Posted by hcampersFL on 7/17/06 3:36pm
Msg #133665

Home office

How many of you offer a home office that you can do signings in? Do you advertise this as a bonus and has it paid off for you? Does it end up being a real pain in the butt? Would love to hear from any that do this.
Beverly

Reply by John_In_Utah on 7/17/06 3:40pm
Msg #133666

Re: Home office, Not me..

I wouldn't do that, as my home owners insurance would increase by 50% to have customer traffic at the house.

Reply by WDMD on 7/17/06 3:41pm
Msg #133667

I have done a couple of signings in my home office but only because the borrowers requested it, they did not want a stranger in their home. I have no problem doing it, not a pain as far as I am concerned. I would rather do a signing in my office than a restaurant.

Reply by WDMD on 7/17/06 3:42pm
Msg #133668

I should add I already have a business rider to my home owners policy.

Reply by Signing_Doc on 7/17/06 3:48pm
Msg #133670

I'm not known as a Mobile Notary Signing Agent for nothing n/m

Reply by Kevin Ahern on 7/17/06 4:29pm
Msg #133686

Re: I'm not known as a Mobile Notary Signing Agent for nothing

Pin a meddle on you

Reply by hcampersFL on 7/17/06 5:07pm
Msg #133693

Re: I'm not known as a Mobile Notary Signing Agent for nothing

Not every customer wants you to come to them. I have done these loan signings in restaurants and other public places. I am not asking this as a convenience to myself but as a service to the rural customer.

Reply by sgum/va on 7/17/06 3:56pm
Msg #133672

they don't want a stranger at theirs, yet they want you to let a stranger into yours...funny!

Reply by WDMD on 7/17/06 4:08pm
Msg #133678

"they don't want a stranger at theirs, yet they want you to let a stranger into yours...funny!'

I operate more than 1 business out of my home office, I would be out of business if I did not strangers in.

Reply by PL on 7/17/06 3:58pm
Msg #133673

That's why God made Starbucks, and I am thankful for that.

Reply by Bob_Chicago on 7/17/06 3:58pm
Msg #133674

I do not do it , but for bwrs who do not want, or are.......

not able to meet at their home, I keep an office in every
town in my coverage area. It is called the Public Library.
Quiet, tables and chairs, clean, copy machine and even
computers if you need them.
If you find an out of the way corner and keep your voices down,
they will not bother you. Remember to silence you cell phone.
Some lenders do not permit meeting outside of bwr's home.
If bwr suggests not meeting at their home, be EXTRA carefull
as to IDing them

Reply by MelissaM_FL on 7/17/06 4:27pm
Msg #133685

I have a home office (actually two in different parts of town) that I do offer for loan signings. There are some areas of town that are not safe for any notary to go into, day or night. When we get one of those addresses, we offer to either meet the borrower somewhere or to accomodate them at our home office(s).

I've also had borrowers request, for various reasons, to sign in our office instead of their homes. We never turn down that request.

As for logistics, it means that you have to keep your home clean enough to allow customers to come into and that you must have insurance to cover any mishaps, such as a borrower falling and breaking a leg. My homeowner's insurance has a rider for that, plus we keep general liability insurance for the business.

Reply by hcampersFL on 7/17/06 5:05pm
Msg #133692

Thanks Melissa you got my point

I am rural and don't have a "starbucks" or public library within 20 miles.
I asked because I have had this request. I don't mind and have insurance.

What I wanted to know was did you get more calls requesting this type of service once it was offered. I don't advertise this but it is something that I have the capacity to do.

Reply by LawrenceOK on 7/17/06 6:32pm
Msg #133706

Re: Thanks Melissa you got my point

Beverly, I don't advertise this as a rule, but I will accommodate the borrowers at their request. Being rural myself, There are times when a borrower might come right past my home/office from work and request that we meet here. I have no problem with that.

Reply by MelissaM_FL on 7/17/06 7:02pm
Msg #133709

I don't advertise it as a rule, but...

I do offer it for signings that would put me or one of my notaries in a bad area. I offer it directly to the SS or TC that calls and will call the hiring company back with a change of venue if I realize (or the borrower requests) that it should be signed in my office.

Reply by Dennis D Broadbooks on 7/17/06 5:05pm
Msg #133691

I Almost Never...

...have borrowers come to the office I maintain in my home...but wouldn't you know it? Today was one of those days. I can only think of two other times in 5 years where I've met the borrowers in my office, but the company who gave me the assignment last week insisted this is what the borrowers wanted after I explained my home office setup. I charged my normal fee & didn't have to move an inch in my vehicle. It doesn't get much better than that from my perspective. It's also NOT the norm! My usual modus operandi if I'm not meeting in the borrowers' home is to engage them in a neutral location such as a restaurant or library. To answer your question as to whether I "advertise this as a bonus", my response is no. It's such an infrequent request I've never even considered that as a method for soliciting additional business. Personally, I also don't want my home to be used consistently in this fashion.

