Avoid at all costs. Do not do escrow with these people. Very poor customer service. The slogan on their letterhead is "You need it right. Now" should actually read "You need it right? Now?!?" because they are definitely not into "NOW". I had a cancelled escrow with them that took forever to close. Granted the seller was a complete jerk who wouldn't sign off on the cancellation instructions, so not escrow's fault, but the typical day-to-day interaction with the escrow officer and branch manager, Denise McCormick, would be that when you called her she was always "in a meeting" and the receptionist would ask "would you like her voicemail?". If you asked for her assistant "Oh, I'm sorry, she just stepped out. Would you like her voice mail?" and I would say "No, I'd actually like to talk to someone. Is there anyone else I can talk to? " and the answer would always be "No, only they have access to your file" which would only leave me the choice of voicemail or email, which of course would never be immediately responded to. Needless to say, this would go on for days. I could call literally call twice a day for days in a row before getting a response. The really hilarious part about all this is that Denise Mccormick's email mail signature has the quote "Expectations without communication, leads to frustration!" which is exactly true in this case. read more

My BUYER didn't chose this office, the SELLER's agent did. And... This office did what they were supposed to do, when they were supposed to do it. I will also add that Diane worked hard to get us closed at the very end, within the very narrow window in which Buyer had to sign, due to his job. BUYERS side's only concern was about the CONTRACTUAL obligation to close on time. We had no other pressure to close. The other side had intense pressure to close on time, and I believe Diane specifically prioritized us, to keep us on track. Buyer signed at the only time that worked for him, and we should be recording as I type. I also learned that the escrow company's only duty is to the buyer and seller, and none to the brokers or agents. I shared something about the difficulty of the escrow with Diane, which I believed and trusted would be in confidence, but didn't specifically request it would be. That information was shared with the SELLER's agents (the team who chose this escrow company) within seconds of hitting the send button. There was absolutely no reason that information needed to be shared. It was not helpful to the transaction in any way, caused me intense discomfort, involved my manager, and generally made the end of the transaction miserable. I was so distracted, I forgot to make my house payment, which cost me $100. Diane did work with the client to reduce a small amount of the fees upon request. Buyers BEWARE: It typically costs around THREE TO FOUR TIMES as much to do escrow in Southern California compared to Northern California. I don't understand why that is true, but it is. However, fees may be comparable at Coast Cities to other local escrow companies. All escrow fees in SoCal are more expensive, compared to NorCal. Using all the same numbers, the second you add "closing to occur in [any city in] SoCal" the illustration software radically increases the escrow fee. I tried four different escrow companies to see if this was true across the board. It was. While I am still primarily a NorCal agent, I have done many escrows using the SoCal system before. My SoCal experiences have overwhelmingly seemed more difficult than NorCal experiences. In this case, however, if I actually separate out just the escrow company experience alone, this was actually the easiest escrow I have had using a SoCal escrow company, for getting the job done. NorCal transactions are ALWAYS easier as well as THOUSANDS cheaper. I would recommend looking into a NorCal company before committing to use this company. If you are not in control of choosing the escrow company, know that the loyalty will be to the agent who picked this company for their escrow. read more

Our sellers chose this company when we purchased back in 2013. I came across the paperwork recently cleaning out files and it made me so angry I felt compelled to write a review. The entire operation in 2013 was a joke. They were rude. They were lazy and wouldn't come to the city of sale to finalize paperwork except for when I was otherwise unavailable (I was VERY pregnant at the time of purchase). Our agent was shocked at their incompetence and rudeness. He eventually had it with them and we went to another person to handle paperwork because dealing with this office was so useless--so they collected fees for tasks they couldn't even complete. To this day, years later, I remember their condescending attitude and utter lack of awareness about what a hassle working with them was and how they fell far short of everyone else's expectations and standards. read more

Do not set this place as your escrow and do not allow the seller's agent to choose them. They were very careless with the fees and actually ended up charging twice for couple of fees. They did not take the responsibility for their mistakes and were very rude when confronted. Also, they submitted wrong residence address with the association companies, so the bills were mailed to someone else. All in all, terrible service--AVOID. read more

All around the best service. I am so impressed with the staff at Coast Cities Escrow that I must personally thank Denise McCormick for going above and beyond. Not once was I left in the dark and we all know we're willing to pay for comfort and that's the reason to go to the professionals!!! read more

