Colorado Springs Notary - Leon Austin

J. Paul Getty, Andrew Carnegie, Andrew Mellon, J. P. Morgan, John D. Rockefeller, 

... and many many more.

All of these men had something in common.  They became very wealthy. Obviously.

They had something else in common.  They did it long before there was any such thing as the internet.  And none of them had a website.

So how did all of these people, and many others like them, become successful in an era when there weren't even any personal computers?

I'll search for an answer. 

But I don't think I'll find it on the internet.

Good luck.

So the title company calls another notary signing agent and gives that person the job. It also allows that notary signing agent to get their foot in the door. Perhaps the title company's next closing in that area will be a traditional paper closing. They will consider that notary signing agent for the job. Why?

The title company wants to work with someone who is versatile -- someone who has the tools, skills, and experience to do any type of closing. They want to work with someone who is open-minded and willing to accept new technologies, and new ways of conducting real estate transactions.

Every notary signing agent is entitled to run their business the way they see fit.  If there is a service that they don't want to offer, they don't have to offer it. 

But being a notary signing agent is like any other business.  If there is a service that someone wants, and you don't offer it, that person will go elsewhere.  It's why places exist that offer many types of products and services under one roof.  Why go to 10 different places when you can get everything you need at one?  People want diversity.

It's the same with being a notary signing agent.  Companies want diversity in the people they work with.  And the minute you tell them that there is something that you can't do, or won't do, they will find someone who can do it, and wants to do it.

So if you tell a company, 'I don't do e-Signings. Call someone else.' -- that is exactly what they will do.

E-Signings may have some wrinkles in them.

But the technology -- like any technology -- can be improved on.

Just like the first Apple computer.

Good luck.

Notary signing agents may occasionally get a closing assignment in an area that is still under development.  The locator tools such as Mapquest and Yahoo are of no use because the street names are new and can't be located.  There is no point in calling the signing service. They won't be able to help. It's their responsibility to give us the correct address -- not to actually locate it.

I wrote about this a while back.  I suggested doing a search on Google and finding the website of the home builder. They usually have a strip map of the location. That will help to get you close.  But there are some areas that haven't been mapped out at all. 

That is the situation I found myself in last week. I had a closing in Fountain, CO. When I put the address in Mapquest I got no results.

I did a search on Google to see if the home builder had a map for this street.  That was no help either.  When you click on the map button, this is what you get: 

I called the borrower, but he wasn't able to give clear directions. It's new to him too.  Fortunately I know the streets in Fountain well and was able to get him to help me get close.  That got me in the ballpark, but it was still like being in a maze when I got there. 

The streets aren't laid out in rows. They tended to wind and loop.  But I found it.  I saw a construction worker and told him the name of the street I was looking for. He pointed me in the right direction.  Amazingly I got there on time.  It's a good thing that it was in the daytime.  I doubt if I would have found it at night.

I made a note of the streets in case I ever have a signing in that area again.  And I think it's something that all notary signing agents may find helpful.  We'll have to make our own maps and chart out the streets -- at least until the locator tools and GPS systems are able to catch up.  But that could take some time.

Good luck.

One of our top priorities as notary signing agents (in addition to providing a service) is making money.  It's why we're in business.

But sometimes we have to turn down opportunities to make money.

I got a call on Saturday to do a closing, scheduled for 2 PM. I told the caller that I couldn't do it -- that I had other obligations.  I didn't go into details.  He wouldn't have wanted to take the time to listen anyway.

The reason that I couldn't do the closing was because I had 3 packages of loan documents to drop off from signings that I had done on Friday.  I couldn't simply drop them in a drop box.  I had to take them to different parts of the city.  I couldn't rest until that was completed.  There were three companies that were depending on me.

It occasionally happens that companies will put us in a position where we have to turn down other jobs.  But we're independent contractors.  We can work for whomever we choose. Right?  Not exactly.

Our first priority is to complete any tasks that were assigned to us.  If you try to juggle too many tasks, you will end up dropping the ball. And dropping the ball can mean the loss of future business from that company.

If that caller is reading this, I hope you understand.  If it were your company depending on me to get the job done, I would have done the same.

Setting priorities often means that we have to shift priorities.

There are a lot of people and organizations who offer courses and books on ‘how to be a notary signing agent'.  Some of them are honest and will tell you that their course won't teach you everything you need to know.  I respect people who make this disclaimer, because it is the truth.

