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March 2, 2014

Analytics for TECHNICAL posts… graded!

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: — admin @ 11:25 pm

The (A) list:
ID, POA, APPS, SUED, JOBS, TUTORIALS, INTERVIEWS, BEST PRACTICES, POINT & SIGN, OUT OF BIZ, FREE, DIFFERENT DAY, LATE DOCS, PAYMENT, WILLS
CALL: Don’t CALL the Title co, or borrowers
ACCEPTING certifications
PAID: Getting PAID usual or unusual ways.
QUALIFICATIONS (background check & CSS)
JOBS: More jobs, less jobs, taking jobs away, taking bigger cut of money from jobs.

The (B) list:
Consumer financial protection, Loom them up, Stay here until PAID, why use middle INITIAL, Boss PAYS for COMMISSION, Industry STANDARDS, BEGINNERS, what makes a mobile notary, I-9, won’t sign disclosure, following directions, more specific tutorials, JAIL.

TUTORIAL on documents idea.
DOCUMENTS: Late, don’t call until ready, document dates, foreign language docs, witnessing docs, common mistakes w/particular docs, which docs recorded.

=====================================
1003 trouble (F)
1099 too high (C)
ACCEPT certifications (A)
ACKNOWLEDGMENT (D) optional ack cert.
APOSTILLE nightmare (D)
ATTENTION paying (D)
ATTITUDE > JOBS (C)
ATTORNEY GENERAL (F) UR not an attorney (F)
APR (C) to non-borrowing spouse.
BACKGROUND Screening (A)
BAG; carry all (F)
BAR: GA association (F)
BEGINNERS info (B)
Birth Certificate (A)
BLOG she learned more (F)
BOOKS top 5 (F)
BORROWERS at ease (C)
BOSS pays for comm. (B)
BUSINESS NAMES (D+) Biz names (C-) Choosing a name (D+) Grow biz first then register (D-)
CALL (A) don’t call title co;
CERTIFICATION or skill (D); Uncertified not a single all (D) If not certified (D) Just do it (D) Obamacare (F); not cert (F)
CLOSING bank branch (A)
CONTRACT (F)
CREDIT CARD afraid (F)
CROSS-OUT happy (C); story about cross-outs (C); Cross out and initial (F)
CREDIBLE witness (D) what is (F); Charge for (F);
CRIMINALS (B)
DIRECTIONS following (B)
DATES (B) doc, sig, notarization date
DOCS ready (A)
DOCUMENTS ready (A)
DUE: getting what is (A)
E&O (D); Supersize (D)
EATING on road (C)
EMBOSSERS (F)
EXPERIENCE gain (C)
ELITE: does it help? (C) Elite certification (F)
EXPLAIN (C)
ERROR-FREE (C)
FINGERPRINTING (D) difficult
FREE 3rd signing (F)
GETTING more work (A) 3jobs/day
eNOTARY overall score (D) ; which states (A); pros/cons (D); state specific (F); what can enotary do (F); 10yrs garbage (D); AZ (F);
eJOURNAL (B)
ETIQUETTE borrower (D) thanks, sorry (D)
FAMILY (C) Making family leave the room.
FEAR, anger (F)
FIND 24 hour notary (D)
FINES & PENALTIES (C)
FOREIGN lang doc (B)
FREE certification (A)
FUZZY (F)
GUNS borrowers w/ (F)
HIRE other notaries (C)
HOLD HARMLESS (C)
