Posted by Ilona_OH on 5/1/06 4:40pm
Msg #117008

There's a mixup in the air!

First let me say that Michael Dietz of Accurate Signing Agency in Brunswick, Ohio are straight up and honest. Starting an agency is hard enough withour having picked a name that is sooooo close to another that is in the swamps. ASA Inc. are great people to work with and you'll be paid on time every time. A new website with that abbreviation (www.asa-inc.com) will soon be up and running. If you are ever called by them you will be pleasantly surprised. Now I know there is an Accurate Signing Service that regually gets dumped on in these postings and they seem to deserve it but come on guys--Look at the initals!!That should help you tell which is which.
And I volunteered to write the note and am not getting the proverbial two bits for the compliments. Having spoken and worked with Michael and his staff and met them at the Ohio gathering I felt compelled to jot a few nice words.

Reply by Lee/AR on 5/1/06 8:33pm
Msg #117062

Think I'll pass

Wants way more info than necessary. Very new unfinished website. I will agree the he 'seems' like a decent person, but... I'll wait & see how he shakes out. Not a great time to be starting in this biz.

Reply by Ilona_OH on 5/1/06 8:50pm
Msg #117068

I should have indicated that he has been in this

business for years and is now going nation al per requests of his clients. Also, there is a website with the full name of the agency at this time but the new one will suit the expanded business much better. I hope that clears the air a bit.

Reply by Lee/AR on 5/1/06 11:15pm
Msg #117091

Shane & Ilona...you both have good news. n/m

Reply by Shane_OH on 5/1/06 9:37pm
Msg #117078

Michael certainly is a straight shooter.

While I have not done any closings for his SS, he was gracious enough to join us at the Columbus meeting on April 23rd. Needless to say, he drove at least 2 hours to meet with everyone, which is more than what most SS's would even think about.

He was very straight forward, direct and open on a lot of his knowledge from his vast experiences on all sides of the mortgage industry (from LO to Title to SS and beyond).
He offered up some very helpful advice and marketing tips to the newer NSA's that came to our meeting, and probably some experienced NSA's that were there walked out with a few more things to think about.

I'd have no problem whatsoever doing a signing for his company, should he ever need my services. At least with Michael you will always know where you stand, he doesn't sugar coat his feelings the least bit, which is a nice treat. It was refreshing to hear a honest straight forward answer, when asked some direct questions.

I hope to see him at some future meetings, and I imagine he'll definitely be at the Cleveland meetings.

Reply by Accurate Signing Agency, Inc. on 5/2/06 12:16am
Msg #117096

Wow!

First of all, I have to give a BIG thank you to you Ilona and Shane! It's a blessing to be associated with wonderful people like yourselves. Our success is attributed to working side by side with professionals, and you guys are exactly that as well as good friends

I have to admit that it is frustrating being mistaken for a terrible SS that has a similar name to ours. Our reputation has always been, and always will be pristine throughout this industry, so I hope the "mix ups" will dissipate sooner rather than later.

Lastly, I'm sorry that you feel the way you do, Lee. Feel free to call me if you ever have any questions regarding ASA or my 13 years in the industry. And yes, we do require alot of information on our SA's, but it's a necessary thing. Our SA's are the core of our business, and as such, we will ALWAYS maintain a close relationship with each and every one of them. It also involves legalities as far as contracting people that represent themselves as an extension of us to our clients and our clients' clients. We don't boast of having "50 million notaries in every corner of the earth" like most other SS do, because frankly, we keep our database as small as we can. We prefer to use SA's that we will never have to worry about their quality, ethics or loyalty and to insure that, we validate every detail about them right from the start. They are, without a doubt, the finest SA's in the industry. Instead of calling an SA once every 3 or 4 weeks for a closing, we prefer to have a smaller database of the best SA's and provide them with high volume. Our strict guidelines were developed by our lawyers to protect us as a corporation as well as protect our SA's. And no, we are NOT some run of the mill $40-$50 SS, we pay fairly and quickly (within 2 weeks of receiving an invoice and soon to be on a weekly basis. We get paid quickly from our clients and we feel that our SA's deserve the same). As far as our website, well it truly is under construction. Our software that is being developed is very nearly finished. But this is the kick in the pants...our web designer literally passed away in the middle of things, so that set us back quite a bit (talk about delays! lol). Now we have a new one, but he has to design it from scratch on a completely different platform. It will be up shortly.

Shane, I hope that I did not offend you or anyone else at the meeting last week. I know that I shoot straight from the hip, but I see no reason at all to "pretty things up". This is a tough industry and we all have to face the realities of it and find immediate solutions if we are to survive. I like to see things for what they are and overcome obstructions as quickly as possible...that sometimes tends to overflow into conversations about the business...lol. Old habits die hard. Also, let me know if you ever need any help with anything. I'd be more than happy to help set things up for any meetings in this area...just call me!

Happy signings to all, and to all a good night! (It's been a LONG day and I'm hittin' the pillows!)

Reply by BrendaTx on 5/2/06 6:45am
Msg #117105

For: Accurate SA -

Lee said both I & S had something good to say to replace her original statement. Wouldn't you somewhat agree with Lee's original statements being solid? It was not personal, if I read it correctly...not directed at you.

An experienced signer would naturally take a wait and see attitude and test the water before they jump into a new person's signing service. Once that info was clarified she said "good news." Maybe you did not see that post.

Reply by Shane_OH on 5/3/06 12:06pm
Msg #117446

Hey Michael....

You most certainly didn't offend me at the meeting. Like I said, it was refreshing to hear someone not sugar coat things, and speak their mind.

Unfortunately in the business relationships that often arise between SA & SS, the waters are muddy and noone really knows what the other is thinking. It is nice to hear a crystal clear statement of what you feel, what direction you think the industry is going, and hear you speak on your experiences in all aspects of the business. We both have a lot of the same experience, and from the sounds of it, similar contacts/sources.

I agreed with most of what you spoke about, disagreed with a little, but the fact that you didn't attempt to use smoke and mirrors in your statements, gave me the utmost respect for you and your company. Like I said, I'd be happy to do business with your company, and would feel confident I was working for a SS with some integrity.

I was pleased that we disagreed on some things, and were still able to talk about it, with varying points of view, and not have it turn into a pissing contest (excuse the term). Disagreement is of great importance if we are to make this industry better. If everyone agreed on the same things, without a differing point of view, where would growth come from?

I'll be in contact with you shortly about the meetings in Cleveland, and look forward to your participation.

Reply by BrendaTx on 5/3/06 12:47pm
Msg #117460

Re: Hey Michael....You can't offend Shane. I have tried. :) n/m