Colorado Springs Notary - Leon Austin

A little more than a week ago I accepted a closing assignment from a company that I had never worked with before. The closing was on March 20th.

I received the check yesterday, on March 29th -- a little more than a week later.

So what.

Getting a check a week later is usually what one would expect from a title company. But this was a signing service. Many signing services have a reputation for taking a long time to pay. And for not paying well. There are notary signing agents who refuse to work with signing services for these reasons.

You have to think with an open mind.

That's what I did with this company.  And it's what I try to do with all companies. Because I know that there are many good ones out there. It's like anything else in life -- everyone deserves a chance. 

And it works both ways. Notary signing agents should have a chance to atone for any mistakes that they have made, just as signing services should have a chance. 

Because, as quiet as it's kept -- no one is perfect.

Good luck.

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Most notary signing agents would say that they should never be required.  They can be a real pain in the butt. You have to pull certain documents from the loan package, fax them to a company, then put them back in the stack.  It would make the job a lot simpler if the signing agent could just drop off the documents immediately after the closing.

However there are times when a title company will ask for certain documents to be faxed so that they can fund a loan that day.  This is part of being on the team, so you gladly do it.

But there are times when fax backs should not be required.

I had a split signing a couple of days ago. That's when the borrowers are not signing the loan documents together.  In this particular case, the husband was here in Colorado Springs. His wife was in Alabama. She was scheduled to sign the next day -- Friday. It was critical that the documents reach the closer the next day.  It was also at the end of the month, and I had other closings to get to that day.

The company that I did the signing for has a mandatory fax back policy.  Fortunately I was able to reason with the person I spoke with. I explained that it was a split signing, and that the documents needed to reach the closer in Alabama the next day.  I would pass a FedEx Kinkos when I left the borrower.  I could drop them off immediately after the closing.  But it would take longer if I had to fax the required documents.  He understood and agreed that dropping off the documents, without faxing any, would be the best thing to do.

Fax backs are a requirement in some cases.  But the notary signing agent should determine when faxing would seriously delay getting the loan documents delivered, and try to get the requirement waived. And companies need to be flexible with their fax back policies, and judge each situation carefully.  Because there are definitely times when fax backs should not be required.

P.S. There is a title company that I work with that asks that I fax a couple of documents before sending them with the package.  Since they are documents that I sign, and not the borrower, I make a copy of them before I go to the closing. That way I can immediately drop off the package of loan documents. I do the faxing of the copies when I get back to my office.

I received an email from the NNA (National Notary Association) last week inviting me to take part in the Trusted Enrollment Agent program. 

According to the email:

"Several large national corporations have contacted the NNA urgently seeking Notaries to serve as "Trusted Enrollment Agents." These companies need qualified Notaries across the country to handle the application process for issuing electronic identity credentials.

We think this will be the biggest opportunity for Notaries since the Notary Signing Agent field opened up, with promising new income streams and tremendous opportunities for business growth.

As an NNA Certified Notary Signing Agent you already have virtually all the requirements to get started. You're skilled, and you're background screened. All you need is to enroll in the program and participate in some introductory online training. And because you're a Certified and Background Screened NSA, your registration and training are free."

My first thought was not on an opportunity to make more money, but rather on the opportunity to build on my skills and experience as a notary.  This training is not provided anywhere else. And it's free.

I didn't waste any time submitting my application. It was approved that same day and I was provided a link to the online training.  I started the training right away and completed it in a few hours.

In the introduction to the course you will learn what a Trusted Enrollment Agent is and why they are needed.  When you have completed the course you will be able to:

• Define an electronic identity credential, or digital certificate, and its benefits.
• Understand the use of digital certificates in the biopharmaceutical industry.
• Explain the basic steps an applicant must take to obtain a digital certificate.
• Perform all the steps required to conduct an identity-proofing session, from scheduling the appointment to submitting the invoice for services.
• Identify and distinguish the various types and combinations of identification documents required for the ID- proofing session.

After you complete the online training you take an exam. A passing score is 80% or better. If you pass, you will see a screen letting you know that you have passed the training, and you can print out your certificate:

______________________________________________________________________________________________

It's a tricky exam.  I would advise anyone who takes it to take your time,  especially on the various types of identification documents required for the ID- proofing session.  And review your answers before submitting them.  I went over the test and found a couple that I wanted to change.  I'm glad I did.

As I mentioned earlier, my primary reason for enrolling in the program was to take advantage of the training and to build on my notary skills. I thought the training was very good.

For more information:

NNA Trusted Enrollment Agent program

Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC)

Early in my career I received a call to do a closing while I was away from my desk. Not only that, I was riding my bike.  I recognized the name of the city, but I had no idea how much I should charge.

