notary signing agent: Mobile notary services to Fort Carson, Colorado - 05/24/09 03:52 AM
Of all the military bases in the Colorado Springs area, Fort Carson army base  is the most difficult to get onto.
Difficult ... but not impossible.
So if you're a notary signing agent / mobile notary, you don't need the skills of an Ethan Hunt or Jason Bourne in order to get past the guards. 
You just need a little patience.
The gate that I normally use is Gate 3.
If you're driving west on Academy Boulevard, it's the 'Fort Carson - Westmeadow Drive exit'.  Then you'll see this sign.  There's a traffic light at which you'll make a left turn.
… (1 comments)

notary signing agent: Not 'closed' on Sunday means closing on Sundays - 04/19/09 07:01 AM
I did a closing this morning at 10:30 a.m. in Colorado Springs.
What's so unusual about that, you're probably asking.
It's Sunday.
 
 
 
To a notary signing agent, being asked to do a closing on a Sunday morning is not at all unusual.  For those of us who are available 24/7, it's part of the job.  We gladly provide the service to the mortgage industry.
The disadvantage for the notary signing agent is that, we don't have a "day off".
There is no "Miller Time".
We never know when we'll be called to do a closing, so we have … (4 comments)

notary signing agent: You want status? I'll give you status. ... - 03/07/09 02:39 AM
But don't expect it 'immediately' after the closing.
Yesterday was a hectic day for me, and it's not even the end of the month.  I got a call to do a notarization at a law office around noon.
While I was at the law office, I got 2 calls to do closings -- one for 3:30 p.m. and the other for 7:00 p.m.  I already had a closing scheduled for 5:30 pm.
First I had to download and print all of the documents for the 3 closings.  Then the fun began.
The 3:30 closing was in the north end of Colorado Springs. 
… (3 comments)

notary signing agent: What does it take to be a NSA? - 03/07/09 01:19 AM
A person decides they want to become a notary signing agent. Earn some extra cash.  Ride out the rough road in the economy.
Why not? There aren't that many barriers into this profession.
 
So they do what it takes to become a notary public.  Then they take a one-day seminar on how to become a notary signing agent. They even pass the exam to become a 'certified' notary signing agent.  After that they buy all of the equipment necessary.  They get listed on all of the major notary sites so that they can get calls to do closing assignments.
They have … (1 comments)

notary signing agent: 123notary certification - 02/06/09 10:05 PM
123notary.com is one of the first notary sites that I got a listing on when I became a notary signing agent.  And in terms of return on investment, it has been one of the best.  I get a lot of calls from people who mention that they found me on 123notary.  So the annual listing fee more than pays for itself.
There is also a certification that one can get through 123notary.com.  I never considered it in the past because I was already certified through the NNA (National Notary Association).
I got an offer in my email a few weeks ago … (0 comments)

notary signing agent: It's 6 a.m. Is your cell phone on? - 02/03/09 12:11 AM
Being a notary signing agent is more than just a profession.  It's a way of life.  And for those of us who make ourselves available 24/7, that can mean staying up late at night to do a closing, or being up very early in the morning to receive a call to do a closing. Just how early?
How about 6 a.m.?
That is precisely what time my cell phone rang this morning.  It was from a title company on the east coast.  They want me to do a RESPA signing later this morning. 
 
 
 
 
 
Shortly after the … (8 comments)

notary signing agent: Being a notary signing agent: buffet style - 01/25/09 11:17 PM
Being a notary signing agent requires working with a lot of different companies.  And a large part of that entails following a lot of instructions.  It can get a little confusing. 
But there are a lot of positive things about it.  For one thing, it broadens your horizons. 
It's like the world traveler who has experienced being in many different parts of the globe.
They have learned to deal with all kinds of people, and are comfortable in a lot of different situations.
 
 
The signing agent can take a similar approach when working with different companies. 
Assimilate the good … (3 comments)

notary signing agent: Does it pay to belong to the NNA? - 01/25/09 03:54 AM
I got a call last Thursday from a real estate company to do a closing here in Colorado Springs.  The caller said she found my name on SigningAgent.com.  That is the NNA (National Notary Association) database of notary signing agents.
In order to be listed on SigningAgent.com, one must pay annual membership dues to belong to the NSA Section.  The annual cost: $39.  That's not all.  One must also belong to the NNA.
My NSA Section membership will expire at the end of February:

I have already renewed my NNA membership.  So I'm good until the end of January 2010.  … (0 comments)

notary signing agent: Make it happen: finding solutions for closings - 01/24/09 07:47 PM
There seems to be a 'prime time' for remote closings, and it's usually in the evenings when most people are home for the day after getting off work.
What this means for notary signing agents is that we usually will get several requests to do a closing at times when we are already booked.  For the company looking for a closer, it means they have to look for someone else to do the closing. And they might not be able to find anyone else.  For the borrower it might mean that there isn't another notary signing agent available, and their closing … (5 comments)

notary signing agent: What is your time worth? - 01/21/09 04:01 AM
I got an unusual request yesterday.  A man called and said that his wife needed to take a certification test, and that the test had to be notarized -- proving that she took the test on her own and within the prescribed amount of time.  I would be glad to notarize the affidavit.  But there was just one thing: 
I would also be the one administering the test.
 
