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February 14, 2017

TRID Information courtesy of Carmen

Filed under: (4) Documents,Popular on Twitter,Popular Overall — Tags: — admin @ 12:48 am

So what is TRID?
It is ‘TILA/RESPA Integrated Disclosure’ rule, also known as TRID. Since this rule is designed to help borrowers understand the terms of their home financing transaction, there is a trend to start referring to this rule as the Know Before You Owe rule instead of TRID. The Know Before You Owe rule took effect October 3, 2015. Follow link below to see and print out forms,

http://www.consumerfinance.gov/know-before-you-owe/

What it means for the borrowers?

When the borrower starts first shopping various lenders for a loan they receive a ‘loan estimate’ (they can receive many of these to compare lenders). Once they make a decision and choose the lender they then they will receive a ‘closing disclousure’ 3 days in advance for review. It all the terms are agreeable and no changes need to be made, after the 3rd day docs can be drawn.

A new Closing disclosure has taken the place of the TIL (Truth and Lending) and The HUD (Settlement statement). This new disclosure has everything regarding the borrowers loan. Please refer to attached sample. The borrower is supposed to receive the Closing Disclourse (or Cd as we have named it) within 3 days of the docs being drawn. This is mandatory. There is now no surprises at the signing table. Keep in mind some title and escrow companies still use a HUD-1 in conjunction with the new CD. I have noticed this with purchases.

What this means for the notary signing agent? For us this means less delays in getting the documents and less questions at the table. The borrower is now already aware of the numbers and terms. The signings go much faster.

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You might also like:

Ken’s tips for the closing disclosure
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=17116

The closing disclosure itemized
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=16217

Index of information about documents
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=20258

The 30 point course – a free loan signing course
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=14233

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February 13, 2017

Ideas for 24 hour Notary services

Filed under: Advertising,Popular on Twitter — admin @ 7:24 am

Naming your business is never easy. But, here are some ideas of how to name a late-night notary service.

Moonlight Notary might be a good name for someone 24/7.

Nocturne Mobile Notary — a classical approach to late night notarizations!
Ninja Late Night Notary Services
The Signing Owl
Orion’s Belt 24 Hour Notary Service
Vampire Notary Service — we answer the phone, “Good evening…..(heavy breathing)”
Around the Clock Mobile Notary
Twilight Notary Services
Sun & Moon Notary Services
Day & Night Mobile Notary
Last Minute Mobile Notary
Minute-Man 24 Hour Notary Services
Out The Door 24 Hour Notary Services
Good Evening Notary Services
Dusk to Dawn Signing Services
John Hancock 24 Hour Signing Services
Owl Mobile Notary Services
Half-Moon Mobile Notary
Crescent Moon Mobile Notary
Up All Night Mobile Notary
NiteLite Mobile Notary
Gas Lamp 24 Hour Mobile Notary — classy
Night Watchman Mobile Notary — 1 O’clock and all is well.
Night Sky Mobile Notary
Nocturnal Mobile Notary
Sunset Mobile Notary
Nightfall Mobile Notary
Sleepwalker Mobile Notary
Dream 24 Hour Notary Service

Names to avoid
Clair de Lune Notary
Moonlight Sonata Notary
Opus 27 Mobile Notary — Opus 27 = the moonlight sonata. I’m sure your customers will know that by heart if they hang out with my parents.
Hoo-Hoo Late Night Services
Howl of the wolf late night notary services
Mayan Mobile Notary — We’ll keep Notarizing until the end of the world!
Mayan Notary Services — We’ll notarize you then sacrifice you! But, not necessarily in that order.
Lunar Mobile Notary — We based our appointments on the lunar calendar.
Looney Mobile Notary – Get looney with us and your signatures.
Slumber Party Mobile Notary
Snooze Mobile Notary
Brass Candle Holder Mobile Notary
Geisha Notary Services — Notary service and traditional entertainment
Night Life Mobile Notary
Nighty-Night Mobile Notary
Waxing & Waning Mobile Notary and spa services
Lunar Eclipse Mobile Notary
In The Dark Mobile Notary — we’ll notarize you, but you won’t know what you’re signing (or paying.)
Incessant Mobile Notary
Phantom Mobile Notary — make sure your ghost has ID

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You might also like:

Compilation of posts about Snapdocs
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=21531

Names for Notaries to name their children
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=21044

Names for Notary businesses with commentary
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=20765

Names for Notary businesses that can get you in trouble
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19064

Geographic Notary Business Names
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19060

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February 12, 2017

Racial issues at a signing

Filed under: Drama & Tragedy,Popular on Twitter — admin @ 9:36 pm

Shelly went to a Notary signing. The minute she arrived, she could feel extreme tension. The husband was listed as an entity on the loan application, but the wife was the one taking command. Shelly was (and still is) white, and the couple was black. I’ve done hundreds of signings in black homes and without issue — however, those signings were done before people had a reaction to Donald Trump’s political presence.

