Joan Bergstrom Notary/Loan Signer Blog

How Long Does It Take To Receive CA Notary Commission?

Joan Bergstrom Riverside CA Mobile Notary (Joan Bergstrom Mobile Notary) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:21:30 -0600

It is going to take 4-5 weeks (this if you passed the test & had your fingerprints taken in a timely manner). That means you had your fingerprints take the day of the state exam or very soon after the test. I teach for http://www.notaryclasses.com

It is great news that it's only going to be 4-5 weeks to become a notary in CA compared to the 10-12 weeks it was taking in 2008.

http://www.joanbergstromnotarypublic.com

No New Law Changes for CA Notaries in 2010

Joan Bergstrom Riverside CA Mobile Notary (Joan Bergstrom Mobile Notary) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:01:30 -0600

For the first time in many years CA Notaries will not have to learn any new Notary Public laws for 2010!

Yeah! We have had so many changes since 2005 that it is nice to have a year where there aren't any new CA Notary laws.

http://www.joanbergstromnotarypublic.com

Free 2010 Notary Public Rescission Calendar

Joan Bergstrom Riverside CA Mobile Notary (Joan Bergstrom Mobile Notary) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:05:36 -0600

Free 2010 Rescission Calendar is now available on http://www.notaryclasses.com

It's located on the homepage and find the section that says " Notary Forms and Services We Give Away". It's in the middle.

Check out all the other good "stuff" we give away.

Http://www.joanbergstromnotarypublic.com

Free Notary Public 2010 Rescission Calendar

Joan Bergstrom Riverside CA Mobile Notary (Joan Bergstrom Mobile Notary) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:53:26 -0600

Free 2010 Notary Public Rescission Calendar is now available on http://www.notaryclasses.com

It's located on the homepage and find the section that says " Notary Forms and Services We Give Away". It's in the middle.

Check out all the other good "stuff" we give away.

Http://www.joanbergstromnotarypublic.com

Office phone: 800-873-9865

Marketing Your Non-Loan Notary Services Book

Joan Bergstrom Riverside CA Mobile Notary (Joan Bergstrom Mobile Notary) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 21:54:46 -0500

This book is the 5th Edition by Laura Vestanen.

Effective and practical techniques to get notary work outside the loan industry. The marketing advise includes marketing to different companies, networking, where to obtain legal forms (free) and much much more......

Laura is the absolute authority on acquiring non loan signing work by Notaries. The new edition has the most current information on low cost/low technical Internet marketing advise available. Even if you are not a notary, this information on Internet marketing would be invaluable!

You can contact Laura for purchase or for more information: www.professionalnotary.com or email professionalnotary@yahoo.com

This book is fabulous in my opinion!

http://www.joanbergstromnotarypublic.com

3 Hour Notary Classes Are Available For CA Renewing Notaries

Joan Bergstrom Riverside CA Mobile Notary (Joan Bergstrom Mobile Notary) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 22:09:59 -0500

http://www.notaryclasses.com (1-800-873-9865) has begun offering a 3 hour classroom or home study course for renewing CA Notaries whose commission expire after July 1, 2009.

The cost for the 3 hour class/Home Study will be only $49.95 and the student will attend a regular 6 hour scheduled class, but will only be required to attend from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm with the CA State Exam Test immediately following.

This is a wonderful opportunity to take a 3 hour course and receive your "Completion Certificate" and not have to spend 6 hours doing so!!

Remember we also have Great Business cards available; click on Supplies.
They are easy to order and 1st class qualilty!

http://wwwjoanbergstromnotarypublic.com

Never Assume Email Loan Documents Arrive In The Correct Order

Joan Bergstrom Riverside CA Mobile Notary (Joan Bergstrom Mobile Notary) — Sun, 24 May 2009 01:43:20 -0500

Thursday, May 21st I had 2 loan signing assignment from the same company: one at 3:00 PM and one at 6:30 pm.

The 3:00 pm assignment was at the last moment and the company wanted to know if I could get to the signing immediately, and I said yes, I thought I could get there by 3:30 pm.

Not a problem.

I print the docs and get to my appointment by 3:45 pm and discover the documents were for my 6:30 pm appointment. I never looked at the name and printed the docs and assumed the docs were for the 3:00 pm appt.

This happened to me a couple of years ago and I remember it happened to my son James, where he wound up going to Palm Springs and having to drive 120 miles round trip.

Oh well, all the signings were completed: I will be making sure this doesn't happen again! The documents for the 3:00 PM were sent at 7pm and I got them signed at 8 pm.