Even when we're sitting at our desks, it isn't always easy to give someone a quote. There are so many variables.  And we don't have all of the information we need at our fingertips.  There are still many zip codes that I don't recognize.

Wouldn't it be nice if there were a database that could give you all of the information you need to make an informed decision about the closing assignment you're asked to do? 

It would tell you the name of the city, the county it is located in, how much to charge as a base fee, ... and a lot more. 

Not only that, but you would be able to have it wherever you are.  There is. It's called HanDbase.  The name speaks for itself. It's a database that you can carry in your hand.

It all starts on your computer desktop. This is a sample database that I started. It has a field for the zip code, city, base fee, and county: 

I could add many more fields at any time. It's very simple.

But notary signing agents don't always sit at a desk. We are mobile. So we need to be able to carry this data with us wherever we go. No problem.  Just sync it to your PDA.

This is the icon for it on my Palm T|X:

I tap on it and it takes me to the menu that asks me to 'Choose Database'. I tap on 'NSA Business':

When I tap on that I'm taken to this screen that gives me a view of the zip codes, cities, and base fees:

I have also included counties. If I tap on the directional arrow at the bottom, I can see what county it's in:

But a database is most useful if you can do a search in it. Just tap the 'Find' icon:

That will bring you to the 'Search for' screen. In this example I'm going to do a search on a zip code:

The results show me that it's Colorado Springs, and that I normally charge $100 as a base fee:

I mentioned earlier that you can add many more fields to your databases. For example, you might have a field for different types of loans so  that you have an idea what you would charge to do a HELOC in the city of Fountain, Colorado.

You can also have a separate database for title companies. You could of course have that same information in your 'Contact' information on your pda. But with a database you have more control over what type of information you can have in it.

You could also have a database for the closings you do. It might be interesting to see how many closings you did in a particular city. Or which closings you did for a particular company.

Your database could also be an extension of your notary journal. On what day did you do that purchase transaction for that client in Pueblo, CO? And what was the borrower's name? You don't have your notary journal with you? No problem. It's in the palm of your hand.  And imagine how impressive it is to be able to provide any kind of information, anywhere you are.

These are just a few examples. Use your imagination and create databases that suit your particular needs for your notary signing agent business.  Visit their website and you'll see that there are a lot of databases that you can download.

Good luck.

________________________________________

HanDbase

From their website:

"Will HanDBase run on my device and operating system?

HanDBase is available as a separate product for many different devices and Operating Systems, including:
Palm OS devices such as the Palm Treo 700p, 755p, Palm Centro, Palm TX, Palm E2, Palm z22, and more

Windows Mobile Classic/Professional (Pocket PC) devices such as the HP Ipaq, Dell Axim, HTC Touch, Palm Treo 700w/wx, Palm Treo 750v, HTC TyTN, HTC Mogul, and more

Windows Mobile Standard smartphones such as the T-Mobile Wing, Motorola Q and Q9, Samsung BlackJack, HTC Vox, and more

BlackBerry Smartphones such as the BlackBerry Pearl, 8800 Series, BlackBerry Curve, and more
Symbian S60 smartphones such as the Nokia N95, E61i/E62, E90 and more
Symbian UIQ smartphones such as the Sony Ericcson P800, P900, P910 and more
Windows Desktops such as Windows Vista, Windows XP, and Windows 2000
Mac OSX such as Leopard, Tiger and more"

Even if you're not a basketball fan, you're no doubt familiar with March Madness. 

College basketball teams from across the country vie for the opportunity to make it to the 'Sweet 16', and hopefully on to the 'Final Four', where they'll have a shot at the National Championship. Pizza chains offer 'March Madness' pizza deals.  Politicians make references to March Madness in their campaign speeches.

Yes, March Madness seems to affect everyone -- including notary signing agents. Although our March Madness occurs mostly towards the end of the month, there are some similarities.

Pandemonium

Everyone gets crazy around this time. The people at the title companies are working furiously. This gets passed down to the notary signing agents who will find themselves burning the candle at both ends to get the loans closed. Usually we'll have to grab the documents hot off our printer and fly out of our offices to make it to the closing on time.

Last minute buzzer-beaters

One of the challenges for notary signing agents is getting the loan documents dropped off so that they can be picked up by the overnight carriers. And a lot of times this means rushing to get to a FedEx or UPS location.

The agony of defeat

Not everything goes according to plan. Borrowers who were hoping to close their loan will discover that there was a delay in getting all of the documents together. So they'll have to have their closing re-scheduled.  This too affects notary signing agents who were waiting a long time to receive the loan documents, then told that the closing was cancelled.  All of that waiting was done in vain.  And just as the losing basketball teams will get sent home, notary signing agents will occasionally encounter a borrower who refuses to sign, sending us home.

