notary signing agent: Learning how to be a notary signing agent - 04/20/08 05:41 AM
There are a lot of people and organizations who offer courses and books on ‘how to be a notary signing agent'. Some of them are honest and will tell you that their course won't teach you everything you need to know. I respect people who make this disclaimer, because it is … (1 comments)
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notary signing agent: Notary Signing Agent Group: Happy Anniversary - 04/09/08 09:59 AM
It's hard to believe that it has been a year since the Notary Signing Agents group was started, but it has. One year ago today:
Why start a group on ActiveRain?
The purpose for starting the group wasn't to provide notary signing agents with another message board. No. There are enough of those. But … (0 comments)
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notary signing agent: Notary signing agent fees: it's your decision - 04/01/08 04:21 PM
Someone asked me this morning, what should the average fee be for closing assignments. There is no way to give a simple answer, because there are too many ways to answer the question.
If I buy a cheeseburger at a fast food restaurant, I will pay a certain price. If Warren Buffett … (1 comments)
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notary signing agent: Purchase transaction in the early a.m. - 12/12/07 12:43 PM
I got up this morning at around 3 a.m. Not because I couldn't sleep, but because I had a purchase transaction this morning at 7:30 out in Peyton, CO and I wanted to prepare. I received the documents last night in my email and printed them out.
After I prepared the … (1 comments)
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notary signing agent: Preparation for a Reverse Mortgage closing - 12/04/07 06:49 AM
All borrowers deserve the red carpet treatment.
But when I'm doing a Reverse Mortgage closing, I think about my mother, and how I would like for her to be treated if she were the borrower. And so I give reverse mortgage clients what I call, the 'Gold Carpet' treatment.
It's apparent, … (1 comments)
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notary signing agent: Power of Attorney closings: in the absence of instructions - 11/30/07 07:20 AM
One of the reasons that title companies prefer to use experienced notary signing agents is because, they need closers who are able to make decisions on their own -- people who don't need step by step instructions on what to do for each situation. As quiet as it is kept, the people at … (4 comments)
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notary signing agent: Keeping the borrower informed - 11/26/07 11:07 AM
Closings that are delayed because of late loan documents are something that notary signing agents have come to accept. It's frustrating. Yes. But it's a situation that is, for the most part, out of our control. Nevertheless, there is something that we can control -- the amount of information that we … (3 comments)
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notary signing agent: Notarizing a loose certificate when the signer is not present - 11/19/07 08:44 AM
It will happen like this: You will receive a call from a title company or a signing service telling you that you didn't notarize one of the documents from the closing you recently did. They tell you, it's not a problem. Just send them a loose certificate that is notarized, and … (6 comments)
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notary signing agent: Being a notary signing agent in Colorado Springs - 11/04/07 02:51 AM
One of the things I like about Colorado Springs is that, life here in 'the Springs' is pretty simple. I'm originally from a big city (Detroit, MI), and this is a pleasant change. Denver is not as large as Detroit, but it's still too big for me. I only go up … (2 comments)
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notary signing agent: If you burn a bridge, you can never go back. - 10/29/07 08:31 PM
One of the keys to success in this business, and almost any other business, is getting repeat business. If you get called once to do a closing, will that same company call you again? If you did a good job, chances are that they will. That's your goal: to get called … (0 comments)
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notary signing agent: The role of a notary signing agent mentor - 10/21/07 01:26 PM
"Expanding horizons through the power of one-to-one friendships."
That is the motto of the Big Brothers, Big Sisters organization -- the oldest, largest and most effective youth mentoring organization in the United States.
What has that got to do with notary signing agents?