HOSPITAL signings (D)
HUD (C)
IDENTIFICATION (bad) (A)
INTERVIEW (A)
HOURS (F) of operation
IDENTIFICATION (D) 2nd ID requirement
INCOME: (C) Notaries who make more than Attorneys
I-9 Notarizing (B)
iCLOSE (F)
INITIAL middle overall (C); Why use middle initial (B) wouldn’t use middle initial (D)
INSURANCE (F)
INTERVIEW / advice (B) interview w/title (C) Title source (B); timios (A) Advice from AZ; Veteran Notary inteview (C)
JAIL overall (D); Pay at (F); Hubby in jail (B) Notarization at (D) Jail one phone call (F)
JOBS (A)
JOURNALS (D)
LATE docs (A)
LOOK them up (A)
LOWBALLERS (B)
MINIMUM competency (D)
MINORS overall (C); Minors rules (B) Notarizing a minor (D)
MISTAKES w/ Title (C); common mistakes (C) I also make (D) When you goof (D) types of (F)
MOBILE NOTARY (B) what makes?;
MOBILE OFFICE (D) warrantee
MORTGAGE borker (F) sniffing out the right notaries.
NNA (D) NNA-care (F)
NOTARIZED overall (D); w/o sig (C); Notarize 2x (D); Notarized statement (D) How to get (F)
NOTARIES (F) Industrial strength (F) unleaded (F)
NOTES (D) factual or personal? (D); Represent (F)
NOVICE (D)
OBSTACLES creating (C)
OATH (F) of two 2 witneses
OVERSEAS (D)
OUT OF BIZ bank br. (A)
OWL icon (D)
PAGE every page? (C)
PASSPORT (C) Notarizing passport (F) How to notarize copy of passport (A)
PAYMENT responsibility (C) getting what is due (A); Stay until paid (B); How to get paid (D) Fees at door (F)
PERJURY arm twisting (D) Perjury vs. Oaths (D)
PAY: does xyz pay? (F)
PHONE overall (C) ; Who answers? (A); Why answer (D); Phone interaction tutorial (D); Call back can’t talk (D)
PHONE #’s (F)
POA / Nursing home (A)
POINT & SIGN (A)
POLICE enotarization (D)
PREPAYMENT penalty (D)
PROTECTION (A) Consumer Financial protection bureau.
RAMBLE (D)
REAL ESTATE exp. (D) RE prices (F)
RECORDED which docs (D)
RESOLUTIONS (F)
ROCKET SCIENCE (F)
REVIEWS technique (F); signing co. reviews = payment (D+)
SIGN overall (B); Sign on different day (A); Sign disclosure (B); Get them to sign (D);
SIGNATURE BY X (F)
SPAM contacts (D)
STANDARDS: industry (B)
STAMP missing F()
STATES bordering (F)
STRANGE funny haha (D)
SUED: biz lic, e&o (A)
TAMPERING stapler (F)
THUMBPRINT overall (B); Thumbprint necessary (A); Asked NOT to thumbprint (C)
TIPS; overall (C) 12 tips (B); tips for notaries (F)
TOOLS for notary (F)
TRANSLATE (F)
TRENCHES for notaries (D)
TROUBLE (D)
TUTORIAL (B) general (A) other (B) too obscure (C)
VAGUE (F)
Webcam Notarization (B)
WILL notarize a (A)
WITNESSES (B) notary witness (B); expert witness horror (B)
WORK getting more (A) 3jobs/week to 3jobs/day; took biz away (A)
UNIQUENESS (D)
WARRANTEE (D) for mobile office
X on search results (D)
X: Signature by X (-) See Signature by X

