Posted by Christopher Aguirre on 9/16/05 7:25pm
Msg #65741

What are good rates to charge?

I am finally lined up with all I need to start signing. I would like some help in determining my prices. I know that gas prices are a good reason to inflate a bit, but I still want to be fair. I believe in making a profit, not a killing. Wherever I sign, I would be coming from the L.A. Harbor Area. Please help.

Reply by OnTheGoInFla on 9/16/05 7:57pm
Msg #65745

do a search using th word charge and select individual messages. You will get lots of info on going rates

Reply by TitleGalCA on 9/16/05 9:09pm
Msg #65749

Ah, what the heck...go for the killing. (j/k)

Look at other notaries websites - many times they post fees, that will give you an idea.

Use the search button and read message 33325. Or search "fees". You'll find lots of information.

Reply by CaliNotary on 9/17/05 1:55am
Msg #65766

Or scroll down the page a bit and read the responses to the exact same question that was asked this morning. Does it really not occur to people to try reading even a *little bit* of this board before asking these types of questions? Jeez.

Reply by CaliNotary on 9/17/05 2:06am
Msg #65767

Are you telling us your starting point so we can send you actual rates to use for the surrounding areas?

I hope your being "lined up with all you need" includes a thorough understanding of California notary law and some education on how to sign loan docs. A lot of people don't seem to think that's part of the lining up process.

Reply by Christopher Aguirre on 9/17/05 10:47am
Msg #65808

CaliNotary. My, you are just a ray of sunshine. Well, I did look for other similar questions. You see, I am not one to post messages unless I truly can't find the answer I am looking for. As for me being lined up? I am very confident that I know enough to recognize when an acknowledgement or a jurat is proper to use. For the loan signings, I have been taught very well. I know the right questions to ask the lender and signer(s) before and during the signing so it all goes smoothly.

But thanks for the confidence boost.

Reply by TitleGalCA on 9/17/05 11:41am
Msg #65812

Laughing here Christopher. Allow me to introduce you to Cali...our resident "newbie-breaker-inner". He wails on newbies for sport....but does have a reason, believe me.

Actually you're lucky, as to-date, I can't find one post of his that's not on-point. He's just trying to get you to research, and he'll be the first one to "show you the way"....if you can handle it

Reply by SarahBeth_CA on 9/17/05 1:57pm
Msg #65847

Also Chris if you listen to what Cali has to say even when he's flaming (and trust me what he said was just straight forward, no flames) you will find that Cali is one of a handfull of members here who knows what he is doing and has good advice and correct answers. Cali just wants to stress the importance of respecting the office of Notary Public. That is the single most important thing I have learned from Cali and a few other seasoned members here at NotRot. If you do this you will succeed.

Reply by CaliNotary on 9/18/05 12:34am
Msg #65887

Ooh, a feisty one. I can respect that.

There are plenty of people on this board who would love to boost your confidence by giving you empty platitudes. While you may not realize it, my blunt responses are actually an effort to give you something a little more valuable than an "atta boy".

I don't know why you truly couldn't find the answer that you're looking for, as there have been a whole heck of a lot of threads on this board about how to develop your rates. You weren't even the first person to ask this question *yesterday*, let alone ever. And every time a person posts a new message there is a bright yellow box above the text box that states:

"Important Notice
If you are going to ask a question, please consider consulting the Search feature before doing so. Many questions have been asked and answered repeatedly on this forum by expert notaries: Should I buy a laser printer? • What are e-docs? • What is a signing agent? •
******* How much should I charge?******* • How do I get started? Answers to questions like these are just a few clicks away!"

The extra asterisks are mine for emphasis. Surely you can see how this, plus the other thread from yesterday, with the exact same question, would give the impression (even if it's not the reality) that you didn't make much of an effort to look for the answer before posting the question?

As for the knowledge that you do have, let me make a few points.

1. As notaries, it is not our job to recognize when an acknowledgement or jurat is proper to use because it is not our decision to make. If the notarial wording is already on the document, that's our answer as to which one to use. However, we may have to attach a loose acknowledgement or jurat if the wording isn't correct for California notarizations. If there is no notorial wording on the document, the signer is the one who decides whether an acknowledgement or jurat will be attached.

2. If you were taught that we should be asking the lender and signers questions before and during the signing, you weren't taught very well. While there is the occasional exception to this, there really shouldn't be any questions for the lender or the signer. Our job is not to gather information, it is to get the docs signed, to be able to give a general explanation of the docs, to be able to answer some general questions and/or be able to point out the answers in the docs if the borrowers have questions, and to know when to refer the borrower to the lender to get questions answered. The less involved in the specifics of the loan we are, the better.

Reply by Christopher Aguirre on 9/19/05 3:25pm
Msg #66043

Re: Ooh, a feisty one. I can respect that.

OK Cali, here is my Olive Branch. Not trying to get anyone steamed. I am the FNG and I know my place. You are right. I couldn't find it. I am new to the whole message board thing, and don't really know how to navigate through it. I will keep using it to get myself more familiar with it so I don't waste anyone's time answering my questions that have already been asked by someone else.

Reply by CaliNotary on 9/21/05 1:33am
Msg #66349

Olive Branch accepted

There really is a method to my madness.

Aside from the fact that it makes the board a much more enjoyable place when the same questions aren't being asked over and over and over again (admittedly, one of my pet peeves), you really will learn MUCH more by searching the old messages on this board than you would by just posting a single question and getting a single answer. A lot of the old threads will also give you answers to questions you didn't even know that you had.

And you'll ultimately be a much better signing agent for it.