Clutch performances

But there will be a lot of loans that will go through. This takes a concerted effort on the part of everyone. It takes a lot of teamwork.

Most Valuable Player

Picking a MVP is usually a difficult task. Especially when it comes to successful loan closings. Everyone should be able to share this honor.

It's hard to pinpoint exactly when I became a notary signing agent.  There isn't exactly a rite of passage or special ceremony.

I can recall when I received my Colorado notary certificate in the mail -- one of the prerequisites for being a notary signing agent.  After that I joined the NNA (National Notary Association) and bought a notary supply package that consisted of a notary stamp, journal, E&O insurance, some notary acknowledgement forms, and the Colorado Notary Law Primer.  I came up with a name for my business and bought some business cards.

But was I a notary signing agent?

I didn't invest a lot of money on equipment in the beginning. I didn't have any experience, so I wasn't really sure what I would need.  I joined Notary Rotary so that I could learn as much as possible about being a notary signing agent. That really helped -- learning from other signing agents and reading about their experiences.  But it would be a while before I got a call to do a closing.  More than a month.  I can recall days when I would stare at my cell phone and hope that it would ring. Anybody. I don't care who. Just call.

My first closing assignment actually came to me by accident. I happened to be on Notary Rotary one evening and saw a post requesting a notary signing agent to do a closing in Rush, CO.  I emailed the person and said I was interested.  I admitted to her that it was my first closing, but she took a chance on me.  Rush, CO is 45 miles away -- out in the middle of nowhere. I didn't care. I wanted the experience. I wanted to be able to say that I had done a closing. It was the one thing I needed to be able to say, 'I'm a notary signing agent.'

I did the closing and got a taste of what it's like to be a notary signing agent. But I wasn't sure if I could make a living at it. And yes, there were times when I thought of giving up.  It turned out that this person who gave me my first closing assignment ran a signing service. She called on me more and more to do closings. I finally had hope that it could work out.  I started signing up with other companies and was soon getting more calls.

But the paychecks weren't coming in.  In this business it can take more than a month to get paid.  I wondered if I could survive doing this. I had taken a leap of faith, but I didn't have a safety net.  I would buy paper one ream at a time.

It wasn't long before I took the NNA exam to become a Certified Notary Signing Agent. I passed it and that moved my name up on the listing on their website for notary signing agents.  It actually paid off. I started getting calls from title companies who said they found me on that site. They paid in a timely manner, and that helped to keep me going. It was finally starting to look like I could make a living doing this.

But was I committed?

It's a question to which the answer is not so obvious.  We get involved in a lot of things. But how committed are we to them?  We might dabble at being a bowler or a golfer. But there is a difference between the weekend hacker and someone who is serious about the sport.

It's the same with being a notary signing agent.  It determines what type of equipment you'll buy.  Will you buy a good quality laser printer with dual trays? Or will you settle for any kind of a printer, as long as it prints?  Is your fax machine one of the basic machines, or is it one with a lot of features?  How much outside reading and research are you doing?  Do you have a website?   How aggressive is your marketing?  These things, and more, determine just how committed you are to being a notary signing agent -- a professional notary signing agent.

Fast forward to the present.

I have been doing this for a couple of years now. I no longer question if I can do this, or if I want to do this.  This is what I do. Period.  I no longer buy paper by the ream, but rather by the case. And not just case. Cases.  I spend a lot of money on equipment and supplies. I seriously try to learn from any mistakes that I make and vow to never make them again.  Because I know that my career depends on it. Not my livelihood. There are lots of ways to make money. No. My career.

Yes. I now think of being a notary signing agent in terms of career.  Not job.  It's actually a state of mind that determines one's commitment to something -- how you think about what you do. 

Are you committed?

Stop for a moment. Pick up a book, or something with words on it. Put it as close to your eyes as possible. Try to read it.

Difficult, isn't it?

It seems that, the closer something is to us, the harder it is to focus on it.  We spend so much effort trying to get "the big picture", broadening our horizons, etc., that we lose sight of that which is in front of us.

I got a call a couple of days ago to do a notarization. I agreed to do it.  I immediately recognized the name of the street, but I put the address into MapQuest anyway.  This was the result:

The majority of my business is mortgage loan closings. It involves working with clients who are located all over the country -- from coast to coast. But it occured to me that there are very many people in my own Colorado Springs neighborhoods of Pikes Peak Park and Spring Creek who are in need of my services, and that I need to spend more time focusing on reaching out to them.

Don't lose focus on that which is right in front of you.

Good luck.

Most borrowers who have their closing conducted by a notary signing agent appreciate the convenience that we provide. They are able to stay at home, rather than having to drive many miles to a title company.  Or they can sign their loan documents while they're at work, and not have to take time off.  There are also borrowers who prefer to sign their loan documents at their favorite coffee shop or restaurant.  And these closings can be done at any time of day or night. Even on the weekend.  That's the real beauty of it -- the flexible nature of these types of closings.