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March 1, 2014

Humorous Posts: What is popular and what is not?

Filed under: Social Media — Tags: — admin @ 11:39 am

I spent an hour analyzing which types of humorous posts are popular, which are not and why. My comedy writer enjoys working with movie and sit-com themes. Some of those themes turned out to be popular while others did not. We also had other random ideas. The trick was to categorize these ideas in a logical way. the themes below are fused with notary context in some way to make the plots more interesting to notaries. Here is my conclusion of what works, what doesn’t, and perhaps why.

GOOD: Sitcoms, movies, relationships, virtual topics, tabloid material, illegal things, acupuncture for notarial schlerosis
BAD: Hi-tech, Politics, Haunted, UFO’s, Family Guy, MTM,

Signing Companies
A long list of MOST ACTIVE was very popular in 2011 with 4000+ views based on tag & link clicks.

Sit-Coms

(B) Cheers
(C) Seinfeld
(C) Two & a half notaries; 1st one: what do you want to be when you grow up? (A) Intercontinental (D-)
(D) I Love Lucy
(D) Talk Show Themes
(F) Family Guy
(F) Notary Trek
(F) Jay Leno

Movie Themes
(A) Honey, I notarized the kids
(C) Notary Bond
(C) Notarize This
(C) The Man with the Golden Seal
(C) Ali Baba
(D) Dye another day
(D) License to Kill
(F) Wizard of Oz
(F) Luke Skywalker has Chinese food
(F) Notarizing Yoda

Virtual themes
(A) Notary Heaven
(A) Notary Hotel
(B) Strange Notary Phenomenon
(C) Signing with invisible ink
(F) Time machine for backdating
(F) Planet of the notaries

Illegal themes
(A) Kidnapping
(A) Notary arrested for accidentally robbing a bank
(B) The Notary, Mafia and the Fedex Drop Box
(B) Marijuana on the table
(D) Sex Offenders
(F) A Notary Bank

Relationship themes
(A) Mannequin
(A) The signing & the mistress
(B) 2nd date with Jeremy
(B) Social Media site for notaries
(C) Gay Lovers
(C) Notary brings girlfriend to a signing
(C) Jeremy doesn’t want to be 44 (real life people you know)
(D) Notaries are from Venus, Signing companies are from Mars
(D) Notary Mingle
(D) Speed Dating & Speed Notarizing
(D) A dating site for notaries
(F) Notary Pick Up Lines
(F) Mating rituals
(F) Men & Women (war between & comparisons)

Tabloid themes
(A) Signs you’re a notary workaholic
(A) The homeless Notary
(B) The woman who couldn’t find a notary
(C) Is this man a notary?
(C) Demolition loans

Celebrities
(A) Notarizing Celebrities 2012
(B) VIP Notary
(D) The Stars and I
(F) Celebrity glossies
(F) Star’s signatures at the Manns

Health
(A) Acupuncture for notarial schlerosis
(D) Coma Notarization
(F) Teens forced to get notarized for STD tests
(F) Obamacare

Real Estate
(A) Alaska Real Estate
(D) Realtor
(D) Evil Girl Scouts & Realtor
(D) Real Estate Run-Ins
(F) Real Estate with Insane

Other themes
(F) 1099
(C) 12 things to do on hold
(D) Airline Captain
(D) Apostille
(F) Appidavit – a new app
(D) Armageddon
(F) Asylum
(C) Bar: Bartender Notary (D); 3 notaries walk into a bar (A) 2012 bar (C)
(C) Carrot & Stick
(A) Celebrities
(B) Cheers
(F) Children
(F) Christmas, Christians & Jewish themes
(F) Con Artist
(D) Crayons & Dog Treats
(F) Cursive
(C) Demolition
(F) Dentist
(C) Driving & Notarizing
(F) Dr. Quack
(F) Drunk [intoxicated 2012 (F)]
(D) eNotarization 10 years in garbage
(F) End of the World
(F) Extra Terrestrials
(F) Family Guy
(F) Falling asleep
(F) Food
(D) Ghosts
(D) Grandma’s Paralysis
(D) Guns
(F) Haunted
(D) Her Magesty
(A) Heaven
(A) Hell
(F) Hillbilly
(D) Hippies, Hippie, Hippy
(D) Hi-Tech
(D) Homesless – Live in Car
(A) Hood – notarization in the hood.
(A) Hotel
(?) Horror… see nightmare on ermer street
(D) Immigration
(D) I Love Lucy
(C) Invisible
(F) Karma
(D) Kim Jong Ong
(A) Kidnapping
(F) Leno
(C) Lightbulb joke
(D) Locked In
(D) Lost
(?) Marriage — see relationships
(A) Mannequin
(C+) Meao Notary Service
(D) Messy House / Pigsty
(D) Middle Initial
(C) Monopoly
(C) Movie reviews
(A) Naked (hai-zi)
(C) Nightmare on Ermer Street
(D) Notary Day
(A) Notes – excerpts from great notes sections
(D) Novice
(D) Obituaries
(D) Passport
(D) Pigs
(D) Pit stop
(F) Planet [in charge of the planet (D)]
(F) Politics (includes Palestinians & Israeli Job)
(D) Predict the Future
(B) Printing: free printing service
(D) Quotes
(A) Ready to JUMP
(D) Robot
(D) Rock Climber
(C) Santa
(C) Seinfeld
(D) Self Service Notary
(D) Sex Offenders
(C) Shopping for notaries
(D) Siamese Twins
(D) Social Media
(D) Snowden
(D) Songs
(D) Southern Hospitality
(F) Spiderman
(D) Spy
(F) Star Trek
(C) Stamped – Reality Show
(A) Starbucks Notary ***
(B) Strange Notary Phonomenon
(D) Streetwise
(C) Suicide Hotline
(D) Swat Team
(D) Supermarket
(D) Super Notary / Superhero
(F) Therapist
(F) Time Machine
(C) Trick Questions
(C) Two and a half notaries; 1st one (A) Intercontinental (D-)
(A) Two notaries, same job!
(D) Towles booth
(D) Value menu
(B) Vampires
(F) Voice – notarizing a voice
(F) Yearbook
(F) West Side Story
(F) UFO (based on extra terrestrial post)
(F) Zen (being at one) (zen and the art of)
(F) Zoo

