Posted by SoCalMisty on 8/25/05 8:57pm
Msg #61851

Geez

So I got an email not too long ago from some lender who said he got my name from signingagent.com as I remember. I actually dont really remember it was so long ago. But yesterday he called me at 1:30 and asked if I would do a signing in Gardena. I am in Yorba Linda which is probably a good 40 miles away from Gardena. So I think no big deal. Im willing to go that far.

Well I thought it wasnt such a big deal until I found out that he wanted me to drive all the way to Corona to pick up the docs. I couldn't leave my house until around 3 so I would be sitting in some MAJOR traffic. But it doesn't end there. I also had to go to their office in Anaheim Hills to pick up the loan app. So ok. Im ok with this. I might get quite a bit of business from him right? So I get to Corona and pick up the docs from him. Find out its 2 loans instead of one. Again no big thing. Im ok with this.

Luckily I had a male friend of mine with me to take to this signing. Gardena isn't exactly the best area and when I got ahold of the borrower to tell him I was at his house he was up in Pasadena and wanted to meet me halfway. He asked if I knew where a particular intersection was so that we could meet at the Ihop there and naturally I dont know that area and had no idea. Again, thank god for my friend because he knew exactly where it was and how to get there and it happened to be in the oh so lovely center of Inglewood. Not a place where a young white female goes alone.

So I finally meet up with the borrower. It took a half hour before we even started signing because of all the mistakes on the good faith that he made me call the lender about 3 times. Finally he starts signing and 2 1/2 hours later we were done. This was around 9 pm.

That wasn't even what got to me. I am so use to working with SS's that normally give you 24 hours to return the package so maybe thats why this erked me, but the next morning the lender was calling me at 8 am and every half hour after that to see if I had gone to Anaheim Hills to drop off the docs. I left him a message and told him that I had some other things to do and that he would have his docs by the afternoon.He must have ADD or something because he STILL kept calling me every half hour. He never stressed the importance of having the docs there EARLY when I went to pick them up from him. He just said," drop them off at the Anaheim Hills office the next day whenever you get a chance."

I really dont know if all of that was worth $150.

Reply by Nd_WA on 8/25/05 9:07pm
Msg #61859

One thing I don't do is traveling more than 60 miles RT during the EOM week. An 80 miles RT is a good 2 hrs drive plus time with the borrowers. I could do 3 signings with that much time where I would probably make $350+(edocs).

Reply by Sandi on 8/25/05 9:22pm
Msg #61864

Nd_WA -- I've said it before

I'll say it again -- I don't know how you or ANYONE can do more than one signing in a day with e-docs. By the time I get the last-minute call, to hovering around the e-mail waiting for the docs to arrive, to my ultra-slow printer (no one's fault but my own), to making sure all the instructions are received and I'm following -- to calling for the Borrower's confirmation and directions -- THEN the signing. It takes me darned near 4-6 hours for the average signing.

Of course, I've had the one or two 1-hour jobs, including drives, but they are few and far between.

I'm DEAD after just one signing, usually with a splitting headache.

So, more power to you for the 3-5 a day I gather you handle!

Reply by Sandi on 8/25/05 9:23pm
Msg #61866

P.S. Re: Nd_WA -- I've said it before

Oh, and did I forget to mention the faxing back?

Whew!

Reply by Nd_WA on 8/26/05 10:54am
Msg #61979

I'm going to say it AGAIN!!!

IT'S ALL ABOUT BUSINESSES!

I have 3 computers (2 desktops & laptop) and 3 hi-speed printers (25 & 35 ppm) networked together. Granted that most think they can make big buck with a notary commission, NOT ME. Having the right equipment and knowing when to say enough is enough could save some hairs falling from your head.

Reply by fiKS on 8/25/05 9:22pm
Msg #61865

A job that began at 3:00pm finished at 9:00pm plus travel time home, and then have to drive to return docs the next day...all for a whopping $150???? No cigar!!

