Unless companies are willingly to pay more I don't it's worth the hassle. The expense of a wireless card alone would make me turn away. I prefer to play wait and see with companies trying to lowball us at $40 a signing I can't justify the expense.

I pay Att&T (Cingular) $49 per month for the connection and I had to sign a 2 year contract. I don't know if I could have gotten this cheaper?  My cell phone is with them.

Most companies don't have the infrastructure to make it worth their while and have not understood the process yet.  It is coming and it is time professional notaries take heed and acquire the tools necessary to enter this field.  Right now there are too many hands in the cookie jar, there is the Federal Act signed by Bill Clinton and a few states have added their own spice.  At best this technology is about 5 years away from exploding.  

We've been trying to do a newsletter article on it, but it is difficult, as it is hard to be generic in a national environment and we prefer to deliver some sense of clarity in any article we write.

Joan - Are you teach anything about this in your notary classes?

I believe this will catch on with a quickness in the more advanced areas of the country. California will probably be in the lead again. Also, in new communities where title offices are located in the newer buildings. www.esignmortgage.com has the best demo thus far. It is my understanding that recordable docs will still fall under the e-doc category for wet signatures in counties where e-recording is not a practice. It is important for us to focus on clarity and sticking together to ensure a professional fee for service. I don't see where this process will be any easier or less costly for the notary.

Jacqueline, its funny you should bring up this company http://www.esignmortgage.com/

I am in the process of trying to get signed up with them so I can do e-closings for them. I am working with a title company out of florida that may start doing closings with them.

Anthony J Negrete

http://www.negretesnotaries.com

Anthony, I suggest you run! The word is out. Good luck and call me if your price is right.

I am only talking about California in this post.

Answering the question about what I teach our loan signing students or notary class students for www.notaryclasses.com about electronic signings; not much. I do tell the students if they are going to buy a computer they should buy a laptop, but this is a real "duh."

This industry seems to be on brink of beginning to start the process of e-signings, but Calif. doesn't seem to be leading the process. It almost seems like to me the very old VHS or Beta format in the 1980's.

Are we going to do what the video on www.esignmortgage.com showed or are we going to have to purchase a touch pad system with a Calif electronic notary seal where the borrower will write a signature that appears on the computer page?

Maybe it's going to be a combination of the above?

I remember when edocs started in early 2003 there were many programs we had to download to print the documents and now probably 75% of the edocs come as a PDF attachment(s) and the rest come as a print utility we have to click on and use an I.D and password.

Change is coming and the next few years should be interesting.  I don't believe 5 years from now we will be printing any of the documents on paper.

What does anyone else think?

Cheers

http://www.joanbergstromnotarypublic.com

In PA, I think we had two official e signings....I have participated in the training and found it quite interesting...It is currently operating as a pilot program in five counties.  So, a new wave is coming.  I haven't jump on the band wagon as of yet...due to the cost of the equipment required...it is very costly.   In PA, they have marketing greatly, however I haven't seen a large influx of companies requesting the services...as of yet.   

It is my understanding that e sign and e notarization are totally different. But as we know, this could change overnight. I am also in California. I believe California will embrace this concept quickly. I read somewhere that a particular lender had already performed over 23,000 e sign transactions and 10,000 were here in California.

The positive is, when the time comes that you start to recieve request, if you are already equipped with a laptop, you can walk into a ATT or Verizon, etc. store and get mobile access within minutes. I think getting yourself in position by partiicipating in training is wise at this time.

The ability to access documents to be e-signed is not even available in my area.  I believe this factor will be the major stumbling block in many/most rural areas of the country.  Also the logistics & cost of equipment needed with no guarantee of return-on-investment at this point in time. 

We all seem to be in a very new signing place. 

 I had emailed http://www.esignmortgage.com  to  sign  up with them  and they sent me an email (last yesterday) that they only wanted "closing agents and I didn't qualify."

Sometimes we are referred to as closing agents when we are actually loan signers.  Closing agents dispense the money at the end of a loan and that is not us.

But, when identity has to be proven on a loan we have to put "that hat on."

Opinions?

Thanks

951-522-4919

http://www.joanbergstromnotarypbublic.com

This business is all about relationships. Can you team up with one of your closing agents? It would give you the opportunity to promote the loan signers need to know.

I am not sure what you are saying in your post?  Should I contact Closing Agents and forge a relationship?

I don't think I have ever gotten a loan assignment in 6 years from a Closing Agent, but maybe I just don't get it and things have changed?

Help me out here if you can?

Thanks,

Joan

A lot of good points made here.  I've been wondering about this whole e-notarization issue in California.  I know it's only a matter of time.  I agree with Jacqueline that's it's smart to start looking into training.

I'm waiting to see how it goes before I go and buy anymore equipment.  I've been trying to cut down on my expenses.  I have a laptop and the wireless capability. 

I had my first call last week from a SS asking if I had a laptop and WiFi and they'd email me the TD. I told them I didn't feel comfortable doing them just yet.  So I didn't accept the assignment.  I want to look into the training and also find out about fees to charge, etc. before I start doing them.

www.santaclaritamobilenotary.com