But nothing is perfect.

Notary signing agents are independent contractors. We are not employees of the lender or the title company.  We do not have intimate knowledge of your loan. We don't know what you discussed with your loan officer.  Our knowledge of your loan is limited to the documents that we bring to you.  And in many cases, we have received them just an hour before the closing.

We do our very best to prepare.  But it's a lot to expect that we have read every single word of every page of your loan documents.  We can tell you what the document is, but don't expect us to tell you the contents of it.  We don't have the time to read over 100 pages of loan documents before each and every closing.  Many of the documents we are very familiar with. But occasionally there will be documents that are specific to your loan.

So what should you expect from a notary signing agent?

Convenience. 

That is primarily what we are hired to do.  It's what we do best.  Most of us are on call 7 days a week, and make ourselves available 24 hours a day. 

We are willing to travel to remote locations.  We are willing to meet with you wherever and whenever it's most convenient for you.  We are willing to take as much time as you need to sign your documents.  If you are pressed for time, we will try to conduct the signing as quickly as possible.

If you are physically challenged, we will do whatever it takes to make the signing as comfortable for you as possible. 

We will do our best to be on time. We will be courteous and respectful.  We will conduct ourselves in a professional manner.

That's what you should expect from a notary signing agent.  And when you think about it, that's a lot. Isn't it?

Thank you for your understanding.

This is what my notary journal looks like when it's open:

'Hey, I can't see anything!'

That's precisely the point. When I'm doing a real estate closing, or notarizing a document for the general public, I have access to sensitive information. The signers are trusting me, as a notary public, to not divulge any of the information that is in my notary journal. It's my duty to protect the privacy of those people.

It's a very simple piece of black plastic. I clip it to the page with a binder clip. It covers the entire page. I move the privacy protector down for each person who appears before me so that they cannot see any of the information of the person who previously appeared:

What kind of information do I keep in my notary journal?

Each journal entry is divided across 2 pages. This is the left side of the journal:

• The first thing I do is record the date and time of the notarization.
• In the next column is a place for the type of notarization (i.e. jurat, acknowledgement, etc.).
• The information in the next column indicates the address where the notarization was performed.  Many times I will do a closing at the person's place of work, or at a restaurant. That address goes in this column.
• Document Kind or Type/Date: The majority of my work is loan closings, so that column will reflect each type of loan document (i.e. Occupancy Affidavit, Deed of Trust, etc.) Each document will get a separate line.
• Name and address of signer. This is the address that is on the identification. It might be different than the address where the notarization was performed.

This is the right side of the notary journal:

• The first column indicates how the signer was identified: driver's license number (or passport #, military ID, etc.). I'll include the issue date and the expiration date, as well as the date of birth of the signer.
• Additional Information: Occasionally the signer will be signing with a Power of Attorney. I will write that in this column. This is also a place for comments about any irregularities, etc.
• Notary Fee:  Occasionally I will charge nothing for notary services (i.e. adoption notarizations, special interests), in which case I will write 'pro bono'.
• The next 2 columns are self-explanatory.

My thinking is that, Signer B does not need to know who Signer A was, or what they had notarized (unless they happen to be husband and wife at a real estate closing).

When my journal is not in use, I keep it in a zip lock pouch, stored inside my briefcase, which is always in my possession. 

I never leave it in my car, even though my car is locked.

It's just a simple piece of plastic that covers the page of my notary journal, and a simple thing to do to protect the privacy of the signer.

By 10 AM this morning I had already received 3 requests to do closings.  That's great, one might think. Business is really good.

It would be except, of those 3 calls, I could only accept one of the closing assignments. It was the first call.  The other two I had to turn down.

Why?

It's a basic law of physics: you can only be in one place at a time. And there seems to be a time at which everyone prefers to sign their loan documents -- a 'prime time'.

Most of the closing requests that I get are for closings that fall in that prime time slot of 5 - 7 PM. 

The first call I received was for a closing this evening at 7 PM. I accepted it. The second call was also for a 7 PM closing, so I had to turn it down, although I did mention that I would be available earlier or later.  The third call was a request to do a closing at 5:30 PM. I had to turn that one down too. The risk is that I would be late to the 7 PM closing.

I want to be realistic when I accept closing assignments. Anything can happen. There is the possibility that a closing can take more than 2 hours. It happened just last week. The borrower was signing with a Power of Attorney. So I allow plenty of time between closings.

On those days when I am able to do more than two closings, it's usually because one of the closings was scheduled for the morning, and another one in the afternoon, or late at night.

Yes, business would be very good. If only the closings didn't all occur during 'prime time'.