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February 24, 2014

A social media site for Notaries — Affiant

For centuries, notaries have been complaining that they were bored, and had trouble meeting friends. They frequently said that they had no friends because there was nowhere to meet people. Then, during the 60’s, there were the be ins, and the love ins and the sign ins. During that decade, the notary public community didn’t complain as much because they were too high to know the difference. But, then in the 10’s (I’m the first person to call this decade the 10’s), notaries once again felt very lonely. If only there were a solution. If only there were a social media site for notaries. Of course the real reason notaries are lonely is because they complain all the time and nobody wants to hang around with them as a result. The second reason nobody hangs around with notaries, is that most notaries don’t answer their phone (at least when we call). But, one guy came up with the solution!

Affiant — a social media site for notaries

Meet new friends on Affiant. Affiant is so good, you will SWEAR BY IT. Members on this site are called Affiants. You can not be a member unless you love the site so much that you swear by it. After all, one who is sworn in to do an Oath, be definition is an Affiant!

Notaries around the country, and even in foreign countries flocked to this new and fascinating site. There were forums, events, lectures, guest speakers and more that all coordinated on Affiant.

How do you become a member of Affiant? The sign-up procedure is easy. You need to be sworn in with a notarized Oath. The Oath verbiage reads:

“I solemnly swear that I swear by Affiant. I think Affiant is so wonderful and great, that it is the best thing that ever happened to the notary — besides 123notary — and nobody paid me to mention the 123notary part either!”

Join Affiant today!

You might also like:

7 ways to use Facebook to market your notary services.
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=5396

Best Notary virtual comedy compilation updated to 2018.
Includes Apps for the new iPhone 7
Honey, you can kiss my app
Disney Notary World, and a lot more
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=17693

How Notary work is similar to online dating
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=15763

Yes, it’s the Notary dating show
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=15312

Tweets:
(1) For centuries, notaries have been complaining that they are bored & have trouble meeting friends.
(2) During the 60’s there were the be ins, love ins and sign ins (for hippy notaries)
(3) Notaries complain they’re bored & have trouble making friends
Now there’s “Affiant,” a social media site 4notaries!
(4) Meet new friends on Affiant – a social media site for notaries. Affiant is so good, you’ll SWEAR BY IT.

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February 1, 2014

We require notaries to be registered on our approved list

We require notaries to be registered on our approved list

An interesting dialogue on our Twitter:

==============

We require notaries to be registered on our approved list because fraud is so rampant in Southern California.

What approved list?

Fidelity National Title is the parent company for Chicago Title, Fidelity Title Ticor Title, Lawyers Title, and Alamo Title. You will need a sponsor in your area to apply to be on our list.

Thanks for the info

============

Many companies use 123notary to find notaries to add to their list. But, these picky companies won’t hire you right off. They browse through the profiles to see if there is someone good who they didn’t see before. If you look promising, they might talk to you, and ask you a few test questions. After that, they might consider going to the next step in their process. But, high class picky companies will not just call random notaries and start trying to qualify them. They are too smart for that. They only pick the best of the best. They don’t need thousands of notaries. They only need a few hundred top notch ones.

Tweets:
(1) We require notaries to be registered on our approved list because fraud is so rampant in California.
(2) Many companies use 123notary, but they won’t use you right off. They pick and choose the best
(3) High class co’s pick the best of the best notaries. If you’re on 123notary.com, you’ve already cleared an important hurdle.

