Bend home closing guide · checked October 23, 2026
Escrow & Title Companies in Bend, Oregon
Every title and escrow company with a Bend office, with addresses, phone numbers, online closing tools and posted fees, plus how an Oregon closing actually works, who pays what, and how to keep your down payment away from wire fraudsters.
By All Things Bend · Updated October 23, 2026 · Each company checked on its own website and the state license lookup
Buyer and seller agree on it in the purchase agreement, usually on their agents’ advice. A seller can’t require the buyer to use a particular title company (RESPA Section 9).
What does it cost?
Deschutes Title’s posted card: $1,950 total escrow on a $500,000 sale, $2,638 on $750,000, plus title insurance. Refi escrow is $350–$400.
Who pays?
By Oregon custom (per AmeriTitle): escrow fee split 50/50, seller pays the owner’s title policy, buyer pays the lender’s policy. Your contract can change any of it.
The Oregon Real Estate Agency’s license lookup shows four companies with escrow licenses for Bend offices, and all four also issue title insurance. Tap what matters to you and the list narrows.
📲 Online earnest money
Deposit earnest money from your phone instead of driving a check to the office.
Two Bend offices (downtown and the Old Mill), plus Redmond, Sunriver and La Pine.
Online earnest money
1031 exchange help
Posted rates or calculator
Redmond office
Sunriver office
La Pine office
AmeriTitle has closed Pacific Northwest real estate since 1985, with offices across Oregon, Washington and Idaho. In Bend it has a downtown office on NW Oregon Avenue and a second office on Upper Terrace Drive above the Old Mill District. Its earnest-money and wire platform, EMTransfer, is the only way AmeriTitle sends wire instructions.
Residential, commercial and builder/developer title and escrow
1031 exchanges through “Exchange It 1031” (the qualified intermediary is a subsidiary of Accruit LLC)
Long-term account services: a neutral party collects and pays out payments on a seller-carried contract
Default, foreclosure and REO closings
Document transport, recording and notary services for builders
Online & remote closing
EMTransfer: deposit earnest money and receive certified wire instructions electronically
Title Capture tools: seller net sheet, buyer estimate, title quote and closing-cost quotes
Buyer–Seller Guide (PDF) with an Oregon who-pays-what list
Fees & quotes
Quotes through the Title Capture calculators (free sign-up) or by calling a branch. No rate card posted.
Good to know
AmeriTitle says it will never email wire instructions; they come only through EMTransfer, and it guarantees transactions on that platform up to $1,000,000.
AmeriTitle is a title agent, not an underwriter: it issues policies through underwriter partners.
Office hours aren’t posted online; call the branch.
The only one of the four that posts a full Deschutes County rate card.
Online earnest money
Posted rates or calculator
Redmond office
La Pine office
Deschutes Title is locally owned and operated and part of the Schreiner Group of title companies; the Schreiner family has been in the Northwest title business since the early 1900s. Its Bend office sits on Upper Terrace Drive above the Old Mill District, with branches in Redmond and La Pine (and St. Helens on the Columbia).
Purchase escrow and title insurance for homes, land and investment property
Refinance orders (separate online order form)
Builder, developer and commercial requests
Central Oregon CC&R lookup and Bend and Redmond subdivision maps
Online & remote closing
Remote earnest money deposit by phone (Zoccam), by branch
Estimated closing cost and net sheet calculators
Downloadable Deschutes County rate card
FinCEN exemption checkers, including one for 1031 exchanges
Fees & quotes
Posted rate card (revised 03/2023; title premiums from the Oregon Title Insurance Rating Organization). Sale escrow fee, total for both sides: $1,950 at $500,000; $2,638 at $750,000; $3,325 at $1,000,000.
Refinance escrow: $350 up to $650,000, $400 above that.
The card says rates are informational and can vary with the transaction; ask for a current quote.
Good to know
Office hours aren’t posted online; call the branch.
The only one that posts office hours, and the only one with offices in Bend, Redmond, Sisters and Sunriver.
Remote online notary
Bilingual or multilingual help
Redmond office
Sisters office
Sunriver office
First American is one of the country’s largest title insurance companies and runs its own Central Oregon offices. The Bend office is on SW Bluff Drive in the Old Mill area, with branches in Redmond, Sisters and Sunriver. It advertises remote online notarization for closings and multilingual guides to the title process.
Bend, Redmond and Sisters offices, a Spanish-speaking escrow officer in Redmond, and a digital escrow app.