Racism was at an all-time low from around 1997 to mid 2015. And then it started up again. There were more protests, riots, clash between minorities and police, the Black Lives Matter movement, etc. But, during the last few months of 2016 it turned violent. I witnessed people being beaten in the street over race — strangers beating strangers with no provocation. Can we blame Donald Trump for this insanity? After all, he has done nothing to anyone (yet) and was only speaking his mind in his own non-sugar coated way.

The husband and wife started going through the Loan Estimate. They went through every fact and figure with a fine toothed comb because they had prejudged that something must be wrong and that everybody was out to get them including the Notary, Lender, Donald Trump, Title, Escrow, and Sam down at the butcher shop (I made the last part up.) They were basically trying to confirm their baseless suspicions by finding something wrong with the paperwork.

When the Notary tried to smooth things over, the couple called the Loan Officer and commented about how terrible the Notary was. The Loan Officer failed to return the Notary’s calls but called the party that hired them for the loan (whomever that was.) The Notary’s reputation had been slandered, tarnished, and she didn’t want to lose her client. Shelly’s reputation was on the line here for a crime she didn’t commit. Was racism to blame?

Shelly comments that if people are negative about the process from the getgo, they will create problems that weren’t there in the first place. Too true Shelly. I agree completely. But, the main thing is to stay out of the loan. The loan is not your business. It is not up to the Notary to determine if there is something wrong with the loan. You just make sure they sign where they are supposed to and notarize the signatures.

Shelly has signed hundreds of loans for people of all communities in her area and treats people equally. It looks like she was not treated equally in return this time.

The moral of the story is, if you walk into a tense situation as a Notary — just do your job and don’t make comments. Be neutral. It’s not your problem. If someone fires you for reasons beyond your control, just state your side of the story and it is their loss if they lose you because you are a good Notary who did nothing wrong and has a 99.9% accuracy rate (or so you claim.)

You might also like:

Black Notaries vs. White Notaries — comedy edition
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=17455

Demographics in the Mobile Notary business
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=15359

I’d rather stop being a Notary than carry a gun
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=15896

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February 11, 2017

SnapDocs — thumbs up or thumbs down?

Filed under: Popular on Linked In,Popular on Twitter,Signing Company Gossip — Tags: — admin @ 10:29 pm

Notaries who use SnapDocs not only get a ton of ratings from people who used them, but the ratings are anonymous. You wonder if the ratings are even based on reality — because they can say anything! One lady on NR was furious that she only got a 77%. I have no idea, is that good?

Your entire reputation is controlled by God knows who and with information that is not even necessarily even correct or given using integrity. Additionally, you don’t know WHY you got a thumbs down. Was it because your fee was too high? Was it because you didn’t answer your phone or email fast enough or because of a scheduling issue? You’ll never find out!

But, what about the Notaries? If something goes wrong it is automatically the Notary’s fault. The Notary is penalized on SnapDocs, but not the client.

The fact is that SnapDocs clients pay them big bucks to use this convenient and automated system that performs all sorts of automated functions for them. That is excellent and I commend them for that. However, they do not seem to care about the common Notary!

Maybe I should learn from all this and design some functions into 123notary to be for the benefit of the Notary! Notaries need someone to defend them, and the forum is great, but not enough! Maybe there’s another way.

In the meantime, SnapDocs gets a thumbs up for quantity of work. However due to the quantity of endless complaints from Notaries about their service, I wonder why Notaries who have any experience at all are willing to put up with this kind of headache…

You might also like:

See our STRING on Snapdocs
http://blog.123notary.com/?tag=snapdocs

SnapDocs — I felt like I was being used!
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=18852

A comprehensive guide to Notary organizations
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=17088

Who is involved with 123notary behind the scenes?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=18888

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January 24, 2017

Quit Claim Deed

A Quitclaim Deed is a legal instrument used to transfer interest (ownership) in real property. The Grantor is the entity who is transferring its interest to the Grantee who is the recipient. The owner or Grantor quits or terminates any right or claim to the property by signing this form.

No Title Covenant
The Quitcliam Deed includes no title covenant and offers no warranty as to the status of the property’s title. The Grantee is entitled only to whatever interest the Grantor has in the property — if any. As a result, the Grantee has no legal recourse should the Grantor not be the legitimate owner on title, or if their share of the property is less than expected.

Warranty Deeds
Warrantee Deeds on the other hand often contain warranties from the Grantor that the title is clear and that there is no encumbrance against the title.