Krissy and her team at Coast Cities Escrow in Laguna Niguel were one of the most professional escrow companies I've ever used. Myself and my buyers were absolutely pleased and appreciated the attention and the professionalism given. Thank you again ladies for a successful and smooth close of escrow. Highly recommend Coast Cities See you in escrow read more

As a first time home buyer who bought without an agent - I was very happy with the support and guidance provided by Krissy Adamczyk. She was very thorough, helpful, responsive and went above and beyond what I expected from an Escrow officer. Her attention to detail and honesty meant that savings were passed along to me and she answered all questions large and small. I was lucky she was assigned to our transaction and would definitely work with her again. read more

Laura Morse at Coast Cities Escrow in Mission Viejo was great to work with.. The estimate of fees were on target and what a good office of people to work with. Thanks read more

Krissy Adamczyk, Escrow Officer is now at the Laguna Niguel Coast Cities Escrow location. I have been a Real Estate Broker for more than 30 years and I can tell you that Krissy is the BEST EVER! I would never want another escrow officer to handle files that I am or my team are involved in. Her knowledge and professionalism are unparalleled in the industry. If you are thinking of opening an escrow I highly recommend Krissy Adamczyk! #KrissyRocks read more

I have used this Coast Cities Escrow several times and each time I have been very happy and satisfied. I have found CCE to be highly competent, responsive and friendly. (I think some of the other negative comments were expecting CCE to do miracles which accounts for the bad results.) I have found Denise and Kristyn to be excellent, but their receptionist Jo is even better. They have completed easy escrows and complicated ones and they are good. I have recommended this team to several friends and associates and so far I have received only thanks for the recommendations and I am sure if my friends had a bad experience I would have heard about it. I was originally referred to CCE by a giood friend who uses them often. I was right to trust him. I will use CCE escrow in the future because they do their job right, at a fair price and they are easy to work with. SG read more

As an experienced investor, Denise and her team assisted me with several complicated 1031 exchanges. This involved the sale and purchases of investment properties. Their fees were very reasonable and fair. While they were busy at certain times, it's because Denise and her team were diligently working to get the job done right, which I wholeheartedly appreciate! Honestly, you cannot put a price on that. I'm very grateful for my experience with Denise and her team, I would recommend them and definitely will be using them again! read more

This is the 2nd time doing business with Coast City Escrow and every transaction processed precise and ontime. You feel at ease knowing they've got your back while they monitor and audit every step that goes on during your sale/purchase. My officer was Denise McCormick the branch Manager and her and her team worked very diligently on staying on top of my aggressive time line and amongst all my contingencies, successfully they closed on time with no issues. Denise and her team are a pleasure to work with and they answered all of my concerns/inquiries instantly and after hours, even weekends. They worked around the clock to accommodate my schedule. I refer all my friends and family to them. You won't be disappointed. read more

I've worked with Denise on many transactions. Her and her team are complete professionals. They always take the time to answer my client's questions and make themselves accessible that work around my client's schedule. Denise is very proactive when an obstacle arises and meets the challenges head on. Can't recommend her enough. read more

I don't understand the bad reviews. This was one of the best escrow experiences with escrow that I have ever had. Denise and her team are prompt, professional and always responsive. Everytime I called no matter the question, Denise or member of her team was available to answer questions. We had a difficult escrow and she was there for us the whole time all the way to the end. Great company, Denise and her team are awesome. read more

Avoid at all costs!!!!! I am in full agreement with the other reviewers. The customer service is awful and their ethics are worse. I was forced to used them by the selling entity of the transaction. Along with the bad service and inaccessibility they charged me $2,350 in escrow fees. Typical charges for the same services from other escrow companies range from $650 to $1,200....$2,350 is beyond ridiculous. What a rip off agency!!!!!!!!! read more

