Posted by detroitnewbie on 12/14/04 3:55pm
Msg #13621

peer assistance

Hello everyone, I will be receiving my notary commission in Detroit, MI within a few days. I'm curious as to whether any local notaries offer support for new notaries by allowing them to attend signings with them in order to see how the process works.

If not, does anyone have any other suggetions for obtaining beginning experience and/or knowledge? I've taken an online course and am familiar with the basics, but I'm not yet familiar with different types of loan docs & related procedures.

Any info would be of help and thanks in advance

Reply by BrendaTX on 12/14/04 4:35pm
Msg #13625

Dear Detroitnewbie:
Said Detroitnewbie: "Hello everyone, I will be receiving my notary commission in Detroit, MI within a few days. I'm curious as to whether any local notaries offer support for new notaries by allowing them to attend signings with them in order to see how the process works.

If not, does anyone have any other suggetions for obtaining beginning experience and/or knowledge? I've taken an online course and am familiar with the basics, but I'm not yet familiar with different types of loan docs & related procedures.

Any info would be of help and thanks in advance "


-----------------------


I know you did not intend to do so, but what you have just requested is that your competition train you, unless you are willing to drive 3 - 4 hours to observe the training.

If I were you, I'd consider hooking up with a notary a good distance from you and let them "talk" and "email" with you through your start up.

I have recently mentored a Texas Notary through this process and, hopefully, she's as happy as I am with the experience. (Actually, I am rather proud of her, and proud to be her mentor. I'll let her make further announcements about who she is if she wants to, but it could be that she'd rather break into the group without a fanfare of sounding like a "newbie chick" so I'll leave it at that.)

Anyhow, by having started this thread, you might find someone from your state will pick up on this, and give you a nod to email them...or find you on the listings here.

You might want to go ahead and upgrade to the premium membership here (if you have not) so you can get found (don't know if you can otherwise), plus, if you are serious about partaking in the digital bloodsport of the forums, you'd be wise to "brand" yourself with a handle and link it to your profile when you post, so that we can all get to be like your own family, see your profile and do our best to ruin your self esteem before you even get started.

Once you make it through that kind of torture, you'll be a fine and fit one to run your own signing business. We only obliterate the dreams of, and try to destroy, those we love the best.

Welcome from Texas!

Brenda

Reply by detroitnewbie on 12/14/04 5:38pm
Msg #13628

Thanks Brenda for the helpful advice! From the information I gathered before beginning this whole notary process, I didnt get the notion that the notary business was as competition heavy as you implied...which was refreshing. It appeared that there were several outlets for business available to all, but is this not correct?

I will take your advice and seek a mentor outside of my local area, but if anyone reading this chooses to judge me for posting my status as a newbie vs. a cooler 'handle', then that's their choice. I will likely change it eventually, but my efforts on this board at the moment are primarily focused towards meeting some great, experienced notaries who don't mind sharing helpful info with me as I'm getting off the ground.

Thanks much for the info on setting up a profile and upgrading to the premium membership...I will do that. The notary in Texas was lucky to have you available to take time and help her through the process

Thanks again for your great feedback!

Reply by HisHughness on 12/14/04 5:54pm
Msg #13631

detroitnovice (I refuse to use that detestable unnamed aberration of a word coinage) purred:

***The notary in Texas was lucky to have you available to take time and help her through the process.***

All of us in Texas regard ourselves as lucky to have Brenda. Well...there is, of course, her ex-husband. And then there is the solicitor she sicced notary dog on. And the Wal-Mart employe who pissed her off by insisting on inspecting her sales ticket. And the jerk in the SUV who cut her off on University Avenue. And the stupid cop who refused to chase the jerk in the SUV who cut her off on University Avenue. And the phone company rep who kept trying to sell here DSL when she called up to report an outtage and she couldn't use the DSL anyway because she had an outtage. And the woman who dropped the grapes she slipped on in the supermarket. And the doctor who told her she wasn't 20 anymore, or even 30, or even...And the crooked auto mechanic who tried to convince her that her car had a filter, when she knows that those go on the ends of cigarettes. And the yard man who mowed down her neighbor's hydrangeas, because Brenda wanted to have pleasure herself. And the guy who keeps posting snide remarks about her on the Internet. And...

All of the people in Louisiana also regard themselves as lucky that we have Brenda.

Reply by Charlotte Tx on 12/14/04 5:57pm
Msg #13632

And here in Texas the sun just keep on shinning!!

Reply by detroitnewbie on 12/14/04 10:55pm
Msg #13657

Thanks for the good laugh....you seem to have a nice & close knit group of colleagues on this board.

Reply by Charlotte Tx on 12/14/04 5:39pm
Msg #13629

Did you "see" that HisHughness, Brenda called the new beginner from Detroit that word you don't want to see anymore!! Boy I knew right off from the start she was a smarty!! No matter what your recourse is to her, I know she'll get the last word in. I can see her sittin back just waiting to see if you caught it.

Reply by BrendaTX on 12/14/04 11:48pm
Msg #13661

Newbie...newbie...newbie...newbie...NEWBIE. Ha ha ha.

Hugh's a word snob...a word elitist!

But, I am only a lowly compulsive grammar and spelling policeman--I just police my own grammar and spelling--not that of others. I was trying to get help for it, but then saw "Fight Club" and found out about all the 12 Step programs out there. One thing led to another, and I found myself addicted to 12 Step programs.

I have been side-tracked trying to break myself from a compulsive need to attend several of those.

Maybe Hugh's got the right idea...

Reply by Simone E. Lewis on 12/14/04 6:51pm
Msg #13636

Welcome, I love Detroit, I have live there in the past , and found the people Michigan to be very helpful. You are right this notary business is not as competitive as some make it out to be. I have no problem helping others in California and I was always able to make a phone call to other notaries in my county for advice or suggestions when I started. There is plenty of work and money for everyone and don't let anyone intimidate you. I never had any problems with any loans being reject. Good Luck, and triple check your work.

Reply by detroitnewbie on 12/14/04 10:53pm
Msg #13656

Thanks much Simone for the encouragement and advice on triple checking my work. Hopefully I'll locate someone locally, or elsewhere, soon that can share additional start up tips and guidance.

If you don't mind sharing, when you initially began working as a notary, what were some of the better tips you received about having a successful first appointment & familiarizing yourself with the various documents, etc. beforehand?

Reply by Simone E. Lewis on 12/15/04 11:32am
Msg #13694

I had worked in a bank and also in a loan office, so I was very familiar with some of the documents . I had been a notary for 8 years when I decide to do this as a career. I took the NNA Signing agent certificate and the Signing Book has a lot of good pointer to conduct your business. I have numerous career working with the public so I never had some of the fear. My 1st and 2nd time I put stick-on where they needed to sign. Either way, e-mailed or documents sent to you, you will have time to review. Hopefully the documents will not be sent to the borrower on your first time. I introduce page by page each document without telling them how it was put together. That is not our concern and we would be practicing law if we did. When you make the appointment with the borrower, you will no longer be a stranger. I find that most of them do want these documents, so they are happy to see you. The public is very knowledagable and quite familiar with loan re-financing or equity line of credit. When you first arrive take ID's and fingerprint. I always have them sign the 3 day Recission first. Next I have them take the oaths and sign the affidavits. And then to the other documents. If they have an questions, I remind them of the 3 day recission to call their lender and broker and pull the form out of their stack so they know what to call about. Like all business, set up the step that you want to follow and work them at all time, the outcome will be fine. Hope this help, you are most welcome to call or e-mail me anytime. Good luck.