Reply by SoCalMisty on 8/25/05 9:36pm
Msg #61871

Believe me I know. I didnt know it was going to turn out to be what it did. I swear I should charge more just because of the crazy harrassment from that lender. I would do everything else for $150 (eh well maybe not the driving to pick up the docs part lol) if not for that. Lets just hope he gives me more biz like he said he would AND that it wont be like this the next time around.

Reply by fiKS on 8/25/05 9:50pm
Msg #61875

I do work with a local mortgage broker whom I'd go pick up docs anytime. For some reason, their PDF docs takes forever (3 hrs for 1st & 2nd) to print. I charge them a flat fee. It's just quicker to drive and pick up docs. And they do give me good business and it works out. Good luck to you.

Reply by Calnotary on 8/26/05 10:53am
Msg #61978

I have a friend that does this type of work, she is the one that introduced me to this work.
Well she does exactly that, she picks docs from escrow, go to borrowers home, and then in the very same day she drops the docs in title or escrow office. But she charges 350.00 minimum.

She laughs at me when I tell her that I do 65.00 or 75.00 overnights locally.

Reply by CaliNotary on 8/25/05 11:50pm
Msg #61918

You have got to be joking

You drove from Yorba Linda to Corona to Anaheim Hills to Gardena and back to Anaheim Hills the next day and only charged $150? During rush hour? And you did this for a company who you've never even worked for before? My jaw is on the floor. I'm almost tempted to drive down to Yorba Linda just so I can slap some sense into you.

So I'm dying to know. I assume you agreed on the $150 fee when you thought it was just a trip to Gardena and back. So once you found out about the extra 70 or so miles of travel, why didn't you increase your fee?

Hopefully you've learned a huge lesson here. You did this in the hopes of future business, but is this the type of future business you want? All you've shown the lender is that you are willing to work for a ridiculously low amount of money and go to ridiculous lengths to get it. I'm sure they'll keep you in mind for all the future nightmares that their regular signing agents refuse to do.

If you want to cut someone a break in the hopes that they'll give you future business, shave ten bucks off of your quote for your first signing. Save the great lengths as a reward for the companies who give you steady business, not the new ones who might never bother to call you again.

Reply by SoCalMisty on 8/26/05 4:30am
Msg #61937

Re: You have got to be joking

News Flash: Yorba Linda is not even a city over from Anaheim Hills. Driving there to drop off the docs the next day wasnt a problem. The problem was the constant phone calls from the lender at 8 am and every half hour after that as if I had nothing to worry about but his docs. And yes Yorba Linda to Corona was a bit of a pain during rush hour. I did agree to the fee when I thought it was only a trip from Gardena and back to my home. But I still would have been fine with that fee even having to drive to Corona to pick up the docs. It was everything that happened after that I wouldn't have agreed to that fee for. I had no idea I was going to be making the trip to Inglewood, doing 2 1/2 hours worth of signing and constantly being harrassed by the lender the next morning. Also this wasnt a signing company that I was doing work for. It was the lender himself. I am going to get on the phone with him tomorrow and tell him that I am increasing my fee and have a little convo about future business with him, especially if he wants me to send any of my business his way. If he calls me again with a last minute request I will know better and not work with him.

Reply by Ilona_OH on 8/26/05 6:47am
Msg #61941

Re: You have got to be joking

That sounds like one very nervous lender.

Reply by CaliNotary on 8/26/05 12:49pm
Msg #62012

Re: You have got to be joking

I know where all of the involved cities are located. And not even figuring the mess of the actual signing into the location, I still say that you severly undercharged for this signing just because of the amount of driving involved to get and drop off the docs.

Reply by CaliNotary on 8/26/05 12:51pm
Msg #62013

whoops

"not even figuring the mess of the actual signing into the location"

And by location I of course actually meant equation. I love noticing those mistakes the second after I hit the "post" button.