The roles are very similar. The role of the notary … (2 comments)
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notary signing agent: Overnighted documents to the borrower: pros and cons - 10/09/07 09:37 AM
I got a call on Saturday from the borrower for whom I was scheduled to do the closing. She called to let me know that she received the loan documents. She had a chance to look at them and didn't agree with the loan terms. She let me know she … (0 comments)
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notary signing agent: Reverse Mortgage training for notary signing agents. - 09/25/07 12:33 PM
I'm not going to pretend to be an expert on reverse mortgages. Nor will I try to lead you to believe that what is in this topic constitutes any type of "training" at all. Quite the contrary. There is no special "training" that notary signing agents need to do reverse mortgages. … (10 comments)
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notary signing agent: What to do about "readers". - 09/23/07 12:51 PM
When I first started as a notary signing agent I would try to book as many closings in a day as possible. I figured that it would take me no longer than an hour to get through a closing, and make it to the next one. That is, until I encountered … (5 comments)
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notary signing agent: Notary signing agents like doing things the hard way. - 09/16/07 05:17 AM
I had a closing last Thursday -- a purchase transaction -- at a Keller Williams realty company here in Colorado Springs. It was at 5:30 p.m. After the closing my responsibility is to drop off the loan documents, as soon as possible, so they can be delivered to the title company, … (5 comments)
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notary signing agent: How to Get Started as a Notary Signing Agent - Part 2 - 09/09/07 09:59 AM
Continued from Part 1: How to Get Started as a Notary Signing Agent
How to get the most out of Notary RotaryFind a mentorSetting your feesTaking RisksWorking 24/7Ask questionsNotary Rotary: How to get the most from it It wasn't the National Notary Association or The Signing Registry that taught me the most about … (4 comments)
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notary signing agent: How to Get Started as a Notary Signing Agent - 09/09/07 09:39 AM
So, you want to become a Notary Signing Agent. Do you have what it takes? You probably do.
Fortunately there aren't many barriers to entry into the notary signing agent profession. It doesn't require many years of formal education or a degree. And it doesn't require huge sums of venture capital. Many … (0 comments)
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notary signing agent: If you want to be happier, don't expect anything. - 09/03/07 08:26 AM
One of the most important lessons I have learned in life is to never expect anything. If you don't expect anything, you won't be disappointed. And if you are never disappointed, you will be happier.
It really is true. We put too many conditions on things. "I love you. Do you love … (10 comments)
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notary signing agent: Gunnison, Colorado needs notary signing agents - 08/27/07 02:53 PM
Crested Butte, Colorado is a mecca for telemark skiers. I wanted to see for myself what was so special about it. So a few years ago I packed my skis and ski gear and drove to Crested Butte for a day of telemark skiing. It was what I had hoped for. The … (4 comments)
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notary signing agent: 85 pages of junk docs - 08/27/07 02:34 PM
I couldn't think of a more suitable title, because that is exactly what I got: 85 pages of waste paper.
I got a call last week to do a simple refinance for today. I downloaded the loan documents this morning. I knew right away that this was more than a simple refi … (9 comments)
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notary signing agent: The case designed with the NSA in mind. - 08/26/07 04:02 PM
A few months ago I purchased the Samsonite business case, model # 935235, and wrote a topic about it (One case for everything. It was basically a product review. I hadn't really used it enough to see just what a remarkable product it is.
I had a chance last week, and I … (2 comments)
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notary signing agent: What to do to get an increase in your fee - 08/22/07 04:47 PM
I got a call today to do a closing tomorrow evening in Colorado Springs. I was on my bike, on my way to drop off some loan documents from a closing I did yesterday.
The caller said that the closing is in Colorado Springs, but Colorado Springs encompasses a very large … (3 comments)
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notary signing agent: How much paper does a signing agent use? - 08/13/07 08:02 PM
One of the biggest supply needs for notary signing agents is paper.
I'm sure that there are signing agents who go through a lot more paper than I do, but I wanted to put it into some kind of perspective for you.
This is where I store the paper that I … (10 comments)
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notary signing agent: Life after being a Notary Signing Agent - 08/02/07 12:03 PM
One of the good things about the notary signing agent profession is that, as far as I can tell, you can do this for as long as you care to do it. There is no retirement.
But how long would you want to do this? And would you want to do it … (3 comments)
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notary signing agent: Notarizing for special circumstances: reverse mortgages, the infirmed, etc. - 08/01/07 06:27 AM
On several occasions I have done signings in which the signer cannot sit at a table to sign the documents. They were confined to a wheelchair, or they were bedridden. Or they preferred to sit in a reclining chair.
Our goal as notary signing agents is to not only provide a … (0 comments)
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notary signing agent: What is a Notary Signing Agent? (Part II) - 07/23/07 11:58 AM
Is there a professional organization for Notary Signing Agents?
Yes. There are many organizations that signing agents can join, including the Signing Registry that I mentioned in Part I. I recommend that the first organization they join is the National Notary Association.
Are there professional designations?
