Our History
Superior Service Since 1985.
International City Escrow, Inc. is centrally located in Long Beach, California and has been serving all of Los Angeles County, Orange County and the entire Southern California Region successfully since 1985.
Joan Ostrander, our Founder and CEO, first opened International City Escrow, Inc. in 1985. At the time, her office was located in the Bixby Knolls area of Long Beach where she employed 7 escrow professionals.
As the company continued to maintain its stable presence through even the most challenging times, Joan eventually saw the need to move to a larger office to keep up with her growing staff.
In 1994 she moved International City Escrow, Inc. to 5000 E. Spring Street, a more centrally located area of Long Beach where the expansion possibilities were endless.
International City Escrow, Inc. has just surpassed its 35th year of serving the greater Long Beach area and surrounding cities. Without confidence, perseverance and unparalleled service we could not have reached this milestone in our company's success.
Our Mission
International City Escrow, Inc. is comprised of highly qualified professionals working together in a well-established independent escrow firm providing outstanding personalized services for every client.
Our Commitment
International City Escrow, Inc. is an independent escrow company committed to the highest level of consumer protection. Licensed by the California Department Of Financial Protection and Innovation, International City Escrow, Inc. abides to the strictest guidelines to protect its customers and the property they purchase. Without any affiliation to a real estate company, we are completely neutral and unbiased.
Our Reputation
International City Escrow’s reputation has been built by constantly providing excellent service and thereby superseding customer’ expectations. With sure-footed confidence, escrows are closed with precision backed by the experience of a premier staff of industry professionals.
Our Founder And CEO
Joan Ostrander may have been destined to maintain a career in escrow services in Long Beach. She started her career in 1968 at Farmers & Merchants Bank in Downtown Long Beach, working as a part-time teller and in a secretarial position for one of the bank's owners. She soon asked if she could have the opportunity to work with the escrow company the bank had at the time as a backup officer. "I fell in love with escrow," she said.
After F&M Bank, Ostrander was employed with an office of Anna Roh Escrow, which had 10 to 12 offices in the 1970s. She worked at the office located at 3588 Long Beach Blvd.
In 1984, Anna Roh Escrow was sold to a new owner. "We were taken over" Ostrander said. "[Soon] there were some problems with our trust funds with what the new owners were doing. I suspected something funny was going on, so I called the department of corporations. They came in and took over all the offices, and the new owner filed bankruptcy." It was what seemed like the end. Ostrander saw the loss as an opportunity to go out on her own.
When Ostrander discovered the lease for the office suite had not been renewed in two years, the property owners worked with her as she incorporated International City Escrow. "I never in the world would have thought I could own my own business," she said.
Ostrander incorporated her business in 1985. The company has 15 employees, most of whom are escrow officers serving clients in both Los Angeles and Orange counties. "What makes us special is we do just about every type of escrow there is; not only real estate, but business opportunity and specialized escrow. I have not laid anyone off, either. I kept all of my employees during the worst of times. Good employees are hard to get, and you can't replace them once they're gone."
Ostrander said her biggest challenge is "establishing a good rapport with the various kinds of lending institutions that we are dealing with, with the banks that are doing the short sales, and with the background and knowledge that I have making recommendations that will make transactions work so that we can actually bring them to a close."