DENISE O'DELL ~ REALTOR® and Notary Signing Agent

I am not a Quitter!

Denise O'Dell ~ Realtor/Notary-Loan Signing Agent — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 16:22:59 -0500

The last 4 years in real estate have been pretty discouraging to say the least. In the beginning I was so excited. I gave it my all. I did the work. I did the time, spent a whole lot of money, and put a lot of energy into my career as a real estate agent. I felt like I was climbing mountains only to slide back down.

When the real estate market started to go downhill, I began focusing on my small business as a Mobile Notary/Loan Document Signing Agent. I have bills to pay you know.

I seriously thought about throwing in the towel because let's face it, it's not easy out there right now. However, after a lot of consideration, I decided to renew my real estate license again for another 4 years. I am not giving up!

News from All Over the World

Denise O'Dell ~ Realtor/Notary-Loan Signing Agent — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 13:50:54 -0500

This is one of the most interesting sites I have ever seen. You can see newspaper headlines from all over the world. The Newseum displays these daily newspaper front pages in their original, unedited form. Some front pages may contain material that is objectionable to some visitors. Viewer discretion is advised.

http://www.newseum.org/todaysfrontpages/flash/

Just put your mouse on a city and the newspaper headlines pop up. Double click and the page gets larger.

This site changes everyday with the publication of new editions of the paper. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Marketing Tips for Notaries

Denise O'Dell ~ Realtor/Notary-Loan Signing Agent — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 13:17:02 -0500

One of the best ways to increase your notary business would be to advertise, advertise, advertise! Get your name out there as much as possible.

You can do this by adding your profile on major notary directories (i.e.notaryrotary.com and 123notary.com are just a couple); traditional advertising (i.e. handing out business cards, cold calls, etc.); your own website definitely helps; and you can also use pay per click advertising on Google and Yahoo Search Marketing.

Much success to all!

URGENT: ASSEMBLY BILL 442 AND CALIFORNIA NOTARIES

Denise O'Dell ~ Realtor/Notary-Loan Signing Agent — Sun, 03 May 2009 18:27:25 -0500

Assembly Bill 442 is before the Senate and would add the Mexican Matricula Consular card to the list of acceptable documents notaries can use to identify people who need documents notarized.

California State law already allows a Mexican driver's license or passport to be used as acceptable forms of ID for notarizations (the preferred method).

The National Notary Association is concerned that this new law will expose California Notaries to unnecessary risk and are urgently asking for our support.

NOTE: The bill could be up for vote in the Senate this next week so it's important to call or email your state Senator's office as soon as possible.

To look up your state Senator, click on the link below and enter your address:

http://www.192.234.213.69/smapsearch/framepage.asp

Notarizations at Prisons and Detention Centers

Denise O'Dell ~ Realtor/Notary-Loan Signing Agent — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 01:48:44 -0500

In addition to the $10 per signature a mobile notary charges to notarize a document at a California jail, prison or detention center, mobile notaries also charge additional fees for their services, such as travel fees, etc.

For instance, at the Pitchess Detention Center in Castaic, California, they allow notaries and attorneys only during the weekdays. If the inmate's original photo identification (such as a driver's license or passport) is available for the notary to examine, a notarization can be done during a weekday for a lot less because the notary can usually get in and out within an hour.

However, if the inmate's photo ID is NOT available, then two credible witnesses who have IDS and can positively identify the inmate can go into the facility with the notary on the weekend and wait in a long line for at least 3-4 hours. Of course, this will be more costly. Note: The two witnesses who may be used cannot have an interest in the transaction or be named in the document being notarized.

Using a notary who has years of experience, has performed numerous notarizations at prisons and detention centers, knows the best times to visit, and is familiar with notary laws, will save a lot of time, frustration and money in the long run.

It's better to get the job done right the first time rather than finding out later the document that was notarized is invalid and you have to pay another notary to go back and do it all over again.

New Pen that Can Record as you Write

Denise O'Dell ~ Realtor/Notary-Loan Signing Agent — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 21:59:10 -0500

I'm not sure if I should be posting this here, but it seemed like a good place. I recently heard there is now a writing pen with a 2 GB camera or microphone built into it that is able to record other voices in a room as you are writing. It can be used to record memos at a meeting, etc. This is the first I've heard of anything like this and I'm not exactly sure how it works. Does anyone know about this new writing device?