Posted rates or calculator
Bilingual or multilingual help
Redmond office
Sisters office
Western Title & Escrow was founded in Newport in 1983 and now has ten offices in six Oregon counties, including Bend, Redmond, Sisters, Madras and Prineville. It is a direct operation of Fidelity National Financial (FNF). The Bend office is on SW Chandler Avenue on the west side.
Not listed: national escrow and title brands that advertise “Bend” landing pages but don’t hold an Oregon escrow license for a Bend office. If someone you’ve never heard of contacts you to “handle escrow,” check the license lookup below before sending anything.
Every office by town
All five towns, every office, with tap-to-call numbers. The office handling your file doesn’t have to be in the property’s town; ask your escrow officer if you’d rather sign at the branch nearest you.
The Oregon Real Estate Agency describes an escrow agent as a neutral third party who holds money, instructions and documents until the deal’s conditions are met. Here’s the order things happen in a typical Bend purchase, based on AmeriTitle’s “life of your transaction.”
Sign the purchase agreement.It names the escrow company, the closing date and who pays which costs.
Open escrow and deposit earnest money.Your agent sends the signed agreement to escrow. AmeriTitle (EMTransfer) and Deschutes Title (remote deposit) let you deposit earnest money electronically.
Title search and preliminary report.The title officer searches the records and sends a “prelim” listing liens, easements and CC&Rs. Read it; Western Title and Deschutes Title both post guides to reading one.
Escrow clears title.Escrow orders loan payoffs and works through anything on the prelim that has to be paid or released.
Inspections, appraisal and loan approval.Your agent and lender handle these on the contract’s deadlines; escrow waits for the lender’s documents.
Closing Disclosure and settlement statement.If you have a mortgage, your lender must give you the Closing Disclosure at least three business days before closing (CFPB). Escrow prepares the settlement statements for buyer and seller.
Signing appointment.Buyer and seller sign separately, usually at the escrow office, with a notary or by remote online notary where offered.
Funding.Escrow returns the signed loan package to the lender, the lender funds, and the buyer’s cash to close arrives by wire or cashier’s check.
Recording and keys.The deed is recorded with the Deschutes County Clerk, escrow pays everyone out, and title issues the policies. That’s when it’s closed, and when keys change hands.
The Old Mill District. Three of Bend’s escrow offices sit on the bluff just above it, on Upper Terrace Drive and SW Bluff Drive. Photo: Beastes35 (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Escrow vs. title: two jobs, usually one company
Escrow runs the closing
Holds earnest money and closing funds in trust
Follows written escrow instructions from buyer, seller and lender, and tells everyone if instructions conflict
Gets payoffs, prorates taxes and HOA dues, prepares settlement statements
Runs the signing, records documents and disburses money
Licensed by the Oregon Real Estate Agency, with a $50,000 minimum bond
Title protects ownership
Searches recorded documents for liens, judgments, easements and restrictions
Issues the preliminary title report before closing
Owner’s policy: a one-time premium that protects you against past defects for as long as you own the home (AmeriTitle)
Lender’s policy: protects the lender’s loan; most lenders require it
Title insurers are licensed by the Oregon Division of Financial Regulation
Who picks the escrow company?
The buyer and seller, in the purchase agreement. In practice the agents usually suggest one, and either side can ask for another before signing. Federal law (12 U.S.C. § 2608) bars a seller from requiring a buyer with a federally related mortgage to buy title insurance from a particular title company as a condition of the sale; a seller who does can owe the buyer three times the title charges. If you have a preference, for example an office near you or remote signing, say so before the offer goes in.
Typical timeline
Your purchase agreement sets the closing date, so there’s no fixed length. These are the fixed points that shape it.
Day 0Mutual acceptance. Agents open escrow; earnest money is due by the date in your contract.
First daysTitle orders the search and issues the preliminary title report. Review it with your agent.
Contract deadlinesInspection, appraisal and loan approval. Escrow can’t prepare final numbers until the lender sends its documents.
3 business days outMortgage borrowers must have the Closing Disclosure. Don’t close until you’ve received and reviewed it (CFPB).
SigningUsually a day or a few days before recording. Wire your cash to close only after phoning escrow to confirm.
RecordingDeed recorded, money disbursed, keys handed over. AmeriTitle says keys a day or a few days after signing are normal.
1031 sellers: the clock is fixed by law. You have 45 days after the sale to identify replacement property in writing and 180 days (or your tax-return due date, if sooner) to acquire it, per AmeriTitle’s 1031 page. Line up the qualified intermediary before you close the sale.