The majority of what a notary signing agent learns will come from actually doing loan signings, along with all of the things that the job entails.  There are a lot of lessons that have to be learned - lessons that aren't covered in the textbooks and seminars.  And a lot of these lessons will be learned the hard way.

Early in my career I did a closing on a Friday evening for a title company that is located in Denver.  I knew that there was no point in dropping off the package of loan documents that evening because the pickup had already been made from the drop boxes.  So I dutifully dropped the package in a FedEx drop box the next morning.

Big mistake.  The title company was expecting to receive the documents on Monday. By dropping the package in a drop box on Saturday, they wouldn't receive them until Tuesday.

Perhaps it would have been best if they made a point of telling me that they wanted the package on Monday, and to not drop the documents in a drop box, but rather to personally take them to either FedEx Kinkos or the FedEx Service Center.

But that's beside the point.  The point is that, these are the types of things that you have to learn on your own. People don't always communicate.  You have to gain a sense of what is required of you as a notary signing agent. It's beyond the scope of any notary signing agent course to cover all of these things.  You simply learn them from experience.

And that is really the best way to learn how to be a notary signing agent: experience.

That, and one of the best schools around:

Good luck.

What is the likelihood that you will have 3 signings (2 Refinances and 1 Timeshare), on a Friday, with two of them late in the evening, and with each company using a different overnight delivery service for receiving the loan documents? 

"It could happen."

It's Saturday morning and I have to drop off the documents from those signings. The simple thing to do would be to take them to the 'Atrium' on Fountain Blvd. It's just a mile from where I live.

As you can see, there is a drop box for each of the packages: FedEx, DHL, and UPS.

The problem is that, if I drop the packages in the drop box, they won't be picked up today, and they won't be delivered on Monday.

Go ahead. Drop them in the box. Make it easy on yourself.

I wish I could.  But one of my responsibilities as a notary signing agent is to get the packages delivered, as soon as possible.  I'm going to wait until the UPS Store opens at 9 a.m. before I begin my deliveries.

My first stop is the UPS Store.

It was hard to stay focused on the mission because there were so many temptations along the way. 

Right next door is Papa John's pizza.

And on the end is Olde World Bagel & Deli.

They have the best bagels in Colorado Springs. I wish I had time to grab a bagel, sit outside and enjoy the weather like these people are doing, but I have one package delivered -- two to go.

I got a package yesterday that I have to pick up from the post office, so I'll make a quick stop in here. 

This FedEx drop box in front of the post office is tempting me, but I must keep going.

My next stop is the old Colorado Springs airport.

All passenger flights now fly out of Colorado Springs' new airport. This airport is now used for flight training.

It's also where DHL is located. You can't get any closer to dropping off a DHL package unless you actually put the package on the plane yourself. 

Krystal, if you don't get the package of documents, blame this woman. (This is the ultimate in 'C.Y.A.' protection for notary signing agents. Photographic evidence.)

While I was at the airport this Air Force jet ran out of fuel and had to make an emergency landing in front of the Radisson hotel. 

Fortunately no one was injured.

They're all inside, enjoying the food. 

This jet was converted into what is now Solo's Restaurant.  Another temptation.

Be strong. Keep going.

Two packages delivered -- one to go.

I'm at FedEx Kinkos near the Citadel Mall where I'll drop off the last package.

As long as I get it in here by 3 PM, it will go out today.  I have plenty of time.

All of the packages have been delivered, and they should reach their destination by Monday.

Last stop. I stopped at Wal-Mart to pick up some Coors beer.

I also had to pick up the ingredients to make a Chicken Cordon Bleu pizza.  I worked up quite an appetite making all of those deliveries.

That wasn't so bad after all.

Guten Appetit!

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Here's the recipe. It's from the 'Pillsbury Bake-Off': Chicken Cordon Bleu Pizza

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One of the remnants of the Colorado Springs airport.  And the Rocky mountains in the background. 

It was a beautiful day.

I have been making notarial certificates for years.  The main reason for doing so is that I am assured that I am complying with the state notary laws.

Another reason is that it saves time if a lot of the wording is pre-printed, such as the venue, my name, and a few other items of information.

Many notaries choose to purchase notarial certificates.  But it isn't really necessary.  The main thing is that it contains the correct notarial wording, as prescribed by your state.

Also, you can make a notarial certificate in your own handwriting.  According to Peter J. Van Alstyne, JD of the Notary Law Institute, and author of Notary Public: Procedures, Laws & Common Sense:

You may need to do this if there isn't enough room on the document for a notary seal and you have run out of pre-printed certificates.