With all this new technology, it would be great if someone came up with a writing tool for people who are unable to speak. I know of someone with a physical disability where they can hear but they can't speak. I can only understand her through sign language. She can write, but can't read. It would be wonderful if there were a pen with some type of device built into it and as she was writing, it could speak for her. It would have to have the ability to understand what she was writing (or starting to write as with text messaging). Does anyone know of such a device?

New Writing Device

Denise O'Dell ~ Realtor/Notary-Loan Signing Agent — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 21:55:34 -0500

I'm not sure if I should be posting this here, but it seemed like a good place to start. I recently heard there is now a writing pen with a 2 GB camera or microphone built into it that is able to record other voices in a room. Apparently, it can be used to record memos at a meeting, etc. This is the first I've heard of anything like this and I'm not exactly sure how it works. Does anyone know about this new writing device?

New Mileage Rates

Denise O'Dell ~ Realtor/Notary-Loan Signing Agent — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 03:11:51 -0500

The IRS has recently changed the standard mileage rate write-off for miles driven from July 1 through December 31, 2008 Due to Gasoline price increases.

Via Cindy Bryant~Houston's Home Staging & Home Stagers By Redesign Etc.~RESA~ASHSR (Redesign Etc., Inc.-Houston, TX (Texas)):

The IRS has recently changed the standard mileage rate write-off for miles driven from July 1 through December 31, 2008 Due to Gasoline price increases.

Purpose             Rates (1/1-6/30/08)         Rates (7/1-12/31/08)

Business            50.5 cents                              58.5 cents

Medical               50.5 cents                              58.5 cents

Moving                19 cents                                  27 cents

Charitable          14 cents                                  14 cents

Visit Redesign Etc. for Full-Service Professional Home Staging in the Greater Houston and Galveston area.

Contact Cindy Bryant for a Home Consultation Today!

Ventura, California from a Hilltop

Denise O'Dell ~ Realtor/Notary-Loan Signing Agent — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 02:47:43 -0500

What a great idea to add a Photography Group. I really love taking photos and some day would like to take a photography class. This is a photo I took from a hilltop looking down at a beach in Ventura, California. I hope you like it.

VERBAL CEREMONY FOR NOTARY ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Denise O'Dell ~ Realtor/Notary-Loan Signing Agent — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 03:00:26 -0500

Assuring a signer whose signature is being acknowledged understands the document and is signing the document willingly is an essential function of a notary taking an acknowledgment.

It was recommended by the American Society of Notaries that notaries should perform a verbal ceremony for either an ACKNOWLEDGMENT or oath/affirmation (JURAT). "Acknowledged" means a notary heard the client reply "yes" or "I do" (or other similar words) to questions posed during the notarization. "Sworn to or affirmed" means the notary "performed a verbal ceremony for an oath or affirmation and heard the client reply in the affirmative as to the truthfulness of the document.

Are Hands-Free Devices Safer?

Denise O'Dell ~ Realtor/Notary-Loan Signing Agent — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 03:14:55 -0500

You will be sure to get a laugh out of this one! By now everyone should be well aware of the new cell phone law in California. There have certainly been enough blogss on the subject. This video is so funny I had to share it. Enjoy and please..... Drive safe!

Check out this very funny video! http://break.com/index/hands-free-safe-drivers.html

Denise O'Dell, Notary Public/Loan Signer/REALTOR
Cell: 661.993.4245
Toll Free: 1.800.418.0057
Email: info@santaclaritamobilenotary.com
www.santaclaritamobilenotary.com

ARE HANDS-FREE DEVICES SAFER?

Denise O'Dell ~ Realtor/Notary-Loan Signing Agent — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 03:02:09 -0500

Even if your state hasn't implemented a law regarding the use of cell phones while driving, you'll be sure to get a laugh out of this one! Everyone should know about the new law in California by nowwhich became effective 7/1/08. There have certainly been enough blogs on the subject. This video is hilarious and I wanted to share it. Enjoy and please..... Drive safely!

Hands Free Safe Drivers - Watch more free videos

WARNING RE CELL PHONES AND SMARTPHONES

Denise O'Dell ~ Realtor/Notary-Loan Signing Agent — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 16:25:01 -0500

Since so many of us use these devices on a daily basis, I thought I'd pass this info along. It's from a Wells Fargo Bank newsletter:

"Cell phones and smartphones are now being increasingly used to spread viruses and steal personal information.

