parties in the transaction which also helps make things go smoothly. Thank you, Nicole, Christy and Ryan. Keep up the good work.

Worked with Ken Straw on a purchase deal. As a Lender, I work with a lot of agents and more than…read moremost, Ken worked extremely hard for his client going above and beyond during every facet of the purchase process. He really wants the best for his clients. Ken is also a man of principles with a demonstrably high level of integrity in everything he does. I would recommend him to anyone.

Posted pictures of available rental which were NOT the actual rental. Agent not knowledgeable about…read morerenting out property. What are the responsibilities of a renter v property management. Overpriced costs for necessary & unnecessary repairs.

I recently listed my aunt's property in Laguna Woods with "Those Sisters" Diane McMahon & Kindra…read moreBell. I could never recommend them to anyone. The communication problem while the house was being viewed was terrible. I partly blamed my elderly aunt on not understanding appointments & times. As I worked with them during the offer and the nightmare closing their communication got even worse. Not sure why they have voice mail, they never return a call. Actually Diane wasn't as bad, but Kindra Bell was the worst. If you want some one to help you through the process and actually feel like they earned a commission, keep looking for a different team. They actually got us over asking price, not by any of there doing. Save yourself the frustion and either sell it yourself or get any agent with good referrals. I wish I would have taken my own advise.

Great team! I recommend them for all of your real estate needs! They are knowledgeable, really…read moreknow their business, and can answer all your questions!

From the owner: Over 70 years of combined experience here at EXP Realty’s LThreeRealty Teamread more

The HOA is out of control and has overstepped its authority and role. Its purpose is to address…read moreresident issues with the management of the park. They do not have the authority to express opinions or desired government action to any outside body. They do not represent the residents when it comes to the government. However, they abused their role in getting the city to remove food trucks on the street outside the park. THEY DO NOT REPRESENT THE RESIDENTS IN DEALING WITH CITY OFFICIALS!!!! THE FOOD TRUCKS PROVIDE A VITAL SERVICE AND WERE EXTREMELY CONVENIENT!!! NOW THEY ARE GONE!!

This park is exclusively for 55 and older, owner occupants. There is a sense of pride shown by the…read morehome owners and the park itself. The location of this mobile home park is ideal for those who still work (close to the 5 freeway), but perhaps it's best for those who are already retired and may not be driving any longer, or aren't comfortable driving far from home. Everything is close by, with many stores as easy walk away. The El Toro branch library is just outside of the front gates, with Ralph's Petsmart, Home Goods, Daiso, and many restaurants easy to walk to as well. The common areas - roadways, tennis courts, pool, spa, pool table room, recreation center and laundry room are all well maintained and kept sharp looking. The management requires that homeowners keep up their homes and spaces and consistently enforce the rules. It is very quiet and we feel quite secure - in 4 years, we've never had any problems. Space rent is high in this part of Orange County - it is what it is, so even though it's high, it's not any lower anywhere else around here that I know of. They will raise your rent every year, but again, this is a common practice that you will find anywhere.