Avoid at all costs. I recently refi'd in February of 2012 and Coast was the escrow company. The reason for my complaint is complicated, but has to do with a regulation that is now in place that requires that Homeowner's insurance and property taxes must be paid thru escrow if either payments are due within a certain period of time (and you don't have these $ impounded). Suffice it to say that we were supposed to have both insurance and taxes paid thru escrow. On Feb 22nd Coast received a receipt from our insurance company that said that our insurance was paid in full (it was, since we pay annually and it was not due until May of 2012), but did not have the wherewithal to understand that we still had insurance DUE in May, and they were legally responsible to hold that money in escrow and pay our insurance. In fact, on Feb 29th they requested a check from us so that there was enough $ in escrow to pay the insurance. So obviously we assumed our insurance would be paid, right? WRONG! My insurance was due this month and Coast never paid. Had it not been for my neurotic need to follow up with my insurance company on an every other week basis to find out if my premium had been paid, I would now be without Homeowner's Insurance and my home and all my personal property would be at risk. These people do this for a living. They should have a basic understanding of what they are doing. There are a jillion escrow companies out there, use someone else. Don't put your property at risk by using Coast. read more

Terrible they where going to pay off the wrong loan until I caught this would have caused a big mess quality control needs lots of work.

Our seller's agent insisted on using Coast Cities Escrow. I was thoroughly dissatisfied with their service. They firstly attempted to charge us around $800 dollars more then I had been quoted by any other escrow company, but only three days before closing, and I had not been advised as to what the costs would be prior to this. Secondly they had also refused to record any of my documents with the county based solely on the fact that I was obtaining financing through a source other than a bank, because of this I was forced to pay over $100 in state fees because then my documents were not being recorded as part of a transaction, which would have been exempt from these fees. I would not use them again and I would advise you not to let your seller choose them. read more

Denise should be investigated for fraud. Her ethics are abhorrent. Just know that everything you do with her (no matter how far in advance of closing) will have to be "rushed" and therefore hundreds of dollars in extra rush fees will be tacked on to your final statement. When you confront her about these rip-offs, she ignores your messages and emails while laughing all the way to bank. Stay far away. read more

I've used Coast Cites Escrow for numerous properties I've owned in Orange County, San Diego and Long Beach. Denise and all of her staff perform well and the price is right. Anyone with a clue reference real estate knows any real estate transaction isn't cheap! It's about getting the job done without the 11th hour issues. Denise and her staff are professionals, they may not be able to answer when you call, as they are busy, but they will perform which is important. RLS read more

How lucky for me that Denise and her assistants: Celeste, Annette, Liza, Kristyn, and JoLee handled both my purchase and sale escrows. Five stars is simply not enough for this company. Each person in the office made me feel as if I was their one and only client...since I never felt rushed, all my questions were answered correctly and timely, and I was kept in the loop each and every step of the way. My life was made so much easier using their courier service, docusign and having the notary come to my home. Several Trusts were involved that brought up additional issues, but I had every confidence in their knowledge to handle everything competently. Whether buying or selling, real estate transactions have huge money on the line and one of the most important steps is having an EXCELLENT and ETHICAL Escrow Company to keep every detail perfect. This TEAM strives for excellence - and they deliver. Not only are they knowledgeable and professional, but they are equally personable, which makes dealing with them a delight. I recommend this company for all your Escrow needs. Like I said, five stars is not enough. Thank you Team Denise...you're the best!!! Footnote: As I perused some of the negative comments below, I have to believe that they were intentionally written by people who were trying to "take business away" from this company to "help" another company. Pity. read more

I don't post reviews very often, but this was a must. I have closed multiple transactions with Denise McCormick and Coast Cities Escrow. If given the opportunity, I would use them for every transaction in my career. The ability to give quality customer service and accurate information is a benefit to using Denise and her team. I encourage the thousands of clients who have successfully closed escrow with Coast Cities to write their own reviews. I have used several escrow firms, Coast Cities and Denise are hands down the best. read more

I have no disagreements with the other reviews. They have been the major drawback in the whole home-buying process. They don't answer e-mails, or phone calls. I did not get paperwork until minutes before supposed to sign. Did not get instructions at any point in time. Never got answers to my questions. My other helpers (agent and loan guys who are amazing) had to cover and pick up for the slack of this place. What a joke. They almost blew our whole time-frame. AWFUL AWFUL AWFUL place to get stuck with. read more

I have utilized the services of Coast Cities Escrow in Laguna Niguel for 7 years. Myself and my clients have been happy with the service. Their willingness to explain things and their promptness in solving any small setbacks that can come your way is excellent! read more