Common Uses
Quitclaim Deeds are most commonly used to transfer property from one family member to another or to take one family member’s name off title for the sake of a notarized loan signing. Quitclaim Deeds are not usually used to to transfer property from a buyer to a seller as Grant Deeds are a much more common form of official property transfer instrument.

How do I notarize a Quitclaim Deed? How do I get a Quitclaim Deed Notarized?
If you need a notarized Quitclaim Deed, find a Notary on 123notary.com. Any commissioned notary public can notarize this document in less than three minutes assuming you have current ID and a complete document.

You might also like:

Index of information about documents

Index of information about documents

See our string on all different types of documents (completely up to date)
http://blog.123notary.com/?cat=2074

TRID information courtesy of Carmen
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=18932

Good Deed Bad Deed — Ken’s guide to every type of Deed
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=16285

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January 17, 2017

Notary vs. Signing Agent

Filed under: Popular on Linked In,Popular on Twitter,Technical & Legal — Tags: , — admin @ 12:21 am

We write about this topic every so often. It is so basic and so critical that all new Notaries should understand. Every year, hundreds of thousands of Americans become Notaries. As Notaries they can perform tasks such as Acknowledging signatures, performing Jurats, administering Oaths, and other tasks which might be state specific. Notaries can hold their heads up high as their function is to identify signers, keep good records (in most states at least) and deter or prevent fraud. But, that is only if they are doing their job correctly — and most states do not vet their Notaries well enough to know the difference.

What is a Notary?
(1) A Notary Public is a state appointed official that is authorized to perform particular Notary functions. All states allow Notaries to perform Acknowledgments, Jurats, and Oaths, while some states allow Notaries to act as an official witness, safety box opener, proof of execution, protests, take Depositions, and more.

(2) A Notary receives a formal certificate of commission from their state, and a commission number.

(3) Many states require a Notary to have an official notary seal that has the Notary’s name, commission number, expiration date, state andcounty.

(4) Many states require the Notary to keep a bound and sequential official journal of notarial acts.

To be short, a Notary can perform certain basic Notary functions that their state allows them to function. Their state offers them a formal certificate of commission, and normally allows them to get one or two official Notary seals with their name, commission number, expiration date, city and state, etc. Notaries use prescribed state specific wording for particular Notary acts and that wording can be used on loose certificates that they can purchase from businesses who sell Notary supplies. A Notary is a public official, although most Notaries don’t understand that on an emotional level. They are appointed by their state as an official who will uphold (or at least are supposed to) the laws of their state at all costs.

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You might also like:

Would you accept a signing without a confirmation?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=22588

Notary Public General Information
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=20075

10 rules for negotiating notary fees
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19620

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January 16, 2017

Notary Notes Makeover…

Filed under: Popular on Twitter,Your Notes Section — Tags: , — admin @ 12:10 am

BEFORE
With over thirteen years of experience as a certified notary signing agent, exceptional customer service, attention to detail, reliability and professionalism are what you can expect. With thousands of loans signed, I guarantee a flawless mortgage loan closing from start to finish. Conveniently based in Long Beach, I cover both Los Angeles and Orange Counties. I have extensive experience with both commercial and residential loans in the areas of e-documents, purchases, refinances, helocs, second mortgages, piggybacks, and reverse mortgages. All notarizations for living trusts, apostilles, medical records, title transfers, foreign adoptions, prenuptial agreements, and power of attorney documents will be completed promptly and efficiently. I am fully GLBA compliant and background screened. For premier mobile notary services, give me a call to get started!

AFTER
13 years signing agent experience; 1000+ loans signed;

I have extensive experience with both commercial and residential loans in the areas of e-documents, purchases, refinances, helocs, second mortgages, piggybacks, and reverse mortgages.

All notarizations for living trusts, apostilles, medical records, title transfers, foreign adoptions, prenuptial agreements, and power of attorney documents will be completed promptly and efficiently.

I guarantee a flawless mortgage loan closing from start to finish. Excellent customer service, attention to detail, reliability and profesionalism are what you can expect. For premier mobile notary services, give me a call to get started!

NNA Certified
NNA Background Screened
High Speed 3-Tray Printer (65 pages / minute)

I cover Los Angeles & Orange Counties with an emphasis on the Long Beach area.
Thanks for visiting my listing on 123notary!

NOTE
The way I normally try to organize notes has a particular structure. First of all, information is separated into paragraphs. The top has punch points which are quick points that have a strong selling feature. An unusual service like Weddings, or a high amount of loans signed, jail or hospital signings might go on top. Last minute signings or a wide radius are also good and quick pieces of information to put on top.

After that, I like to talk about experience. Many Notaries bury their valuable experience under inexpensive claims of how “reliable” and “professional” they are. The least professional Notaries stress how professional they are, so why cheapen yourself by emphasizing what makes you look like a chump? A list of loan types, document types, or who you are on the white glove list with really helps a lot. That way people know what you are capable of.