My fault entirely!! Should have checked the name on the docs.

http://www.joanbergstromnotarypublic.com

Holiday Business For Notary/Loan-Signer

Joan Bergstrom Riverside CA Mobile Notary (Joan Bergstrom Mobile Notary) — Mon, 18 May 2009 22:51:34 -0500

We have a major holiday weekend coming up in a few days (Memorial Holiday Weekend) and this is a great time to touch bases with the Title, Escrow, Lender & Signing Companies and tell them you are available for notary/loan-signer assignments over the holiday weekend.

Actually it's an excuse to"just say hello" and keep on their radar screen!

http://www.joanbergstromnotarypublic.com

Holiday Business

Joan Bergstrom Riverside CA Mobile Notary (Joan Bergstrom Mobile Notary) — Fri, 15 May 2009 23:41:27 -0500

We have a major holiday weekend coming up in a few days (Memorial Holiday Weekend) and this is a great time to touch bases with the Title, Escrow, Lender&Signing Companies and tell them you are available for notary/loan-signer assignments over the holiday weekend.

Actually it's an excuse to"just say hello" and keep on their radar screen!

http://www.joanbergstromnotarypublic.com

1 Letter Notarization

Joan Bergstrom Riverside CA Mobile Notary (Joan Bergstrom Mobile Notary) — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 23:16:38 -0500

I got hired to do a 1 page Grant Deed notarization with 1 signature. Sounds easy and it should have been but, it turned into a 45 minute signing.

No problem with the company that hired me but the signing went "south" the minute I got in the door.

The woman said her husband was suppose to be on the Deed but, only her name was listed. I told her to call the loan officer and find out if she was the only one listed.

She called and we waited until the loan officer returned the call and he said she was the only one to sign.

She is unhappy but signs.

I leave and I am about 2 miles away and the borrower calls me and says the loan officer called again and the husband does have to sign.

I go back and the husband is in the shower and doesn't come out for 20 minutes to sign the Deed!

I did a signing for a Reverse Mortgage the next day and got it signed in less time.

http://www.joanbergstromnotarypublic.com

Computer Problem

Joan Bergstrom Riverside CA Mobile Notary (Joan Bergstrom Mobile Notary) — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 22:17:22 -0600

Computer Problem

My computer is running slow and a friend told me the computer tower is probably very dirty inside and needs to have the dust blown out. My computer is Microsoft XP and I haven't done anything with the computer for 4-5 years. Is there any truth to this cleaning or is my friend "pulling my leg?"

I have done defrag/scan disk/etc.

http://www.joanbergstromnotarypublic.com

Google Directions

Joan Bergstrom Riverside CA Mobile Notary (Joan Bergstrom Mobile Notary) — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 21:53:42 -0600

This is one of these posts that might be on a subject that everyone knows about and I am just clueless.

I did a google direction's search and when I clicked on the "B" location on the google map it provided a picture of the house I was doing the loan signing for.

I printed the directions and the picture was included. It was great to see the actual house I needed to find!

The picture was a little hazy but just looking at on the Internet helped me to find the house.

It's so much easier to find homes when it's light outside (duh) but this information from google/directions really helped me.

Http://www.joanbergstromnotarypublic.com

How often can you activate a wireless card

Joan Bergstrom Riverside CA Mobile Notary (Joan Bergstrom Mobile Notary) — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 17:41:11 -0600

Are you charged every time you activate the wireless Internet card or does the $50-60 per month give you unlimited access?

I know Leon has done e-signings and I am wondering is the pay per signing in the $125- $200 range? How many borrowers accept their copies in a CD form?

Finally are many companies using this technology.

Http://www.joanbergstromnotarypublic.com

New 2009 Notary Law Changes

Joan Bergstrom Riverside CA Mobile Notary (Joan Bergstrom Mobile Notary) — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 16:13:22 -0600

The new CA 2009 Handbook came out a few days ago with the number of CA Notaries declining by approximately 32,000 from the beginning of 2008. There will probably be a steeper decline in 2009 unless the housing market turns around.

One of the CA law changes is the use of a CA state, city, county I.D. badge to identify the signer.
I think this will be helpful when dealing with government people; I know it did for me last week.

I met a client at a Riverside County health office and the official I had to notarize used his County badge as I.D. and it went very quickly and easy.

http://www.joanbergstromnotarypublic.com

CA Notary Classes/ Loan Signing Classes 1-800-873-9865

Loan Modifications

Joan Bergstrom Riverside CA Mobile Notary (Joan Bergstrom Mobile Notary) — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 23:52:05 -0600

It is interesting how these loan modifications affect us as a Notary/Loan-Signers?