Escrow fees and who pays, by Oregon custom
Oregon doesn’t assign closing costs by law; the purchase agreement does. AmeriTitle’s Buyer–Seller Guide lists what each side customarily pays on a typical sale:
Buyer customarily pays
Lender’s title policy
Escrow fee: 50%
Recording charges for documents in the buyer’s name
Tax proration from the date of acquisition, HOA prorates and transfer fees
All new loan charges (unless the lender requires the seller to pay, or it’s negotiated)
First year’s fire insurance premium
Seller customarily pays
Owner’s title policy
Escrow fee: 50%
Recording and release fee for the deed of reconveyance
Payoff of all loans against the property, with interest and fees
Any judgments or tax liens against the seller
Any delinquent property taxes
Broker commission is negotiable and set in your listing and buyer agreements. Recording a deed in Deschutes County costs $102 for the first page and $5 for each additional page (Deschutes County Clerk, after a July 2026 increase).
Posted Bend rates
Price
Sale escrow (total)
Owner’s policy
Refi escrow
$400,000
$1,675
$1,150
$350
$500,000
$1,950
$1,350
$350
$650,000
$2,363
$1,575
$350
$750,000
$2,638
$1,725
$400
$1,000,000
$3,325
$2,100
$400
From Deschutes Title’s Deschutes County rate card (revised 03/2023). Owner’s policy is the basic rate; title premiums come from the Oregon Title Insurance Rating Organization. The card says rates are informational, vary with the transaction, and assume price and policy amount match. With the usual 50/50 split, each side pays about half the escrow fee.
Wire fraud: the one email that can cost you everything
The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center counted 12,368 real estate fraud victims and more than $275 million in losses in 2025 (reported by NAR, April 2026). The classic scam is an email that looks like it’s from your escrow officer or agent, with “updated” wiring instructions.
Treat any emailed wire instructions as fake. AmeriTitle says it will never email wire instructions and that any it receives by email should be treated as fraudulent.
Call before you wire, every time. Use a phone number you already know, like the office numbers on this page, not one in the email. First American gives the same advice.
Never act on a change. Real wiring instructions don’t change mid-transaction. A “new account” is the red flag.
Confirm receipt. Call escrow again after you wire to make sure the money arrived.
If it goes wrong, move fast. Call your bank to try to recall the wire, then your escrow officer, and file a report at ic3.gov.
Protect the deed after closing, too
The Deschutes County Clerk runs a free Property Recording Alert Service that emails you the same day a document is recorded under a name you monitor (up to 10 names). The county notes alerts don’t stop a fraudulent recording, but they tell you quickly.
What to bring to your signing
A valid government-issued photo ID (driver’s license or passport); every signer needs one
Your Closing Disclosure, to compare against the final documents
Cash to close as a confirmed wire or cashier’s check; ask escrow which it needs
Co-borrowers or co-owners who are signing
Power of attorney paperwork, if someone is signing for you (clear it with escrow and the lender first)
Trust or LLC documents if you’re buying or selling in an entity’s name
Sellers: keys, garage remotes, gate and mailbox keys, and payoff info for every loan or lien
Sellers: a forwarding address for final payouts and tax forms
ID, Closing Disclosure and funds come from the CFPB’s mortgage closing checklist. The CFPB also says you can bring a trusted advisor or lawyer, and not to sign anything until you’ve checked it’s correct; there’s no time limit at the table.
A Craftsman in the Drake Park Neighborhood Historic District. Photo: Orygun (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Questions to ask an escrow company
Fees
What’s my share of the escrow fee and title premium on this price?
Are there extra charges for courier, recording service, e-recording or mobile signing?
Is there a simultaneous-issue discount on the lender’s policy?
Signing and remote options
Can I sign at a different office, by mobile notary, or by remote online notary?
Will my lender allow remote signing?
How do I deposit earnest money electronically?
Money and security
How will you send wiring instructions, and how do I verify them?
Who is my escrow officer, and what’s their direct line?
When will sale proceeds be released, and by wire or check?
The property
Anything on the preliminary report I should ask about: easements, CC&Rs, irrigation district or road maintenance agreements?
Are there HOA dues or transfer fees to prorate?
For a 1031 or a seller-carried contract: who is the qualified intermediary or account servicer?
Central Oregon situations
Buying from out of state
Plenty of Bend buyers are relocating. Ask about remote online notarization (First American advertises it) and electronic earnest money (AmeriTitle’s EMTransfer, Deschutes Title’s remote deposit). Get the escrow officer’s name and number on day one, save it, and use only that number to confirm wires.
