26-20-006 - IFB for Title and Escrow Services

The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) is soliciting bids under IFB 26-20-006 for title and escrow transactional services that assign and transfer local government-held loan portfolios, with written questions due November 9, 2026 and bids due December 10, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time. Bidders certified as small businesses, or those committing to subcontract at least 25% of net bid price to small businesses, may claim a 5% Small Business preference. Non-small businesses with 1–5% DVBE participation may receive DVBE incentives ranging from 1–5%. Target Area Contract Preference Act preferences are optional.

Mandatory qualifications require bidders to be lawfully authorized to do business in California, to be a duly licensed title company, title insurer, or title agency authorized by the California Department of Insurance to issue lender's title insurance policies, and to provide services in the specified location.

Estimated scope covers up to 375 existing loans affecting approximately 250 properties, including 250 preliminary title reports, 325 mortgage note assignments, 325 deed of trust assignments, 50 covenant assignments, 150 reconveyances and partial reconveyances, 375 ALTA lender's title insurance policies, and up to three mobile notary visits. Bidders submit fixed rates for each line item, with labor, materials, equipment, and notary acknowledgments included in unit rates. HCD makes no guarantee of quantities and reserves the right to increase or decrease them as needed. The state is exempt from recording fees, SB2 fees, and documentary transfer taxes. The awardee must carry liability insurance with a Combined Single Limit of not less than $100,000 per occurrence before commencing work, and no performance begins until the agreement is fully executed by all parties and approved by the Department of General Services.

The attached IFB summary places all properties in the City of Lindsay, Tulare County, while the listing names five census-designated places: Lake Riverside, Marin City, Twin Lakes, Hidden Valley Lake, and Yosemite Lakes.

The anticipated agreement start date is February 1, 2027, with an initial one-year term through January 31, 2028 and two optional twelve-month extensions, not to exceed a three-year total term. Responses to questions will be posted by November 21, 2026. A public virtual bid opening follows at 3:00 p.m. Pacific Time on the bid due date.