1. List all the payment amounts for items that will be paid out of your escrow account, and when paid, for the next 12 months (e.g., taxes- $1200 -- $500 paid July 25 and $700 paid December 10; hazard insurance -- $360 paid September 20).[If you have a payment like flood insurance, which is paid every 3 years, you must project a trial balance over that 3-year period.]

2. Divide this total amount by 12 monthly payments ($1560 divided by 12 = $130).

3. Create a trial running balance for the next 12 months listing all payments to the escrow account and all payments out of the account, when these items are paid.

4. Increase all the monthly balances to bring the lowest point in the account (December -$780) up to 0.

Add any cushion your lender requires to the monthly balances. The cushion may be a maximum of 1/6 of the total escrow charges (1/6 of $1560 = $260).

In this example, $1040 is the maximum amount the lender should require in the account. The account should fall to the cushion at least once during the year. In this example, it is in December ($260).

New Accounts -- In this example, if you settled May 15, and the first payment was due in July, $1040 would be the maximum amount you should be required to place in an escrow account. If your lender requires less than the maximum cushion, the amount would be less.

Existing Aggregate Accounts -- In this example, during escrow analysis, the lender would compare the required amount of $1040 to the actual balance in your account in June. For example:

If your balance is $1076, there is a surplus of $36. Your lender may choose to apply any surplus less than $50 to future payments, reducing your monthly escrow payment to $127, or may choose to return the surplus to you.

If your balance is $1090, there is a surplus of $50. The lender must return any surplus of $50 or more to you within 30 days of the analysis.

If your balance was $940, there is a shortage of $100. This amount is less than one month's escrow payment and the lender may ask you to pay this amount within 30 day or may spread it out over a year.

If your balance was $800, there is a shortage of $240. The lender must spread the collection over at least 12 months. If the lender spreads the shortage over 12 months, your monthly escrow payment would increase to $150.

If you have a deficiency in your account (where the lender has to use his own funds to pay a bill), you may have to reimburse the lender sooner than over 12 months. If the deficiency is less than one monthly escrow payment, you may have to repay the lender in 30 days. If the deficiency is more than or equal to one monthly escrow payment, the lender may require you to repay the amount over 2-12 months.

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