Training, training and more training

Proper training is everything. When you become a notary public it doesn't mean you are simultaneously a signing agent. The proper training is critical to your success. There are many avenues you can travel down to get the proper training. Do your research on line. Read blogs and message boards alike. There are many web sites with training information. I recommend "Just Point and Sign". The program is simple and teaches all of the fundamentals. For anyone that is serious about closing loans as a career, it is essential.

Who are you?

The Patriot Act was passed into law on October 24, 2001, just six weeks after the events of 9/11. The Act was recently extended and updated. You can read the Patriot Act online at this site: http://www.epic.org/privacy/terrorism/hr3162.html. Did you know that the USA PATRIOT ACT is actually an acronym? It stands for:

Uniting and

Strengthening

America by

Providing

Appropriate

Tools

Required to

Intercept and

Obstruct

Terrorism

The Patriot Act affects those of us in the lending & title industry. The main sections of the USA Patriot Act refer to major lines of defense that financial institutions can use to fight funding of terrorism. These lines include money laundering prevention, identification of politically exposed persons and customer identification verification. That is why now more than ever we are required to get proper documentation as to the identity of a borrower/buyer. Lenders are now requiring two forms of identification, primarily a driver's license and social security card. Other acceptable forms of identification may include the following:
U.S. Passport
Identification card issued by the U.S. Department of Justice, Immigration & Naturalization
Inmate Identification Card
Identification card issued by any branch of the U.S. Armed Forces
Identification Card issued by a territory of the U.S., Canada or Mexico
It is always wise to check with your lender or title company as to what their requirements are with regard to identification.

What is a mobile notary?

This definition is from www.123notary.com. What is a mobile notary? A mobile notary is a notary public who is mobile and travels to clients. Typically a mobile notary goes to anywhere from one to eight places per day. A mobile notary may charge the regular fee that notaries may charge in their state plus a travel fee. There are no legal regulations regarding travel fees. In California, many mobile notaries charge $30 for travel plus $10 per signature for example. Sometimes they charge extra for excessive waiting time. Sometimes they give clients a price break if the number of signatures is large. Some notaries only do local calls within several miles of their place of business or residence. Others often travel more than 50 miles on the average job. It depends on what kind of clients you have.

You are in charge!

With the business being slower throughout all Florida counties than what we have been accustomed to, it’s been a little bit of a struggle. This has lead to a lot of closers having gone out to find full or part time jobs to provide them a more steady income. With the increase in gas prices many Florida signing agents have reduced the territory they are willing to cover. It’s been difficult to maintain a good balance of closers as well as “error-free” closers.
If you want to remain invaluable as a signing agent and make the most of your business then I would like to make some suggestions. The worst part of the day is having to “fix” things with the client. I have a lot of trouble understanding certain mistakes like going out to a closing without a settlement statement or the lender package. Please make sure that you have a mortgage and a note at the closing table. Please call and ask the signing agent service anything that you are unsure of. You can never ask a stupid question. As far as neglecting to sign or notarize something, it can happen. Please try to check and double check your work. It’s a reflection on you as well as the signing company. On any assignment given please remember that anything you say to the borrower or the client is also a reflection on the signing service. Turnaround time is a critical factor. Please always do your best in contacting the customer when the order has been assigned to you and ship your completed package out as soon as possible via priority. Keep some letter and legal size paper with you in case you need it to receive an extra document or two at an alternate location. Reading is fundamental. Carefully read your instructions and keep them with you as there will be pertinent information included as well as phone numbers to call if there is a problem. Remember that you are the “custodian” of the documents and therefore the documents should never be left in the hands of the borrower, the broker or anyone else without specific permission. Finally, make sure that you are easy to contact. If you cannot be reached then you can’t get any assignments. Text messaging has been working out great! If you would like to receive assignments via text messaging please let your signing service know.
The internet is an outstanding tool and you should use it for a variety of things. You can look up phone numbers and do a reverse search for your borrowers. You can locate Fedex, UPS & DHL locations for drop off as well as make your labels on line. You can also locate print utility programs needed.