That is not exactly what I do, I explained.  That would entail sitting there and waiting while she took the test.  How long would it take?  Perhaps 2 hours or more?
My … (9 comments)

notary signing agent: Statement of Information: beginning, middle, or end? - 01/21/09 01:32 AM
As I was studying for the 123notary certification exam I came across a comment from a signing agent in one of the lessons.  It was regarding the 'Statement of Information'.  That's the document that asks borrowers to list their past residences for the last 10 years, places of employment, prior marriages, information about the property, ... and a lot of other personal things.
This particular signing agent recommended having the borrowers fill out the Statement of Information at the very beginning of the signing.  This would allow him or her time to fill out their notary journal.
If it works for … (1 comments)

notary signing agent: When is a good time to receive the loan documents? - 01/20/09 11:04 PM
The sooner the better, of course.
But it's not a perfect world. And in this business 'stuff' happens.  Getting lender approval on the HUD Settlement Statement is usually the culprit.
In theory, a title company can send the loan documents to a notary signing agent in just enough time to print out the documents and make it to the closing on time.  That means, if the closing is scheduled for 5 p.m., and it takes the signing agent 20 minutes to drive to the closing (they have to depart at 4:40), and it takes 10 minutes to download and print the … (1 comments)

notary signing agent: Making a second trip to the borrowers after a closing - 01/13/09 08:46 PM
It's something that any notary signing agent would dread: having to go back out to the borrowers for some reason.
There are several reasons why a notary signing agent will have to go back to the borrowers after a closing.  A document might be missing a signature or initials, is one reason.
Not only will the signing agent have to go back, but they will have to do it at their expense, if it was an error on their part.  And they have to fit it into their schedule.  Then they have to track down the borrower, and hope that the … (0 comments)

notary signing agent: UPL: reconciling the conflicts of being a notary signing agent - 01/12/09 11:56 PM
According to my Colorado Notary Law Primer, I am not supposed to assist others with legal matters. 
I'm okay with that.
It goes on to state that I am not to assist others in drafting, preparing, selecting, completing, or understanding a document or transaction.
I'm okay with that too.  After all, I'm 'just a notary'.
I got a call to do a closing.  And in the closing instructions were the following instructions:

"You are being paid to explain the documents to the borrower."
It's obvious from this section in the instructions that this company wants a closer who is capable of … (1 comments)

notary signing agent: One person's opinion: notary message boards - 01/11/09 08:52 PM
A notary posted a remark on a message board about a company, warning others not to do signings for that company.  This person obviously had a bad experience with that company. 
 
Another notary commented to that post saying that he did a closing for that company and was paid promptly, and that he would work with that company again. 
Same company. Two opinions. Who do you believe?
Notary message boards are a great way to get information.  When I first started in this profession, some of the most valuable information I received was from message boards.  The main reason for … (4 comments)

notary signing agent: 'Provide a copy of the borrower's ID, or you will not get paid!' - 01/11/09 05:23 AM
It seems like such a severe and drastic measure to refuse to pay the closer because the borrower was not able to provide a copy of their ID.  But that is exactly what some companies threaten to do.  This was in the instructions for the closing I did recently:

It's not our fault if we tell the borrower to provide a copy of their ID and they forget to do it.  Or they live in an area where there are no copy facilities. 
The notary signing agent spends a lot of time and money printing out the loan documents, driving to … (3 comments)

notary signing agent: Waiting for a closing confirmation - 01/10/09 06:59 PM
I got a call to do a closing. I agreed to do it.
I waited for a closing confirmation so I could start preparing. None came. An hour later. Still no confirmation. I called the company. Someone other than the person I spoke to answered and told me that they are still getting the loan documents together. 
I explained that I need a confirmation, or some information so I at least know where I'm going. I also want to contact the borrowers. 
That person told me that the closing isn't in Colorado Springs, as I was told.  It's actually in Pueblo.
Pueblo … (0 comments)

notary signing agent: Why notary signing agents get burned: Part II - 01/08/09 12:26 PM
In the topic: Why notary signing agents get burned, I wrote about signing service contracts, and the need to read them carefully. 
Not only should notary signing agents read the contracts, they also need to read the instructions that come with the closing assignment.  Failure to read and understand the instructions is another reason why signing agents get burned. 
 
 
For example, these instructions tell the signing agent to get a copy of the borrowers ID:

I was reading on one of the message boards about a signing agent who did not get paid a full fee for a … (1 comments)

notary signing agent: Mobile Offices: Are they necessary? - 01/08/09 06:18 AM
It usually goes like this:  I'll have a closing at 4 p.m.  I'll have another closing at 6 p.m. Normally there would be no problem handling those two assignments.  Colorado Springs isn't that big.  I can finish the 4pm closing, then go straight to the 6pm closing.
There's just one problem: I haven't received the loan documents for the 6 p.m. closing.  The title company is waiting for final HUD approval.
Now it's not a simple matter of going from one closing to the other.  I have documents that I need to print.  And if I drive back to my office … (8 comments)

notary signing agent: In defense of signing services - 01/08/09 02:27 AM
I got a call yesterday to do a Reverse Mortgage closing.  The closing is scheduled for next Monday at 10 a.m.  I checked my calendar and saw that I had that time slot open.  I have another closing scheduled for 12:15, but I believe I can fit the reverse mortgage closing in.  I told the caller that I could do it.  We agreed on a fee.  I was sent a confirmation.

After the closing I will provide the company with a status report, then drop off the loan documents to be delivered.  In a few weeks I will receive a … (0 comments)