Yes. There are several. One of the … (5 comments)
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notary signing agent: What is a Notary Signing Agent? (Part I) - 07/23/07 11:02 AM
In one of the topics I posted recently, ActiveRain member Jeff Link commented, "I am a Realtor and I also am a Notary. What exactly is a signing agent and what do they do?" I hope that he didn't think that I was ignoring him by not responding right away. It's … (8 comments)
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notary signing agent: Making a favorable impression for the Lender - 07/20/07 05:06 AM
I do a lot of closings for a lender who sends the documents to the borrower by overnight courier. Everything has to go into that one envelope: the original documents, the borrower's copies, and the return envelope. Not much room for a classy looking folder for the borrower to keep their … (1 comments)
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notary signing agent: Canon City assignment: it's not always about the money - 07/19/07 10:14 AM
I got a call yesterday to do a closing in Canon City on Friday. I was in my car, and on my way to a closing, so I wasn't able to determine exactly where the address was located. I told the company that it's about 50 miles away, and that I'd … (1 comments)
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notary signing agent: Right to Cancel Quiz - 07/17/07 09:50 PM
You received a set of loan documents that were sent by overnight delivery. They arrived on the same day as the closing. You notice that there is only 1 copy of the Notice of Right of Rescission. There are 2 borrowers. You have to leave soon to go to the closing. It … (6 comments)
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notary signing agent: Loan signing for the general public - 07/15/07 02:51 AM
There are many people who need the services of a notary signing agent. They just don't know that we exist. And they don't understand that there is a difference between a notary and a notary signing agent.
I got a call yesterday from a woman who had some loan documents that … (3 comments)
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notary signing agent: When loan documents are not delivered - 07/15/07 12:54 AM
Saturday. The weekend. Time off. Not for notary signing agents. I had a closing scheduled for 12 noon.
The documents were supposed to be delivered to the borrower. When I made the confirmation call, I told her to give me a call in case she didn't receive them. At 11:00 she … (2 comments)
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notary signing agent: Continuing Education for notary signing agents: Closings - 07/12/07 02:33 PM
In a previous topic Continuing Education for Notary Signing Agents I mentioned that one of the ways in which notary signing agents can continue their education is through self-study.
There are many real estate books that can be used for this purpose. One of them is a standard in the real … (0 comments)
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notary signing agent: Florissant, Colorado loan signings - 07/09/07 06:51 PM
Notary signing agents should be prepared for a few challenges when accepting an assignment to do a closing in Florissant. First of all, Florissant is not really a city, with streets laid out in a grid. It's an area. Access to anyone and anything is done on roads. Most of them … (0 comments)
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notary signing agent: Finding your way to the signing - 07/03/07 05:39 AM
One of the difficult things about this job sometimes is knowing where you're going. The address on the confirmation isn't always enough. For one thing, the address might not be correct. People make spelling mistakes, so it's a good idea to check with the borrower when you make the confirmation call. … (2 comments)
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notary signing agent: "I was hoping to reach your voice mail." - 07/02/07 09:19 AM
I got a call early this morning from a title company on the east coast. They are sending me a revised HUD Settlement Statement for a closing I'm doing tomorrow.
What surprised the person calling was that I answered the phone so early. She said, "I was hoping to reach your voice mail." … (4 comments)
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notary signing agent: And boldly go where no signing agent dares to go ... - 06/28/07 06:46 PM
I got a call today to do a closing scheduled for next Tuesday. The closing is up in the mountains. I call it 'Map & Compass Territory' because the roads usually don't have signs. And you won't find these locations using the locator tools. They just don't recognize the addresses.
They asked … (8 comments)
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notary signing agent: Prepare for the closing: you never know who'll be there - 06/26/07 04:17 AM
I did a closing yesterday at a mortgage company in Woodland Park. It was my final closing for the day. The loan officer was there. She didn't say much the whole time as I went over each document with the borrower. But she was obviously tuned in to what was going … (2 comments)
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notary signing agent: Embosser, and other tools for notary signing agents - 06/17/07 06:28 PM
One of the questions that I'm often asked, just before I'm about to notarize a signature on a document at a closing is, "Don't you have one of those things ... you know, the kind that you have to squish ...?"
They're referring to an embosser. "Yes", I tell them. "I … (3 comments)
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notary signing agent: The 4-hour closing: an exercise in patience - 06/17/07 11:33 AM
I had a closing scheduled for last Thursday at 6pm. Then the borrowers called and said they were stuck in traffic on the way home. I believe it. The highway is notorious for traffic jams. I waited at a nearby mall so that, when they finally did arrive at home, I … (1 comments)
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notary signing agent: Deed of Trust: font size - 06/03/07 09:32 AM
For one of my closings that I did last week the documents were sent in PDF format, but were converted from DocMagic. I have a HP dual-tray printer that prints the documents according to the original size of the document. If the original document is legal size, the printer will automatically select the … (1 comments)
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notary signing agent: Closing: at the convenience of the borrower - 06/03/07 08:22 AM
Many borrowers still can't believe that someone can actually come to them to conduct their closing -- whenever and wherever it's most convenient for them. It sounds too good to be true. Sometimes they feel as if they are imposing on us. It's not an imposition. It's why we are notary signing agents. … (2 comments)
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notary signing agent: Non-borrowing spouse: closing procedures - 06/03/07 07:03 AM
When doing a closing in which there is a non-borrowing spouse, there are certain loan documents which he or she will be required to sign. The question for the notary signing agent is always: which ones?