One key sign you're opening yourself up to a virus is the receipt of a multimedia message (MMS) with a compelling header from a sender you don't recognize. Once you open the message, the sender can install malware on your phone that can freeze your screen, corrupt the information stored on your phone (e.g., "eat" your contact lists) and even send your personal information to other users and download premium services you never asked for, like dialers and tunes, from your service provider. The virus can also send a malicious MMS to all the contacts in your phone book and to any bluetooth or other wireless service-enabled mobile phone.

Bluetooth-enabled phones in particular can be attacked and hacked in several ways. "Bluejacking," for example, allows someone to send you a message up to 248 characters long without permission. "Bluesnarfing" exploits security holes in certain phone models to obtain personal information from your phone and "bluebugging" lets a scammer place and execute files on your phone.

If you want to stop these threats to your cell phone or smartphone, start by asking your provider what they're doing to keep your information and data-anything transmitted on their servers-safe. You can also take steps to protect yourself. Antivirus solutions are available for your cell phone or smartphone from a number of security experts."

HOW TO GET FREE HEADSETS FOR YOUR CELL PHONES

Denise O'Dell ~ Realtor/Notary-Loan Signing Agent — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 18:22:21 -0500

Want to know how you can get a free headset for your cell phone? With the new cell phone law in effect as of 7/1/08, you'll need one in California! Check out http://www.freeheadset.org/home.php. They have some decent headsets that you can buy for free (yes you heard that right!) and some good deals on more high-end versions. A colleague of mine recently bought one for a total of $3.97 (shipping only). Can't beat that!

I look forward to being a part of this group!

Denise O'Dell ~ Realtor/Notary-Loan Signing Agent — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 03:13:57 -0500

Thanks for the invite and I look forward to reading everyone's posts and comments. It should be a great place for notaries to network and I'll be glad to contribute whatever I can!

YAHOO OFFERS NEW YMAIL & ROCKETMAIL ADDRESSES

Denise O'Dell ~ Realtor/Notary-Loan Signing Agent — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 18:27:21 -0500

Last week, Yahoo started offering free e-mail accounts under two new designations in an effort to attract Web surfers. You can now get new email addresses under the domains of "ymail" and "rocketmail." I already got a couple (i.e. xxxx@ymail.com. You can get more than one too ... for free!) To learn more about it read the fully story at http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080619/tec_yahoo_mail.html

Notarizing for Hearing Impaired

Denise O'Dell ~ Realtor/Notary-Loan Signing Agent — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 02:25:05 -0500

If a signer has a hearing impairment, can you still notarize a document for them?

Answer: Yes. However, no third-party interpreter may be used because they may misrepresent information. The notary may use sign language, write or type notes in order to directly communicate with the signer, and the signer must physically appear before the notary.

Cute Joke - Jesus and Satan...

Denise O'Dell ~ Realtor/Notary-Loan Signing Agent — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 21:00:59 -0500

I thought this was kind of funny! I hope everyone enjoys and no one is offended by it.

Jesus and Satan were having an on-going argument about who was better on
the computer. They had been going at it for days, and frankly God was
tired of hearing all the bickering.
Finally fed up, God said, "THAT'S IT! I have had enough. I am going to set up a test that will run for two hours, and from those results, I will
judge who does the better job."

So Satan and Jesus sat down at the keyboards and typed away.

They moused.
They faxed.
They e-mailed.
They e-mailed with attachments.
They downloaded.
They did spreadsheet s!
They wrote reports.
They created labels and cards.
They created charts and graphs.
They did some genealogy reports
They did every job known to man.
Jesus worked with
heavenly efficiency and Satan was faster than hell.
Then, ten minutes before their time was up, lightning suddenly flashed
across the sky, thunder rolled, rain poured, and, of course, the power
went off..

Satan stared at his blank screen and screamed every curse word known in
the underworld.

Jesus just sighed.

Finally the electricity came back on, and each of them restarted their
computers. Satan started searching frantically, screaming:

"It's gone! It's all GONE! "I lost everything when the po wer we nt out!"

Meanwhile, Jesus quietly started printing out all of his files from the
past two hours of work..

Satan observed this and became irate.

"Wait!" he screamed. "That's not fair! He cheated! How come he has all
his work and I don't have any?"

God just shrugged and said,

JESUS SAVES

Have a great day!

Cute Joke - Jesus and Satan

Denise O'Dell ~ Realtor/Notary-Loan Signing Agent — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 20:52:56 -0500

I thought this was kind of funny! I hope everyone enjoys and no one gets offended by it.

Jesus worked with heavenly efficiency and Satan was faster than hell.
Then, ten minutes before their time was up, lightning suddenly flashed
across the sky, thunder rolled, rain poured, and, of course, the power
went off..

