Why this guide
- Built from DFPI Escrow Law resources and the CEA Professional Designation study recommendations
- State-specific for California: no generic escrow overview — this is the DFPI/CEA content that matters here
- Includes the practical skills the designation tests: balancing a file, reading title commitments, and calculating prorations
- Print-ready — full guide, two 1-page cheat sheets, and a 1-page pocket card
Who this is for
- Escrow assistants and officers preparing for the California Escrow Association Professional Designation exams
- Managers applying for a DFPI escrow agent license who must sign the affidavit of familiarity with Escrow Law
- Career-changers entering escrow who need the vocabulary before starting on-the-job training
- Title company staff who touch escrow files and need to understand the closing workflow
- Real estate licensees who want to stop guessing about the escrow side of the transaction
What you'll learn
- DFPI Escrow Licensing and Administration: escrow agent, joint control agent, and internet escrow agent requirements; bonds; financial statements; manager experience requirements; affidavit of familiarity
- Escrow Law and Regulations: California Escrow Law (Fin. Code §§ 17000–17613), escrow duties, trust-fund handling, and prohibited acts
- Escrow Process and Vocabulary: opening, processing, closing, disbursement, file balancing, and escrow instructions
- Title Insurance and Policies: CLTA and ALTA owner/lender policies, standard coverage, extended coverage, endorsements, and policy schedules
- Documents and Legal Descriptions: deeds, notes, deeds of trust, requests for notice, vesting entities, and basic legal descriptions
- Settlement Statements and Disbursement: sale, refinance, assumption, and seller-carryback worksheets; balancing by hand or calculator
- Prorations and Transfer Taxes: property taxes, delinquency dates, rents, insurance, and California county/city transfer tax calculations
- Tax Reporting and Withholding: IRS Form 1099-S, California FTB withholding ( withholding on real estate sales), and cash reporting rules
What you're getting
- 6 printable PDFs: cover, course notice, full study guide, two condensed cheat sheets, and an exam-day pocket card.
- Content built from the public syllabus and real test-taker accounts.
- No fake "actual exam" content — honest, source-cited study aids.
"There is no state exam, but the CEA designation test is heavy on prorations and title commitments."
— paraphrased from public test-taker accounts