Yes, we have a list of documents that we know are typically signed by the non-borrowing … (1 comments)
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notary signing agent: What to do about late loan documents. - 05/23/07 06:38 PM
Well, there's really not much that you can do to hurry the process. So relax. You're in one location, the people preparing the loan documents are in another. You can call and inquire. But they already know that you need the documents.
I have a closing this evening, and the documents have … (2 comments)
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notary signing agent: Getting a copy of the borrower’s ID with a digital camera - 05/23/07 10:13 AM
On a few occasions I will get instructions letting me know that I don't need to get a photocopy of the borrower's ID:
However, most of the time the title company insists on getting a photocopy. I make a point of requesting it when I make the confirmation call. It's a requirement … (3 comments)
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notary signing agent: How to become a wealthy notary signing agent - 05/15/07 11:12 AM
Last night I was going over some notes that I have been saving. Mostly inspirational notes. One of them is J. Paul Getty's Wealth Secrets. They are broken down into 8 Rules. They are as follows:
1. To acquire wealth today, you must be in your own business.2. You must have a … (6 comments)
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notary signing agent: Loan documents: ways of receiving them - 05/13/07 01:28 AM
When closing day arrives, the notary signing agent will usually receive the documents via email. And there are various ways of receiving them. Sometimes they will arrive in an attachment, in PDF or Word format. Or the notary signing agent will have to download them from a secure website, to which … (1 comments)
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notary signing agent: Guarding the borrower's information - 05/13/07 12:30 AM
As notary signing agents we are entrusted with a lot of confidential information. It's up to us to do everything we can to safeguard it. It's a huge responsibility.
I take a lot of measures, such as maintaining the loan documents on an external hard drive. If my laptop were ever … (4 comments)
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notary signing agent: Real estate professionals are not pizza deliverers - 05/02/07 10:09 AM
I visited one of the message boards this morning and came across a post from someone wanting to get started in this profession. She ended her post by explaining that she was "Just trying to earn a little extra money to survive."
My thinking is, if you approach being a notary signing … (11 comments)
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notary signing agent: Getting ready for closing day - 04/29/07 09:59 AM
If your closing is being conducted by a notary signing agent, there is much that borrowers can do to prepare themselves to ensure that the closing will go more smoothly.
Have contact information for your loan officer: The first thing that borrowers must understand is that the notary signing agent does not … (5 comments)
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notary signing agent: Preparing to go on stage - 04/25/07 04:42 AM
Before I became a notary signing agent, I was a college German instructor. I did that for 20 years. A lot of things became a habit, such as preparation. Anyone who has taught in a classroom will tell you that it's a lot of work. It takes an incredible amount of … (4 comments)
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notary signing agent: Notary signing agent equipment - 04/22/07 02:04 PM
I started my business on a shoestring. Looking back on the equipment I started with, compared with what I'm using now, I can see just how important it is to have the right equipment. A couple of days ago I had to fax back 25 documents for a closing assignment. It was … (6 comments)
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notary signing agent: Continuing Education for Notary Signing Agents - 04/18/07 04:19 AM
Once a notary signing agent has completed their training, the learning doesn't stop there. We have to continue to learn. We don't have notary signing agent colleges or universities where we can take classes and get advanced degrees. Most of the continuing education for us comes in the form of … (11 comments)
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notary signing agent: Gaining experience closing loans as a notary signing agent - 04/17/07 07:00 AM
I came across this question posted on one of the message boards last week:
"I am a new notary and was wondering if anyone could offer any suggestions on how to gain experience closing loans?"
It's a common dilema. Few companies want to give you work, unless you have experience. So how do … (8 comments)
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notary signing agent: Understanding the role of the notary signing agent. - 04/06/07 04:25 AM
A lot of times I will read a question on a message board from a notary signing agent who is not sure what to do with a particular document because of the way it is worded. One of the first things a notary signing agent must understand, and the hardest concept … (1 comments)
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