You might also like:

A great attitude gets the most jobs
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=6493

Companies that will hire NEW signers!
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=7059

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January 22, 2014

We caught a bunch of frauds using notary verbiage

For most notaries, Notary verbiage is a cause for annoyance or confusion. Due to the poor quality of notary education in most states, notaries simply don’t know how to cross out the is/are and the unused “s” in signature(s) in the boiler plate notary wording. You can easily catch an amateur notary in the act or after the fact simply by looking at their cross outs. You can look at their journal of notarial acts and see if they are taking liberties or making omissions there too.

My notary seal impression was used fraudulently once. No, the notary seal was not stolen (don’t panic), it was just xeroxed with a high quality xerox machine onto another document that needed to be notarized in a hurry. The crime was actually done by a young lady working at a Title Company who made little circles to dot her i’s. Very post high school and ditsy if you ask me. The signature didn’t look at all like mine. But, besides all of these other stupidities, their fraud was easy to catch because they didn’t do their cross-outs in the Notary verbiage section! Additionally, they didn’t use an embosser to emboss every single page with a raise impression which cannot be xeroxed — which is exactly why I used it. If they had been more sophisticated frauds, my embosser would have been my only recourse to prove them guilty.

To my good fortune (or bad luck) I was never called into court to act as a witness. I don’t believe that the bad guys were seriously punished. Maybe they were reprimanded and promised never to do it again. A Title company could get completely shut down for that type of fraud if the right authorities ever found out. Don’t they value their future? Maybe not!

So, the moral of the story for you guys is to take your Notary verbiage seriously. That is what makes your profession a profession, and your ability to handle Notary wording defines your level of expertise.

Tweets:
(1) Due to the poor quality of notary education, notaries often don’t know how to cross out is/are, (ies), etc.
(2) A young lady who worked in title and made cute circles to dot her i’s Xeroxed my notary seal!
(3) Take your notary verbiage seriously, it might be the only thing that distinguishes you from a fraud!
(4) My notary seal was used fraudulently once! It was Xeroxed!

You might also like:

The Notary, The Mafia & the FedEx Drop Box
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=6867

Fraud & Forgery related to the notary profession
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=2294

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January 18, 2014

You could get sued if you don’t have a business license

Legally, you might need to get a business license
Did you just get your Notary Commission? Good for you! Do you want to start a business doing notarizations? unlikely unless you have gotten huge without a business license. However, there is a small chance that someone else might register that business name somewhere in your state or county and sue you for damages. After all, you were Legally, you might need to get a business license. But, most notaries don’t get one until they want to use a particular business name. Some even advertise in the yellow pages without having a registered business name. What is the risk in not doing so? Will the state government come crashing down on you? That is using THEIR business name and they could claim to have lost money!

Changing or removing your business name
The problem is that once you put your business name in print on the internet or in printed advertising, you might find it very difficult to get change it or remove it. Google keeps a cache of old pages for months as well, so that information you posted on the internet could haunt you long after you remove it!

Notary Business names that change every month?
We have notaries on 123notary who change their business name every month. Each time it is a different variation. In October it is MG Notary Service, and then it changes to MG Properties, and then in December it is Mary’s Notary & Apostille. Which one is it? Notaries cannot change their personal or business name on our site without my intervention. But, when I see that they are changing their business name every month, I begin to think that “perhaps” their business name is not really registered, and that they don’t have business licenses. Hmmm. Once I asked someone to send me proof of their business license and they sent me a copy of a newspaper ad they had used to publish their business name. The text was different sizes and on different lines, and I couldn’t tell which part of the name was commentary and which part was the name on their business license. Good God!

Be safe and get registered
It is better to think long and hard about what your business name should be. Then, register your business name, and get a company bank account. Then you can advertise, and do business as a DBA without “as much” risk of being sued due to your business name. There can always be some clown who still wants to make trouble with you who has that same business name registered in another county, but if you are playing by the rules, it will be harder for someone to question the legitimacy of your business name and probably less likely that they can sue you for “business name infringement”. Your name on your notary commission is registered, why shouldn’t your business name as well?

Tweets:
(1) Did you just get your notary commission? Good! You need to get a business license now.
(2) Once your business name is registered & in print, it is not easy to change it. Think it over first.
(3) We have notaries on 123notary who change their business name every month. Doesn’t sound very legal.
(4) You might be held liable for “business name infringement” if you don’t register your biz name.