Or you may wish to use your word processor and prepare some notarial certificates in advance. You can print out as many as you want.  Here is an example of a notarial certificate that I prepared. Someone called me this morning and wants an Affidavit of True Copy:

_____________________________________________________________________________________

As with all notarizations, check your state's notary laws.

Good luck.

Yes, notaries do have a patron saint -- Saint Mark.

The feast day is not today, but rather next Friday, April 25th.  I wanted to give you time to mark your calendars.

There are several places online where you can read about St. Mark. One of them is: Catholic Online (Saint Mark)

Hopefully good things will happen for all notaries on that day, and that we will be protected from any dangers, ... etc. 

Perhaps even some extraordinary things will happen that day for notary signing agents, such as loan documents sent to us on time, ... etc.

Saint Mark is also the patron saint of lawyers.

Being a notary signing agent requires the ability to be extremely flexible with our time. We may be called to do a closing at 6 PM, only to discover that the loan documents won't be ready, and that the closing will have to be rescheduled for a later time. Perhaps 8 PM. That takes a lot of patience and understanding.  You also have to be willing to be a team player, even though, as independent contractors, we don't belong to a team.

It's not only difficult for the notary signing agents, it's difficult for the borrowers as well. They may have been planning to do something. They have to change their plans.  And if it were left up to them, they wouldn't be required to sign any documents at all. So, although we are providing a convenience to them by enabling them to sign their loan documents wherever they choose, it is also an inconvenience.  There are a lot of things they would rather be doing.

That is the situation we have this evening.  I was scheduled to do a closing today at 3 PM. At 12:30 I emailed the signing service to let them know I hadn't received the loan documents. They contacted the title company and were told that it could take a while because they were having problems with one of the payoffs.  What was supposed to happen at 3 PM will be moved to 6:30 PM -- a 3 hour difference.

I agreed to stay with the closing assignment.  I understand these things.

That is the nature of this job.  And if you are considering becoming a notary signing agent, it's something that you will have to prepare yourself for.  You think that you get to set your own hours because you are an independent contractor. But you don't.  Your hours are dictated by circumstances beyond your control. 

Sure, you could tell the company that you don't want to do the closing at another time, and that they should find someone else.  But it's a good way to lose business.

So you're stuck between a rock and a hard place. 

And when you're in a position like that, you get to truly find out -- how flexible can you be?

Good luck.

Patience. It is considered a virtue.  For notary signing agents -- it is also a necessity.

According to Wiki:

"Patience is the ability to endure waiting, delay, or provocation without becoming annoyed or upset, or to persevere calmly when faced with difficulties."

Sound familiar?

Of course it does. We deal with it everyday. Late documents, late payment, rude people who try our patience, ...  Just about everything that we do as notary signing agents requires patience.

One of the problems is that, we are dealing with people whom we can not see. It's not like we can walk down the hall and ask, 'How long will it be before those loan documents are ready?', or go up to the accounting department and find out why we haven't been paid.

Another problem is that we are in a business that is filled with uncertainties. Even when we do receive the documents, there is no guarantee that we won't have to reprint them. Who hasn't had to reprint a revised HUD Settlement Statement, or an entire set of revised loan documents?  And if you do this long enough, you may go through 2 or 3 revisions of a document.

There is also the matter of not knowing with whom we're dealing -- having to take people's word. I have been waiting almost 90 days to get paid from a company. This is what they tell me:

"I have received your invoices. I apologize for the delay and any inconvenience it has caused. We are running behind. Please bare with me and thank you for your patience."

"... thank you for your patience."  For now.  But at some point you have to say that it is no longer a matter of patience, but rather of business.  Try telling the electric company to be patient if you don't pay your bill, and you will find out what happens.

There are a lot of things that are far beyond our control. 

I had a closing last night. The borrower's wife was a half an hour late.  You want to behave in a professional manner in situations like this. That requires patience.

Achieving our goals

Patience is also required in order to achieve our goals. No one achieves overnight success as a notary signing agent. It takes time to build a business.

Small steps -- 'Kaizen'

And believe me, you are going to make a lot of mistakes along the way, and experience failures. There is a saying in German: "Es fällt kein Meister vom Himmel.", meaning that no one simply appears on earth already a master.  We all have to start out taking small steps, and making lots of mistakes.  

It will require a lot of patience to not give up -- to learn from the mistakes that we make, and keep moving forward.

Yes, patience is not only a virtue. It is a necessity.

Good luck.