Greenwood Avenue toward Pilot Butte. Photo: UpdateNerd (CC0).
Sunriver and Sisters second homes
AmeriTitle (by appointment) and First American both have Sunriver offices; First American and Western Title have Sisters offices. Note First American’s Sisters hours are Mon, Tue and Thu, 11–3.
Rentals and 1031 exchanges
Sale money must go to a qualified intermediary, not to you. AmeriTitle offers one through Exchange It 1031; Deschutes Title has a FinCEN 1031 exemption checker. Talk to your tax advisor before listing; see our Bend tax help guide.
Seller-carried contracts
Selling land or a home on a contract? AmeriTitle’s account services act as the neutral party that holds the documents, collects payments, calculates principal and interest and can keep tax and insurance reserves.
New construction and lots
AmeriTitle and Western Title both run builder and developer services, and Deschutes Title posts Central Oregon CC&R lookups and Bend and Redmond subdivision maps. Building? See custom home builders.
Refinancing
A refi uses escrow and a new lender’s title policy, but no sale. Deschutes Title’s card lists refinance escrow at $350 up to $650,000 and $400 above.
Check a license yourself
Search the Oregon Real Estate Agency eLicense lookup with license type “Escrow Agent” or “Escrow Agent Branch Office” and a city. When we checked, Bend returned AmeriTitle, Deschutes Title and Western Title as escrow agent organizations and AmeriTitle and First American as branch offices; Redmond, Sisters and Sunriver returned the branches listed above. Title insurers are separately licensed by the Division of Financial Regulation.
Frequently asked questions
What does an escrow company do in Oregon?
An escrow agent is a neutral third party that holds the money, instructions and documents until the deal’s conditions are met, then delivers them as the escrow instructions direct (Oregon Real Estate Agency). In a Bend home sale that means holding earnest money, getting loan payoffs, preparing the settlement statement, running the signing, then recording the deed with Deschutes County and paying everyone out.
Who picks the escrow company in a Bend home sale?
The buyer and seller agree on it in the purchase agreement, usually on their agents’ advice. Federal law (RESPA Section 9) says a seller can’t require a buyer using a federally related mortgage to buy title insurance from a particular title company as a condition of the sale.
How much does escrow cost in Bend?
Deschutes Title’s posted Deschutes County rate card lists a total sale escrow fee of $1,950 on a $500,000 sale and $2,638 on $750,000, plus title insurance. Refinance escrow is $350 to $400 on the same card. The card is dated 03/2023 and says rates vary with the transaction, so get a current quote from each company.
Who pays the escrow fee and title insurance in Oregon?
By the custom AmeriTitle describes for a typical sale, buyer and seller each pay 50% of the escrow fee, the seller pays the owner’s title policy and the buyer pays the lender’s title policy. Your purchase agreement controls, and any of it can be negotiated.
What is the difference between escrow and title?
Escrow runs the closing: money, documents, signing and disbursement. Title is the search of public records and the insurance policy that protects the owner or lender against past defects such as forged deeds, missing heirs or recording errors. In Bend all four companies do both under one roof.
When do I get the keys after signing?
Not at the signing table. The sale closes when escrow has the buyer’s funds (cash or loan money) and the deed is recorded with the county. AmeriTitle says it’s not unusual to get keys a day, or a few days, after signing.
How do I avoid wire fraud when closing in Bend?
Never trust wiring instructions that arrive by email, and never act on a last-minute change. Call your escrow officer at a phone number you already know, such as the office number listed here, before you send money. AmeriTitle says it never emails wire instructions and sends them only through EMTransfer.
Can I sign closing documents remotely if I’m not in Bend?
Often, yes. First American advertises remote online notarization (RON) for closings, and AmeriTitle and Deschutes Title both take earnest money electronically. Ask your escrow officer early, because lenders have their own rules on remote signing.
Does the escrow company handle my 1031 exchange?
Not by itself. A 1031 exchange needs a qualified intermediary to hold the sale money. AmeriTitle offers one through Exchange It 1031. You must identify the replacement property within 45 days and acquire it within 180 days (or your tax due date, if sooner).
How do I check that an escrow company is licensed in Oregon?
Search the Oregon Real Estate Agency’s eLicense lookup with license type “Escrow Agent” or “Escrow Agent Branch Office.” Title insurers themselves are licensed by the Oregon Division of Financial Regulation.
Company details were checked on each company’s own website on October 23, 2026; state, county and federal facts on the pages below. Fees, hours and staff change, so confirm with the office.