You might also like:

Stealing a business name
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=2660

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January 12, 2014

I go over the HUD-1 first

I go over the HUD-1 First

Some notaries public start the loan at the beginning and go in the order that the documents are in. Ninja notaries call this following the order of the universe. But, other notaries public start with the HUD-1 Settlement Statement first. It is sometimes helpful to go over the most critical figures in the loan. That way if there is a problem, you will know at the very beginning.

On the other hand, you could call the borrower up before you leave your home and go over the numbers. That way you can stop a bad signing right before it even starts! That is sort of like reading the weather report online before you drive two hours to the beach. After all, do you want to go to the beach while it is raining?

One of our notaries public likes to go over the bottom of the 3rd page of the HUD and get to the really critical information first. To each their own. Just remember — either follow the order of the universe or follow your own inner order (if you have one). Good luck!

Think ahead — go over the HUD-1 Settlement Statement

Tweets:
(1) Some notaries start the loan at the beginning and go in the order the docs are in.
(2) You could call the borrower up before you leave your home & go over the numbers
(3) One of our notaries likes to go over the bottom of the 3rd page of the HUD & get to the critical info 1st.

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January 6, 2014

Can a Notary notarize a Will or Living Will?

To make it quick and simple — Yes, a Notary can notarize signatures on a Will, although it is generally discouraged unless given written instructions by an Attorney. Wills are normally witnessed, but not notarized. But then, why be normal?

Can a notary witness a Will?
YES, a Notary can witness the signing of any document. However, it is discouraged for a notary to be involved in any transaction as a witness or Notary where they might have beneficial interest or financial interest! If the notary benefits in any way from a Will being signed or is closely related to a beneficiary, they could be said to have beneficial interest. Anybody eighteen years of age or older who can sign their own name and watch someone else sign can be a witness to a will. It is that simple!

Can a notary draft a Will?
Document drafting might be considered part of the practice of law in your state. You can ask your state bar association if a Notary can draft a document, or if a notary can draft a legal document. The answer is most likely no. Unless you are trained and authorized, I would stay away from document drafting of legal documents since it is so sensitive!

Then who can draft a Will?
Ask an Attorney to help you draft a Will. Ask the Attorney if the Will should be notarized or only witnessed. The witnesses of the Will can also be notarized by the way!

What about a Living Will?
Living Wills are typically very long documents drafted by Attorneys who specialize in Health Care legal documents. Health Care Power Of Attorney documents are close relatives of Living Wills. Living Wills are typically notarized and often need a notarization in the middle of the document as well as at the end of the potentially dozens of pages.

Can a notary notarize a Living Will?
Sure!

How about a Dying Will or a Won’t? Or a Living Will that doesn’t have a pulse! I know a Notary who is dying to notarize a Won’t with or without instructions from an Attorney!

Tweets:
(1) Yes, Notary can notarize signatures on a Will, although it is generally discouraged w/o written instructions from an Attorney.
(2) Document drafting may or may not be considered practicing law in your state. Ask the Bar Association.
(3) The difference between a regular Will and a Living Will is that the latter has a pulse.

You might also like:

Can a notary sign on a different day?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=2457

The lady and the handwritten Will
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=3609

Types of witnesses in the Notary profession
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=5664

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November 28, 2013

Who are all the parties involved in a Power of Attorney?

The Principal (also called the grantor) is the person who needs an agent to act on his/her behalf in dealing with legal, financial, and/or health care issues that ultimately involve signing documents, checks, and so forth.
The grantor grants power to the Attorney in Fact via the Power of Attorney document; the Attorney in Fact (also known as the agent or grantee) may then make decisions and sign on behalf of the grantor.

The Attorney in Fact (also called the agent or grantee) is the person designated in the Power of Attorney to act solely on behalf of the principal, avoiding any conflict of interest or personal considerations. The Attorney in Fact acts as a fiduciary, someone who can take care of money for the principal and whose judgment, advice, and assistance can be relied upon. If the fiduciary is, for example, the guardian of an estate, he or she must file a fiduciary bond with the probate court or judge. The Attorney in Fact may transact purchases and sales and financial affairs, and execute agreements.