I haven't done all that many but this is what I have experienced.

1. Actual slashing of a borrowers loan amount; I have done 3 of these modifications where the borrowers had the loan amount reduced on their loans from $65,000 to $140,000.

I have no idea how they got these reductions and the borrowers didn't discuss how they got their reduction and I certainly couldn't ask. They almost seemed embarrassed about the modification and there wasn't any "high fives"
as there was in 2003-04 when the game was on to see who could get the lowest interest rate.

2. Loan modifications where the terms are changed/interest rate reduction/or picking up applications for loan modifications.

I was hired by 2 borrowers to notarize their modification agreement.

One borrower got a 40 year fixed rate at 4% interest. She was ecstatic and couldn't wait to tell me how she got this rate. She got this loan by paying a fee to a company to negotiate for her.

The other borrower got a 1/2 point reduction and 2 years of interest only payments and then the company will re-negotiate in 2011. She did this modification by herself and didn't pay anything to a 3rd party. I didn't ask her but she wanted to share her experience.

3. Working for a 3rd party company who gets the modification for a borrower and the borrower usually pays somewhere between $1,000 and ...........

I picked up checks ($1,800) and got the borrowers to sign the loan modification application and returned them to the 3rd party. No notary work here but I think these 3rd party companies like the idea of a notary representing them.

These are my experiences.

http://www.joanbergstromnotarypublic.com

I got stuck in mud in Nuevo, Calif

Joan Bergstrom Riverside CA Mobile Notary (Joan Bergstrom Mobile Notary) — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 00:45:16 -0600

This city is south of Riverside CA and has approx. 15,000 population.

I am not putting it down but it is in the middle of nowhere and darker than you can believe (no street lights.)

It's been raining in So Calif and I got on a road that wasn't paved and got stuck for over 3 hours. I didn't see the condition of the road until it was too late and got stuck with no hopes of getting out without the help of AAA.

The borrowers should have told me when I confirmed the appt. but they didn't.

They did help me get pulled out by AAA when they showed the driver a way to "back in and hook me up."

I am just whining because the rest of the U.S. would probably say "get a life and figure out road conditions before leave my office."

Yes, I am spoiled because I live in So Calif and yes, I probably couldn't make it anywhere else! Duh!

http://www.joanbergstromnotarypublic.com

Qill Has A Great Paper Special

Joan Bergstrom Riverside CA Mobile Notary (Joan Bergstrom Mobile Notary) — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 15:55:48 -0600

Quill has some great paper prices

www.quill.com has a great special offer for both legal & letter size paper.

In their search window put in these codes:
1. 142-S-214300 $3.99 Legal Size

2. 142-S-214307 $2.99 Letter
At checkout put in GBD and get $25.00 off with orders over $75 and free shipping.
Takes about 2 days for delivery.

I ordered 1 case of legal and 2 cases of letter and after the coupon was applied and tax applied it totaled $80.49.

There is not a better price available. I don't know how long the special will run.
My advise is to buy now.

http://www.joanbergstromnotarypublic.com

2009 Recession Calendar is now posted on www.notaryclasses.com

Joan Bergstrom Riverside CA Mobile Notary (Joan Bergstrom Mobile Notary) — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 21:47:33 -0600

It's free!!

Look on the left side of the homepage, it's about 1/2 way down the page.

Http://www.joanbergstromnotarypublic.com

2009 Free Rescission Calendar

Joan Bergstrom Riverside CA Mobile Notary (Joan Bergstrom Mobile Notary) — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 01:15:21 -0600

Click: www.notaryclasses.com

Notary/loan-signers need this calendar for refinance documents for a borrower(s) personal residence because there is a federal mandated 3 day right to cancel for this loan.

Check back next week and it will be posted .

Joan Bergstrom

951-522-4919

E-Signings

Joan Bergstrom Riverside CA Mobile Notary (Joan Bergstrom Mobile Notary) — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 00:09:42 -0600

I had a call today from a signing company to do an e-signing for loan documents.

E-signing (2008) involve a lap top and a wireless Internet card.

Some of the loan docs are printed (by the notary-loan signer) to be signed by borrower(s) and some are signed on the website provided by the lender to be signed by borrower(s). The notary goes to the borrowers home and uses the wireless card to get to the Internet.

