Posted by PJM/MI on 3/26/06 7:03am
Msg #108641
For the Newbies
For all the newbies:
Please learn your state laws as well as you can. My state has a pretty good website and a primer for notaries.
Learn what's in a set of docs. If you have a mortgage, dig it out and read it. And then read it again.
Please don't go to your first signing without knowing what is in the docs. You will make yourself look unprofessional. If you can, find a mentor to help you.
If your state doesn't require you keep a journal of notarial acts, keep one anyway. The hard cover journals work great as "desktops" when the borrower doesn't have anyplace for you to work on. Plus, you can keep your return tracking #'s in it so when companies call you for a return tracking#, you've got it at your finger tips.
Make sure your briefcase is well stocked. Pens (both blue & black), a roll of tape, (some lenders offer the borrowers the right to have funds directly deposited into their account, & some lenders offers the borrower the right to have the monthly payments directly withdrawn. Alot of borrowers can't find a roll of tape in their home. NO STAPLING anything to the docs). Extra shipping envelopes, such as the big 3...FEDEX, UPS & DHL. Some lenders don't always send a return envelope with the docs.
For those of you in "Cow Country", a small flashlight. There will be borrowers who don't have an outside light, or didn't turn it on. Falling on your face in the dark can really hurt.
Things to NOT talk about:
Religion
Politics
Your personal life
Your last closing
How much money you are making for the closing
If this is your "side" job, don't try to sell your other job. (If you sell Avon, dishnet, or whatever.. do not "market" that at a closing).
Your closing area: Don't extend yourself too far away from home. If you mess up, you've got to go back and that'll be for FREE. And if the closing doesn't close, you are only getting trip fee. A 2 hr. drive is not worth $25.00. Plus, you may have to turn down closings closer to home because you took a closing 1 hr or more away.
Last but not least: GOOD LUCK! 
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Reply by Le Anne Eichmeier on 3/26/06 10:37am
Msg #108647
that was realy good advise for newbies but I would have to throw in some with experience also I have ran into some that just don't care apparently about appearance or knowledge or just how to be nice, in which case I have had repeat encounters with customers where the went thru and refin. again or done a heloc and requested me to come do it , and by the way I live in cow country and have some myself flashlights area really good idea.
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Reply by Jahari Davis on 3/26/06 6:11pm
Msg #108702
Really good advice. As for things to talk about, you dont want to come off as a tight @$$ but you want to be real as well. I feel if the borrower bring sit up, its fair game to discuss. However choose wisely and even then only go so far. For instance, one of my signings, we talked about the Oscars and movies and they brought up Brokeback Mountain and were very anti-gay and they hadnt even seen the movie. I spoke to the point of how good a movie it was because I'd seen the movie and even told them how I went kicking and screaming. It became an issue of their being christians and its disgusting and all that...here I thought we were talking about a movie. Go fig.
Anyway...if you talk about things, go only so far and I agree, never disclose how much you make. I also think its ok to discuss certain things about closings like a borrowers cat or a how nice the people were or even decor of homes if theirs matches a previous borrowers, but private info and the paperwork regarding the closing itself is an absolute no no.
Soon....
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