An Attorney involved may be a family Attorney who drafted the Power of Attorney or one who represents the principal in other matters; by contrast, the Attorney in Fact is often a family member, and not an Attorney who represents the principal for a fee. All rights granted to the Attorney in Fact are set forth and may be limited at the beginning by the grantor; thus, the necessity of having a good Attorney draw up the Power of Attorney. The Attorney may be involved in creating legal remedies or documents that the Attorney in Fact will execute. There may also be an Attorney representing whatever entity (e.g, a bank) the Attorney in Fact works with on behalf of the principal.

The Notary may be involved in notarizing a Power of Attorney at a hospital signing. In this case, the notary may need to question the grantor sufficiently so that he or she is certain the grantor is doing this of his or her own free will and understands the nature of the powers granted to the Attorney in Fact (also known as an “agent”), and the notary is advised to record any observations in the notary journal. As a notary signing agent, the notary must also ID an Attorney in Fact who acts on behalf of the borrower at a signing. In such a case, be advised that the notary’s job is to identify the signer, not to verify his or her capacity.

You might also like:

Power of Attorney: types often created
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=6732

Information about various notary procedures
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=2268

Wells Fargo Power of Attorney Form
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=22125

2019 version – parties involved in a power of attorney (detailed)
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=21439

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November 27, 2013

Does Real Estate experience help as a notary?

We asked on Facebook which type of professional background helps if you are a signing agent.

Mortgage & Title Experience
Mortgage and Title experience helps to a point, but not that much. I keep telling people, it is a lot different when you are on the “other” side of the table with a notary stamp in your hand. The type of knowledge you need and the type of experience is very different.

Our Quiz
I give a little quiz to people where I ask them a few questions over the phone. People who claim to be experienced and know it all typically complain that I catch them off guard. I tell them that they should know loan signing terminology so well that they should be able to talk about it if they are drunk, stoned, or in a deep sleep. So, I ask people what the technical term for the date of the signing is — and even a loan processor with 30 years of experience couldn’t tell me. Mortgage brokers are notorious for failing our certification test. Additionally, NNA certified signing agents who think they know it all score an average of 30% on our phone test.

Notary2Pro
In defense of notary2pro’s course, the notary2pro graduates get more like 65% on our over the phone quiz which is excellent and comparable to those who pass the 123notary certification test.

Realtors
But, the worst luck I have had is with people who tell me all about their Real Estate experience. They tell me for 10 minutes how they know all about loan documents because they were a Real Estate Agent. Then I ask them what the APR is, and they say, “Huh?”. The APR, don’t you know the APR? How would you define the APR? Then if they are somewhat with it, they define the APR as being the Annual Percentage Rate which is not a definition, but another spelled out name for the APR.

Negative Advertising or Neutral Advertising?
In any case, from talking to enough Real Estate Brokers, being in that profession is nothing to brag about when trying to advertise yourself as a notary. In fact, I think it is neutral advertising. It is sort of like saying that you know nothing about being a notary, so instead — you will try to pass yourself off as someone who knows the documents — when in fact you don’t know the first thing about being a loan signer and don’t even know what the APR is in most cases. Additionally, many Real Estate Brokers will write three paragraphs in their notary notes about their Real Estate achievements when the reader wants to know about what types of documents and financial packages they have signed and more about their notary credentials.

OMG. Are all Realtors this bad?

The bottom line is that if you want to be a signing agent, study to be a signing agent. Study from 123notary if you want our certification icon on your listing. Otherwise, study from notary2pro for some good one on one mentoring from their staff. Being a Real Estate agent and mentioning that in your notary notes will not help you or harm you. Just quickly mention it, and then go on to describe the intricacies of your notary knowledge, memberships, equipment, credentials, coverage areas, and more…

Tweets:
(1) Drunk? Stoned? In a deep sleep? No matter! Know your loan signing terminology!
(2) It’s a lot different when you are on the “other” side of the table w/a notary stamp.
(3) A loan processer 30 year vet didn’t know the technical term for the “date of signing”
(4) Real Estate Brokers need to get real! You don’t know ur loan docs as well as you think you do!

You might also like:

A complete guide for beginner Notaries
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=21023

Notary Marketing 102
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19774

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