The problem most loan signers are having is
1. This is more work not less; all borrowers copies must be printed and some of the loan documents the borrower(s) have to sign, have to printed. Also you have to haul around a laptop to the home and try to connect to the Internet at their home/ or wherever the location the signing is happening.

2. The biggest problem is the companies don't want to pay more money for these signings and a wireless card cost $50 per month with a 1-2 commitment and there is also the cost of the laptop.

3. We will probably be doing these e-signings in a few years and it will be interesting to see what happens.

4. When edocs started in 2003 the companies paid $25 to us to print the docs and no one wants to pay extra for e-signings.

Paying to advertise on the Internet Yellow Pages

Joan Bergstrom Riverside CA Mobile Notary (Joan Bergstrom Mobile Notary) — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 23:55:14 -0600

I signed a contract for 1 year at $85.00 per month for the Internet Yellow Pages and I think it was a mistake. I've had the ad for approx. 6 weeks with not much response.

But, I think, I didn't target the people to hire my Notary service that I should have?

I am trying to market myself for Notary Public work (none loan signing) in the Riverside CA area and I realized I should have put my ad in the Yellow Page Book we get thrown on our doorstep.

My reasoning is that while, the 20, 30 40. age group doesn't use the Yellow Pages Book much, because these age group do a Google/Yahoo search for a notary public in Riverside CA.

The problem with my marketing is the age group who own: businesses, properties, living trust, properties in other states, etc are in the age group 50,60 70, and they grew up with the yellow pages and that is what they use.

The Yellow Pages, that are dropped on my doorstep, seem to have more pages than ever. This will decrease as the years go by and the Internet takes over the search by younger people.

I welcome your comments.

2009 California Law Changes and fewer CA notaries in 2008

Joan Bergstrom Riverside CA Mobile Notary (Joan Bergstrom Mobile Notary) — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 00:53:22 -0500

Not much:

1.State, City, County workers I.D. is acceptable as long they contain the picture, serial number/etc as the other I.D's we can accept.

Subscribing witness:
1. Personal Knowledge between the notary and the Subscribing Witness is no longer allowed.

2. The subscribing witness must bring a credible witness who knows the notary and must be known by subscribing witness.

3. The credible witness must present I.D. to the notary.

4. The SW signs the notary journal. The CW signs the notary journal or the notary records the paper ID information for the CW in the journal.

I have been posting over the last year that we will have a huge decline in CA notaries and our CA Sec of State is estimating 35-40 thousand less notaries for 2008 than we had in 2007.

My guess for 2009 is another 35,000 fewer CA notaries and I think my estimate is probably too conservative.

The notary schools in CA are only getting approx 20-25% of the students who attended before August 2007.

There are only a few notary schools in CA actually giving seminars; most that are still in business give the 6 hour on-line or home study program.

What does everyone think of the new bailout?

Joan Bergstrom Riverside CA Mobile Notary (Joan Bergstrom Mobile Notary) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 23:54:50 -0500

I really mean what does this bailout do for loan signers? I am doing 3 signings tomorrow, but, the last 10 days calls have been very few.

I received a total of 6 calls for the last 10 days and I have averaged approx 3 (for loan signings) calls per day for the last year.

Bank Of America has settled a Countrywide lawsuit with our CA Sec of State Jerry Brown which might help approx 125,000 homeowners with loan modifications.

Is this a good beginning or is this something that looks good as a press release?

If the Fed lowers the interest will this help homeowners refinance or purchase a new home? In my area, the Inland Empire, it will be a foreclosure that someone purchases.

Interesting Times for our Country

Joan Bergstrom Riverside CA Mobile Notary (Joan Bergstrom Mobile Notary) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 23:55:46 -0500

It is interesting that a CNN poll says that 55% of the American public doens't want a bailout of the financial industry for $700 billion.

I would guess that 80% of the notary/loan-signers would like a bailout so the loans could be funded.

What do you as notary/loan-signer think?

Hiring Notary/Loan Signers By Email Address

Joan Bergstrom Riverside CA Mobile Notary (Joan Bergstrom Mobile Notary) — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 23:01:48 -0500

I think there will be companies in the future that will hire us by email.

I've talked to a couple of signing companies who said would like to put signings out for "bid" to our email address.

I don't think too many of us will be interested in bidding against each other, but time will tell and this might just be my slant on a new process.

I get approximately 200 spam emails sent to me and if they came to my cell phone I would be a "bell ringing machine." My mail address screens 99.9% of them out of my inbox, so I don't think that would be a problem.

But, when you link your email address to your cell phone, does that eliminate the Spam emails?

http://www.joanbergstromnotarypublic.com