"Still, makes me wonder if smaller escrow companies might be more reliable..."
Honestly, I've had mixed experiences with smaller escrow companies. Yeah, they're often more responsive and personal, but reliability isn't always guaranteed. Had one a few years ago that was great at communication but still dropped the ball on a tax payment once. In my opinion, closely monitoring payments yourself—regardless of company size—is probably the safest bet. At least then you're not caught off guard...
I've gotta say, smaller escrow companies can be hit or miss. Had one a while back that was super friendly and always picked up the phone, but when it came to actually handling payments, things got sketchy fast. They missed an insurance payment, and I only found out when my insurer sent me a "friendly reminder" (aka panic-inducing letter). Lesson learned—no matter who you go with, keep an eye on things yourself.
"Lesson learned—no matter who you go with, keep an eye on things yourself."
Couldn't agree more. I went with a bigger escrow company thinking they'd be more reliable, but even they dropped the ball once. They miscalculated my property taxes, and I ended up owing extra at year-end—not fun when you're budgeting carefully. Now I double-check everything myself... escrow accounts can be convenient, but they're definitely not "set it and forget it."
Had a similar experience myself. Thought escrow would simplify things, but my lender messed up insurance payments—twice. First time, I figured it was a fluke, but after the second slip-up, I started tracking everything on my own spreadsheet. It's a bit of extra work, sure, but beats getting blindsided by unexpected bills. Convenience is nice, but trusting blindly? Nah... learned that lesson the hard way.
Yeah, escrow accounts can be hit or miss depending on who's handling them. Seen plenty of lenders drop the ball on insurance or taxes—honestly, it's more common than you'd think. Keeping your own spreadsheet is actually a smart move. Might feel like you're doing their job, but at least you're not stuck scrambling when something inevitably slips through the cracks... gotta love the mortgage world sometimes, right?
