Posted by Shane_OH on 1/29/06 8:04pm
Msg #92230

NNA turned the NSA's into an infomercial.

Quite simply, there needs to be a limited # of notaries in each state, with continuing education required to maintain your commission.

You'd stop seeing the market flooded with uneducated, uninformed, and unmotivated people. The people that take the time to put forth the effort to be a professional in this industry would stand out. You'd stop seeing so many mistakes, some which cause loans not to fund.

How many newly initiated NSA's make errors? (answer is probably a lot), and then how many of them are willing to out and correct the error free of charge? (probably few). This is why we have companies wishing fax backs. This is why people want to undercharge for our services, because they can't be certain their docs will get completed correctly the first time.

There is no rating or ranking system in our industry. Does being certified by any organization really mean anything? In my opinion no. In many cases, it means you took the test with another browers open to answer the questions (and yes I am certified by 2 organizations).

Personally, I feel the NNA has just turned our lively hood into an infomercial, and it irritates the crap out of me.

Even if the newbies only last 1-5 months before they realize that it IS a job, it DOES require training, and education, and that you WON'T walk away with over a $100,000/yr easily (yes it can be done...with a LOT of hard work)..... in that short time, each new NSA makes error upon error, upon error, accepting low paying jobs to "get work"... driving down fees, and making us true professionals suffer for their mistakes.

I know this subject has been well over done in recent weeks on this site, and probably others, but for some reason, at 9:00pmEST on this Sunday, it rubbed me the wrong way.

so....grrrr I feel better, now i'm off to start getting the columbus get together planned correctly, think up an action plan on how to regulate our industry more, and so on.... Why couldn't it be superbowl weekend, so I could just forget about it all for a day!??!?!

hehe

Reply by TitleGalCA on 1/29/06 8:20pm
Msg #92233

I feel your pain, Shane. I posted not too long ago about the NNA's newsletter and how they spin things to deflect blame on the oversaturation of Notaries. I won't be renewing my membership or buying their E&O insurance any longer.

I think fully self-supporting NSA's are (and should be) even more annoyed than those part-timers. Good luck with your Columbus get-together.

Reply by Charles_Ca on 1/29/06 8:26pm
Msg #92235

Hi Shane, I feel your pain as does every other conscientious

notary. The stark reality of the situation however is that the only wan you'll be able to regain control of the industry is by doing just what you are doing right now: organizing. The NNA is a business and they don't care about you or I, their only concern is their bottom line. Additionally the Signing Services have no reason t complain because with new notaries coming into the market all the time they can force prices to stay low because there is someone who is willing to take the lowball offers. The public doesn't care because they are getting their loans and that is really the only concern they have. The Government isn't going to do anything about it because no on is really getting hurt, the notaries who have been in the business are business people and they are only feeling market pressure form a business that has no real need of being: NSA's not notaries. NSA'a are nothing but a convenience, a commodity if you will. The only people who care are NSA's and they are so fragmented that no one cares if they care. So get out there and sell the idea that the only way change is going to occur is by the NSA's organizing into a strong political entity. Without the organization its divide and conquer. I really don't understand why so many don't see that!

Reply by TCMN on 1/29/06 9:23pm
Msg #92243

I agree with you 100% Shane. I posted before that we should encourage them because the newbies mistakes and the redo's I get because is like free money to redo one or two docs, but it was sarcastic really.

I hate them for the same reasons, for the sad excuse for the annual conference they have (thank god I only wasted money last year going ...and they said that was their BEST year ever. HA!)

I'm sorry but to have the 27th Annual Conference and NOT have at least double that many exhibitors is a joke. But to have less than at least 27 (for 1 per year joining), I would say a failure. And to have less than 10?....that would be a joke, a failure and an utter embarrassment.
To charge $425 for THAT conference (oh, $325 if you pay them months and months in advance - like their membership renewal system)
Let me tell you, the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION of REALTORS cost $310 (if your a member), $210 if you want to bring your spouse who is not a member, and any joe-schmoe off the street for $410. They had 621 exhibitors last year. Yes, I know, they have more members, etc. But lets really take a wide-eyed look at the NNA 's actions into it. They don't put any effort or professionalism into it because they don't care. Don't you think it's funnny that once you get certified with them you have to re-take the test to keep your certification every 2 yrs?

I haven't had to do that with my RE certifications. I think that once you know something and you're using it in your business, you shouldn't have to earn it again by retaking a test you've passed once already!
I just don't get that EXCEPT for the $$$-factor and they just want to make more. I will not renew. I had paid once for 2 yr, wasted the $ on the conference and got a year free but I won't spend another dime there.
I had been doing this and had the background in the mortgage/real estate industry and never once had a membership there. I thought when I did even discover who they were to try the resource. I very soon realized the waste of time, money and the NNA as a resource.

Just thought I'd give my two cents and say Shane...I hear ya!

Reply by BrendaTx on 1/29/06 11:52pm
Msg #92249

The other day I decided the logic of thinking that companies prefer experienced notaries over inexperienced ones is incorrect. I think the opposite is true in many situations. I did a loan that did not sign. They TC and Lender tried to say I should have promised it could be fixed to their satisfaction the next day. I don't do that. If the promise is not in the papers, it's not a promise.

I will get paid two full fees for the signing above. A new notary probably would have been bullied into taking half.

New people don't know they are being used, taking crap and less money because they can be bullied. They learn fairly quickly, but there are some who will always undercut with a ridiculously low fee.

They may not know there are places to get with others to find out that $50 is but a fraction of what funds are available to pay them. Now, the ones who are taking $45 and $50 for full cash outs and refis, traveling more than five additional miles to have a heloc signed and that's a different story...boo.

Reply by CarolynCO on 1/29/06 9:52pm
Msg #92244

I know that I'm luckier than many people, i.e., California and Florida, where the market is really saturated. I was a notary for over 10 years before I became a signing agent, and unfortunately, I think that many of the new SAs were never a notary before the NNA came into the scene of big and fast bucks. Two years ago, there were 40-50 notaries showing in Notary Rotary search of 20 miles from me. Today, there are about 130 and more than 50 of those are 10 miles or less from me.

In December the NNA came through with their whirl wind "make hundreds of dollars in less than one hour" campaigns.

The reason I know that a good number of the December graduates are inexperienced and clueless is that during January I have had to go out and clean up more than 5 loans that were notarized and/or executed incorrectly.

I took the *untimed* open book certification through the NNA which is expires in March. I did not renew my membership after the first year, and you can be sure that I'm not going to give them one more dime to "recertify" by taking the exam again.