Next, a note about your personal style or what is unique to you is good. This is where you talk about how you put the customers at ease and triple check your work.

Bullet points come next with certifications, equipment, the fact you have an MBA, etc. Bullet points should be two to six words long otherwise they won’t look good as bullet points.

Coverage area comes near the bottom and try to make it easy to read without too much rambling. Try to avoid a long list of zip codes. A final note can come at the bottom .

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January 7, 2017

Who and what is Snapdocs?

Filed under: Popular on Twitter,Popular Overall,Signing Company Gossip — Tags: — admin @ 9:47 am

It is not a day that goes by the I don’t get a call into 123notary.com about SnapDocs. Who are they? How do I sign up with them? How much do they pay? And, more often than not, ‘They have destroyed my notary signing agent business’.

So let me start off for folks that don’t know – they are not a signing service. This is just a platform set up where notaries can register and create an account for free, upload their credentials. ex: commission, bond, E & O, background check, certifications etc. Once your credentials have been verified by the staff at SnapDocs

(I assume this means that they are making sure your documents are current) and you have completed your profile you are all set to receive notary assignments. You set your profile to receive jobs via email and/or text. Hiring companies that have also signed up can now choose a notary from the site. It costs the signing company that utilizes this service 8.00 per assignment so I have been told. Ouch! The signing services can also rate your work and/or performance. You however, cannot rate the signing service. Personally, I don’t think this is fair. There are just to many of them that don’t pay and really take advantage of us.

Several of the signing service companies that use it have stated that they love the interface and the user experience is good – for them. However, on the other hand many notaries have expressed concern that companies that use to pay regular and a fair fee have now begun to also offer lowball offers. I assume that is because of the 8.00 fee to use the platform. The notaries also resent that there companies no longer contact them direct via telephone. The problem with this is their is not enough information that is given in the text or email. It tells you the date and time and whether it requires faxbacks but usually nothing else. IMO, this is not enough information given to make a decision whether to take a assignment or not.

Personally, I deactivated my profile. I got annoyed with all the low ball offers. It was a waste of my time. So there you have it. I would love to know how the rest of you feel.

Thanks for reading, be safe.

You might also like:

Snapdocs business model doesn’t add up
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19290

Snapdocs thumbs up or thumbs down?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19190

Does knowledge still matter as a signing agent?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19887

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November 26, 2016

I felt like I was being used (Snapdocs assignment)

Another Notary worked for Snapdocs and had an emotional reaction after the fact. She got one of those low-ball assignments, took it, and then complained she felt like she was being used. If you don’t like working for below market rates, nobody is putting a gun to your head! This new signer was concerned about wear and tear on her car, ink, paper, gas, etc. The bottom line here is that anyone who uses you is using you no matter the price. You sell your services for money. The question is, do you know the value of your time and do you know the itemization of your expenses for various types of jobs?

There is no set value on your time, so you have to create your own value. If you don’t know your value, how will you accept or reject jobs. For newbies, the value of getting work under your belt is much more than the value of your dignity. An inexperienced Notary in my book is not worth much. If you have less than 1000 signings and no certifications, I personally wouldn’t use you for anything. If you have 5000 signings and three certifications, then you become valuable as long as you have a good track record.

SIGNING CO: Would you do this modification for $100?

NOTARY: I will not – I have morals

SIGNING CO: How about $1,000,000?

NOTARY: Well, okay…

SIGNING CO: How about $150

NOTARY: What kind of Notary do you think I am?

SIGNING CO: We’ve already determined that, we’re just haggling over the price.

You might also like:

Do you compare yourself with others on the 123notary search results
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=18882

What is a high spot on 123notary worth?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=16720

The state of Notary advertising in 2016
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=16738

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October 31, 2016

Safety Deposit Box Openings

Believe it or not, a Notary in New York is authorized to perform Safety Deposit Box Openings. Yes, if you are a New York Notary, you can get paid to witness a Safety Deposit Box Opening. You would be required to take an inventory of the contents of the box. Sometimes a bank has to terminate a safety deposit box because someone died, etc. In such a case, a Notary is necessary to make sure everything id documented correctly. It sounds like a fun task if you like going to banks.

I don’t know what they can charge for such an act though. It involves driving, parking, waiting, and performing a simple clerical task. In my opinion, a job like this should be billed at $40 for travel, a dollar a minute waiting time paid up front in 20 minute increments, as well as $10 for the actual paperwork for performing the safety deposit box opening.

You might also like

Index of posts about Notary acts
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=20280

Notary Public 101 – basic notary acts
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19500

New York Notary income is the highest
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=1959

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