Satan stared at his blank screen and screamed every curse word known in
the underworld.

Jesus just sighed.

Finally the electricity came back on, and each of them restarted their
computers. Satan started searching frantically, screaming:

"It's gone! It's all GONE! "I lost everything when the po wer went out!"

Meanwhile, Jesus quietly started printing out all of his files from the
past two hours of work..

Satan observed this and became irate.

"Wait!" he screamed. "That's not fair! He cheated! How come he has all
his work and I don't have any?"

God just shrugged and said,

JESUS SAVES

Have a great day!

Credible Witnesses

Denise O'Dell ~ Realtor/Notary-Loan Signing Agent — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 03:44:31 -0500

In some states*, notaries may use credible witnesses on acknowledgments and jurats when a person whose signature is being notarized does not have any identification. The following Credible Witness Affidavit could be used -- but not required according to the NNA -- in addition to the standard procedure of making notations of the credible witnesses' information in your notary journal:

Credible Witness Affidavit

*STATES ALLOWING TWO CREDIBLE WITNESSES WITH SATISFACTORY I.D.: CA, FL, GA, NM, VA

Under the penalties of perjury, I declare that the person appearing before me [NAME OF NOTARY] as [NAME OF PERSON WHOSE SIGNATURE IS TO BE NOTARIZED] is personally known to me ** who proved to me on the basis of satisfactory evidence to be the person named in the document requiring notarization; that I believe the person does not possess the required identification; that I believe it would be difficult or impossible for this person to obtain such identification; and that I do not have a financial interest in and am not a party to the underlying transaction.

WITNESS #1 WITNESS #2

[Signature of Credible Witness] [Signature of Credible Witness]

Only ONE witness is required if personally known by notary.

TWO credible witnesses required if not personally known to the notary. Satisfactory ID required.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

JURAT

State of ________

County of ________

Sworn to (or affirmed) and subscribed before me on this (date) day of (month), (year), by (Print name of first Credible Witness), and by (Print name of 2nd Credible Witness or N/A), who produced the following as identification:

Personally Known [ ]

Satisfactory ID [ ]

Witness #1 - Type ______________

Witness #2 - Type ______________

[SEAL] (Signature of Notary)

(Printed or Typed Name of Notary)

**NOTE: In 2008, California laws changed the language on acknowledgments and jurats prohibiting identifying anyone based on personal knowledge so I would think the language on the above Affidavit would be the same as in the current acknowledgments, "who proved to me on the basis of satisfactory evidence..." I AM NOT CERTAIN ABOUT THIS AND HAVE YET TO FIND A "CREDIBLE WITNESS AFFIDAVIT FORM ANYWHERE ON THE INTERNET, ALTHOUGH I'M SURE THERE IS ONE SOMEWHERE. THE ABOVE AFFIDAVIT IS FROM A NEWSLETTER FROM THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF NOTARIES.

If any notary has information to the contrary or has any other comments on the subject of using Credible Witness Affidavits, I would appreciate hearing from you.

Thanks!

Great Joke - Jesus and Satan

Denise O'Dell ~ Realtor/Notary-Loan Signing Agent — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 02:02:43 -0500

I thought this was kind of cute. I hope everyone enjoys and no one gets offended by it.

Fingerprinting and Notarizing Docs in Real Property Transactions

Denise O'Dell ~ Realtor/Notary-Loan Signing Agent — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 04:11:06 -0500

A question was posed to me in an email from someone who read one of my posts on Active Rain. I would appreciate your thoughts on the matter. I have set forth my reply below.

Question: "I heard testimony yesterday that a notary did not get a fingerprint for a signature done in 2005. The document was a trust, which gave real property to a particular person. The notary also testified that he did not personally witness the signature. Do you see any problems?"

Dear ___________:

"In California, it is the law that notaries must obtain fingerprints for ALL documents concerning real property transactions, including trust deeds. From your email, I am not sure if it was a "trust" or a trust deed" that was notarized. Most California "trust deeds" require acknowledgments, whereby the notary is acknowledging that the person appeared before the notary. The document can already be signed, but the person must appear before the notary at the time of the notarization. I obtain fingerprints from every person for every document I notarize just to be on the safe side. I hope this helps."

Would you have asked or added anything?

WE ASKED FOR IT..AND WE GOT IT!

Denise O'Dell ~ Realtor/Notary-Loan Signing Agent — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 02:40:30 -0500

Someone sent this to me and I thought I'd pass it along...