Reply by Glenn Strickler on 7/17/06 5:43pm
Msg #133699

I have a cubical in my sisters insurance office I use. Provides a professional atmosphere. Library and Starbucks are second and third choices and the local Boarders bookstore is the 4th choice.

Reply by Ernest__CT on 7/17/06 6:11pm
Msg #133703

Lady Rouge (she of the Red Hat) agreed that neither of us would see clients in our home. (She is a licensed massage therapist and also teaches massage at the top school in CT.) There has never been an instance of a signing being refused because of the agreement.

Public libraries are my first choice of meeting places, for all the reasons stated already.

Restaurants are my LAST choice. Servers expect (reasonably!) that each person will order food and/or a beverage. The last time I had a signing in a restaurant the borrower had been eating fried chicken, offered me fries, and wanted me to sit in the already-crowded booth. I politely declined and told the borrower that I would wait in the lobby.

Reply by MelissaM_FL on 7/17/06 7:05pm
Msg #133710

I don't like restaurants as signing locations because

I once waited tables myself and know that turnover is the server's bread and butter. If we do have to use a restaurant, I ask the borrower to please tip the server at least $5 (if the borrower requested that venue). If the borrower does not tip the server or is not planning to stay and eat, then I will catch the server before I leave and tip him or her between $5 and $10 for the use of their table.

Reply by MistarellaFL on 7/18/06 12:40pm
Msg #133817

My family is in the restaurant business

and we don't allow people to conduct a business meeting in our restaurant with out purchasing food-we don't have a bar, so just buying drinks is not acceptable either-
the function of a restaurant is serving paying food CUSTOMERS.
You shouldn't be offended if you are denied access to a table.
The restaurant business is in business FOR PROFIT, which means you are there to buy their product.
I liken it to accepting an assignment in a busy timeslot, but not getting paid if the client utilizes their RTC.
Would you want to accept a job from a client who pays or won't pay if the RTC is used?

Reply by Jason on 7/17/06 7:46pm
Msg #133716

Never have clients to house

House not zoned for it.

Freakin attorneys here always looking to shut down mobile notaries + paralegals.

Play it straight + safe.

Reply by Becca_FL on 7/17/06 9:59pm
Msg #133735

The only people that come to my house are my neighbors. Since I moved in I have notarized a boat title and an affidavit that the TC forgot to send w/ the first Notary. Ends up, my neighbor two doors down did an in house closing with a Notary from 15 miles away that accepted LFC's new lower rate. Shoot, now LFC only calls me to do the "special" or last minute closing, that’s the only time they meet my fee. Of course, I did the aff. and did not charge, but gave my neighbor my cards and a bunch of pens to stuff in the o/n package.

Reply by Tina_MA on 7/17/06 10:21pm
Msg #133740

I have access to my boss' conference room for in-house signings.

However, not all signings are nearby, and borrowers are not willing to travel to sign their docs, they want convenience.

In those instances where the borrower does not want me at their home, I have no problem with fast food restaurants, sandwich/pizza shops, libraries, etc. And my rules are no food or drink at the table.

This is not something that happens often at all. Most people love that we come to them.

One couple that did not want me to come to their house, requested that we meet at the local pizza joint. Said that they were leaving their kids at home with a babysitter and that it would be much more quiet at the pizza place.

Signing went fine, no problems.

Next day, TC calls and states that I should have been sent additional papers for that package. I called the borrowers and told them that because there were only three or four pages that needed their signature, it wouldn't take long. But, because I already had a full schedule, I would have to fit them in and couldn't give them a definite time for the appointment.

They weren't real happy about it, but said okay, you can come to the house. Well, after seeing their house, I knew why they didn't want me there. It was the absolute piggiest house I've been in ever! They could barely get the door open for all the stuff on the floor.

I twisted my ankle trying to walk through the dirty clothes, garbage, dirty plates, empty cans, torn books and magazines, etc, that littered the entire floor from front door to the living room. I was sinking into all kinds of stuff up to my knees.

I saw cats and dogs and wondered if the smell was also from feces and not just the garbage, and then wondered if any feces was rubbing on my bare legs, under my skirt. I was trying hard not to gag.

I lost my loafer while traveling the length of the room. It was like walking in mud -- it sucked my shoe right off. It took me quite a few minutes to find my shoe. I'll tell you what, it if had been a shoe that I didn't like, or was real old, I would've said the hell with it and left it there. Digging through their garbage strew floor was beyond disgusting.

The furniture was covered in dirty items as well. I used my briefcase as a "plow" to clear a space on the sofa. After only spending about twenty to thirty minutes in there, I reeked.

I was so glad that I made them my very last appointment of the day. I had to drive home with all the windows down because I couldn't stand the stench coming off of me. If it wasn't for the fact that it was almost midnight when I go to their home, I would've made them meet me at a fast food joint. Unfortunately, most of the towns roll up the sidewalks at 5, 9, or 10 pm.

So, just remember, there may be a really good reason why someone doesn't want you at their home.