RON and Other Creative Ways Notaries are Working During COVID-19  

Can we all agree that this has been one of the most interesting months in history for notary signing agents? And, of course, by "interesting," what I really mean is it's crazy out there.   The topics that I said we would cover this time hardly seem relevant to our world today.  That was on March 9, 2020 in a pre-national COVID-19 emergency where the phrase "keeping social distance" held no meaning for us. Here we are three weeks later, my local FedEx station has pastel blue boxes for people to stand in so that they stay six feet apart.  For grins, go back and look at the article from the 9th (Remote Online Notarization - Positive RON News) and the topics...

Part 5 – Mobile Devices and Apps for Loan Signing Agent / Notary Work

We are on the final installment of  Necessary Technology for Notary Signing Agents in 2020.  Today, the most important message is this:   All apps are not safe!  The first thing that you need to do is find a great antivirus app and download it on your mobile device to make sure that none of your files or apps are infected. Secondly, do not retain any of your signer's/borrower's non-public private information on your phone.   Avoid taking pictures of driver licenses or passports.  Delete documents that contain borrowers' SSA numbers from your mobile device as soon as you complete the assignment.  Other than standard apps like printing apps, signing service apps, platform apps, contact management, calendars, email, and messaging, I have listed below apps...

Part 4 – The Best Printers for New Notary Signing Agents

We are on Part 5 of  Necessary Technology for Notary Signing Agents in 2020 and today, we are going to talk about printers.  In case you missed the previous three articles on technology in general, scanners, and computers, those are linked at the bottom of this article.  We will cover standalone printers rather than all-in-one printers that scan, print, and fax.  I prefer a standalone printers and scanners because they are more flexible and are easier to transport in my vehicle in the event that I have to take one of them with me to a signing appointment. Durable, good quality all-in-one items are fairly expensive. The cheaper ones don't usually do as well when pushed to scan 200 pages or print...

Part 3 – Investing in a Computer (Necessary Technology for Notary Signing Agents in 2020)

We are now in Part 3 of a series on the type of technology and equipment that \notary signing agents should consider for 2020 and this segment will provide guidance for new notaries on purchasing a computer that will support a notary business for $400 or less. You may have seen computers on sale for $200-$300 and wondered if they would work for you.  It’s tempting! But all low-priced computers are not alike!  Many times, the "super deal" computers are made with inferior parts that are becoming obsolete or unwanted.  This article will help you avoid those.  If you don’t want to wade through the explanations, jump straight to the section entitled “Shopping Cheat Sheet.”   It lists a couple of configurations that you...

Lists that New Notary Signing Agents Should Make and Use

Starting up your notary business can be a daunting task.   You have so much to remember as a person without adding in all that you have to remember as a notary business owner! Don’t expect to be able to recall everything about your notary business all the time; start the habit of making lists. This week’s article will provide the types of lists you should consider maintaining for enhancement of your notary skills and improving your notary business, plus we will cover ways to record, use, and organize your lists. Lists that Notaries Need Good, Bad, & Ugly Companies Every notary (new or seasoned) should keep a running list of: Slow or No Pay Companies Companies to Solicit Tip:  When reading on NotaryRotary.com and social media notary groups,...

Where Loan Signing Agent Work Comes From

Recently, I have observed that there is a bit of confusion among new notaries regarding where real estate and loan signing work comes from and how to connect into that flow. Below is a list of sources of work for real estate deals and loan signings.  I’ve tried to put the sources in order from most common to least common.  Hopefully, this will help clarify where loan signing and real estate work comes from and how it gets to notaries. PLATFORMS Platforms are not hiring you or paying you.  A platform is a website that acts as an exchange where hiring parties see notaries’ profiles and can text out a notice of assignment to hundreds of notaries in a certain area. A...

Part 4 – Signing Loan Documents when a Power of Attorney is Involved

Welcome to Part 4 of the Wills and Estates series in which we have been discussing notarizing estate planning documents.   Today, we will shift directions a bit and talk about handling a loan signing appointment where one party has been granted the authority to sign documents for another through the execution of a power of attorney (POA).   This can happen when a borrower has suffered a stroke lets another person handle signing of documents.  Another situation is when a spouse is out of town or a borrowing spouse is in the military.  I have also handled loans with single borrowers who are on military duty and have left one of their parents in charge of their affairs by use of a...

My First Commercial Mortgage Loan Experience as a Notary Signing Agent

This is the third in a series of articles about commercial loans.  Unless you have questions you'd like to see answered regarding commercial loans for notary signing agents, we are moving to the topic of wills and powers of attorney,. ---------- I thought I was early when I walked into the multi-story building that housed the Houston title company that had hired me for the next three days. I would be handling their overflow of borrowers who were closing on home equity loans.  I wanted to make a good impression, so I arrived early--around 7:30 a.m.   I'm not going to lie.  I was nervous and didn't know what to expect.   When I found the office, finally. I figured that it was so early, surely no one...

Handling Commercial Loan Documents as a Notary Signing Agent

Are you ready to handle commercial loans as a notary signing agent?  There are four standards to meet before you do so. Preparing to Handle Commercial Loans Know how to be a great notary. You must be extremely confident of how to handle any document that requires notarization.  It should go without saying that you need to know every element of a notarial certificate and be able to recite and write out the language that goes in your state’s certificates of acknowledgment and jurats (for individuals)  from memory.  You should have at least $100,000 in errors and omissions insurance (in my opinion) and should be familiar with how to handle complex entity notarial certificates.  You must take formal notary training and review...

Commercial Mortgage Loans:  Six Differences for Notary Signing Agents 

Last week we reviewed nine typical loan packages and discussed the sizes of each and the estimated number of notarial acts.  There are a few loan types that are significantly different than the others, the commercial mortgage loan being the most different.  The topic of commercial loans is also quite popular with new notaries. With that in mind, this week, we are going to cover the six primary differences that notaries need to know about when switching over from residential loans to handling commercial loans.   1-Collateral Collateral means the type of property that secures the loan. The collateral seen by notaries in residential loans are  homes or land on which a home will be constructed.  The home may be a standalone one-family...

9 Typical Notary Signing Agent Document Packages

If you are new to the notary business, you may feel like receiving the documents for your assignment is like opening up a box of Cracker Jacks and digging out a prize. Are there 200 pages in that file or 20?  500 or 50? Will I need to notarize something?  How many documents need notarization?   The guessing game can be fun for about three minutes, but then you need facts.  Today's article may help you better know what to expect when you receive an assignment.  We will analyze assignments in this article based on the following variables: Size of the package  (pages) Number of notarizations Other nuances of the deal This article can’t cover ALL the different types of lending or real estate packages, but we will...

Can I notarize this document?

Today, we are focusing on confusing and unfamiliar documents that notaries are requested to notarize.  We are going in this direction today because after polling several new notaries this month, I learned that many would like to know how to handle documents they have never heard of--the crazy ones...the ones that are not in loan document packages.   I ran across one that made me scratch my head, so we will take a look at it.  Its purpose is to say who gets my DNA results from a genealogy company when I die.  It is called a Beneficiary of DNA Information, and it is pictured in the image below.   By analyzing this document, we will answer common questions asked by new notaries, for instance: What...