Remember the election in 2006?

A little over one year ago:

1) Consumer confidence stood at a 2 1/2 year high;

2) Regular gasoline sold for $2.19 a gallon;

3) The unemployment rate was 4.5%.

Since voting in a Democratic Congress in 2006 we have seen:

1) Consumer confidence plummet;

2) The cost of regular gasoline soar to over $4.00 a gallon (as of June 2008);

3) Unemployment is up to 5% (a 10% increase);

4) American households have seen $2.3 trillion in equity value evaporate (stock and mutual fund losses);

5) Americans have seen their home equity drop by $1.2 trillion dollars;

6) 1% of American homes are in foreclosure.

America voted for change in 2006, and we got it!

Active Rain is Worse than Being Addicted to Chocolate!

Denise O'Dell ~ Realtor/Notary-Loan Signing Agent — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 21:17:19 -0500

Hi Everyone!

I have been on Active Rain for over 6 months now. I've written a few blogs, read a lot of comments and made a lot of comments. I've introduced friends and have invited others to join. When I first became an AR member, I didn't know what it was all about, I just jumped in feet first and started blogging away and got caught up in all of it. I couldn't help it that's just the way I am (sink or swim). I was hooked from the beginning and have been ever since. I'm so addicted to AR now that I don't go to sleep before 2am anymore. It's much worse than chocolate!

I never really took the time (which I should have) to read the guidelines and other great resources available. I strongly recommend you do so if you're new to Active Rain.

Anyway, I wanted to "formally" introduce myself and say thanks to all of you who have commented on my blogs and answered my questions. I've learned a great deal and heard from a lot of interesting people.

It's absolutely wonderful others are willing to contribue their valuable time and knowledge on here. I feel very fortunate to be a part of it all.

Much success to all of you!

Best Buy?

Denise O'Dell ~ Realtor/Notary-Loan Signing Agent — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 04:38:12 -0500

See what happened to this guy who bought something from the store "Best Buy."

"If you purchase something from, Wal-Mart, Sam's Club, JC Penny, Sears etc. and you return the item with the receipt they will give you your money back if you paid cash, or credit your account if paid by plastic.

Well, I purchased a GPS for my car, a Tom Tom XL.S from 'Best Buy'. They have a policy that it must be returned within 14 days for a refund!

So after 4 days I returned it in the original box with all the items in the box, with paper work and cords all wrapped in the plastic. Just as I received it, including the receipt.

I explained to the lady at the return desk I did not like the way it could not find store names. The lady at the refund desk said, there is a 15% restock fee, for items returned. I said no one told me that. I said how much would that be. She said it goes by the price of the item. It will be $45.00 Dollars for you. I said, all your going to do is walk over and place it back on the shelf then charge me $45.00 of my money for restocking? She said that's the store policy. I said if more people were aware of it they would not buy anything here! If I bought a $2000.00 computer or TV and returned it I would be charged $300.00 dollars restock fee? She said yes, 15%.

I said OK, just give me my money minus the restock fee.

She said, since the item is over $200.00 dollars, she can't give me my money back!!!

Corporate has to and they will mail you a check in 7 to ten days.!! I said 'WHAT?!'

It's my money!! I paid in cash! I want to buy a different brand..Now I have to wait 7 to 10 days. She said well, our policy is on the back of your receipt.

I said, do you read the front or back of your receipt? She said well, the front! I said so do I, I want to talk to the Manager!.

So the manager comes over, I explained everything to him, and he said, well, sir they should of told you about the policy when you got the item. I said, No one, has ever told me about the check refund or restock fee, whenever I bought items from computers to TVs from Best Buy. The only thing they ever discussed was the worthless extended warranty program. He said Well, I can give you corporate phone number.

I called corporate. The guy said, well, I'm not supposed to do this but I can give you a 45.00 dollar gift card and you can use it at Best Buy. I told him if I bought something and returned it, you would charge me a restock fee on the item and then send me a check for the remaining 3 dollars. You can keep your gift card, I'm never shopping in Best Buy ever again, and if I would of been smart, I would of charged the whole thing on my credit card! Then I would of canceled the transaction.

I would of gotten all my money back including your stupid fees! He didn't say a word!

I informed him that I was going to e-mail my friends and give them a heads up on this stores policy, as they don't tell you about all the little caveats.

So please pass this on. It m ay save your friends from having a bad experience of shopping at Best Buy."

It's true! read it for yourself!!

Best Buys return policy