Posted by Aaron Faden on 1/24/07 5:01pm
Msg #172446

new to the game

Hello to all! I'm considering becoming a Notary mainly for some extra income. I'm not looking to do this full time, just to help get the kids through private school...My question is this, is there a "standard" for Notary fees (loan docs)? I don't want to undermine the industry and simply want to be fair. I've investigated all the necessary classes and materials needed...I'm in the San Fernando Valley, CA...If anyone can assist in creating a mock business fee table maybe we could all get on the "same page" (pardon the pun) and have a universal fee schedule!!!! It would beneficial to all (I think)

Regards,

Aaron

Reply by rengel/CA on 1/24/07 5:39pm
Msg #172451

Can you say Price Fixing????

<<<If anyone can assist in creating a mock business fee table maybe we could all get on the "same page" (pardon the pun) and have a universal fee schedule!!!! It would beneficial to all (I think)>>>>

We are private contractors. We each have our own business and if we got together to "set" universal prices, the govenrment would come down on us in a heartbeat. When you are self-employed, you need to have a whole different outlook than when you are an employee.
If burger king, macdonalds and wendy's got together and set a "universal" fee, the public would be screaming about price fixing. It is illegal. And for good reason.
Good luck with your business.

Reply by Aaron Faden on 1/24/07 10:04pm
Msg #172503

Can you say Price Fixing? CAN YOU SAY CUT-THROAT PRICING?

Forgive me for not wanting to piss-off fellow notaries...My goodness, my intentions were merely to get an idea of what people charge SO I DON'T SLASH MY PRICES AND TAKE BUSINESS FROM YOU! WOW!

And I wasn't talking about a concrete price for everyone...I wanted a ball-park figure again as to NOT underbid work and cause people to get in an uproar and create an overall LOWER MARKET FOR US ALL TO MAKE MONEY!!!!!

I'll keep to myself from now on!!!!

Reply by TitleGalCA on 1/24/07 10:28pm
Msg #172506

Aaron

First, your comment was:

***My goodness, my intentions were merely to get an idea of what people charge SO I DON'T SLASH MY PRICES AND TAKE BUSINESS FROM YOU! WOW!

It's commendable that you want to send your kids to private school; however most, if not all signing agents on this site are trying to make ends meet. To think for a nano-second that you'd take work from seasoned notaries here? Think again, Aaron. You are a newbie. You have no experience. You have zip, nada, zilch. You can only benefit from the posta here.

***And I wasn't talking about a concrete price for everyone...I wanted a ball-park figure again as to NOT underbid work and cause people to get in an uproar and create an overall LOWER MARKET FOR US ALL TO MAKE MONEY!!!!!***

Is that right? You want ***us all*** to make money? Try doing a search for your local area and how many SA's are there. You're altruism is....let's say "suspect"? Dude - gimme a break.

***I'll keep to myself from now on!!!!***

that would be a good thing, Aaron. Keep it up. Read and learn, and be quite about you.

Reply by TitleGalCA on 1/24/07 10:35pm
Msg #172509

Re: Aaron - another thought

Your profile sucks, big time. You think an independent SS will hire you when it says..."no comments on file"????

After viewing your profile and looking for a second time at your indignant posts by veterans here? a bit laughable.

Get a grip, use the search button and READ, go to thread 33325 and quit trying to re-invent a crooked wheel.

You just don't get it.

Reply by Aaron Faden on 1/24/07 11:40pm
Msg #172518

Re: Aaron - another thought

Woooooaaahhhh watch out, my profile sucks??!?! Ohhh no, this is horrific!!!What ever shall I do??? Hey brainiac, if you couldn't tell from my thread name - "new to the game" that means I'm just checkin' things out trying to get a feel of how you well mannered, very polite and professional people do things...I'll type s l o w l y maybe you won't bash someone who's trying to improve their families life by making some extra income!!! You are right, my profile is laughable, you know why that is?????? BECAUSE I'M NEW AND HAVEN'T DONE MUCH YET...I take it things were perfect for you when you started??? You knew EVERYTHING right??? I must say, I'm not impressed by the overall feedback from you "professionals"...

I'm sooooo sorry to have insulted you ohhh honorable veteran notary woman...Perhaps we're a little on edge this evening???

Warmest regards...Mr. Don't Get It

Reply by Lee/AR on 1/24/07 6:46pm
Msg #172457

It's like herding cats & 1 size doesn't fit all anyway. n/m

Reply by Dennis D Broadbooks on 1/25/07 9:48am
Msg #172541

You've Reminded Me of My All Time Favorite...

...TV commercial!

http://www.jugglingcats.com/video/cat_herding1.htm

Reply by tammyky on 1/24/07 10:23pm
Msg #172505

i would suggest using the handy dandy search button and look up what some notaries won't accept and try it figure prices also call some buddies in the mortgage industry to see what they pay or look at your mortgage docs. sorry for the run on sentence i know better than to try and type anything that makes sense this late.

By the by CA has one of the highest concentrations of notaries in the nation

good luck

Reply by Aaron Faden on 1/24/07 11:25pm
Msg #172515

I thank you for the information - some people in this forum get a bit tweaked and take all this a bit tooooo seriously!!! Thanks!

Reply by Joan Bergstrom on 1/24/07 11:57pm
Msg #172519

Title Gal is right

You will never get hired unless you put information in your profile.
Here is the way a profile works:
1. Spell all your information in you profile correctly
2. Put a picture of you where you advertise
3. Tell everyone what you do: I will complete all notary/loan-signings error free/I can receive all edocs loan signings with a high speed Internet cable/etc/etc.

Why anyone spends money to advertise themselves on the Internet and then thinks someone is going to call them because they listed their cell number on (an advertising company like www.notaryrotary.com) is unbelievable.

Aaron would you actually call someone to do work for you if they only listed a cell phone number?

Reply by Aaron Faden on 1/25/07 12:03am
Msg #172520

Greatly appreciated Joan!

Thanks for the info...Just to reiterate I'm doing my homework first, getting some background into this field before I jump in with both feet. Thanks again...

Reply by MichiganAl on 1/25/07 12:36am
Msg #172524

Don't bother jumping in

You're too much of a thin-skinned, hotheaded whiner to ever be able to handle this industry. You can't take an answer that you don't like without throwing yourself down to the ground and thrashing about like a brat. Looks like your kids will have to settle for the same 9th grade public school education that you received.

Reply by Aaron Faden on 1/25/07 10:02am
Msg #172543

THE DISRESPECT IS OOOOOOZING FROM MANY OF YOU!

Here we go again, such a compassionate breed you fine folks of the notary "industry". It takes a real strong person to make it personal and talk about my kids. Hey MichigalAl, I'm happy to hear you're soooo involved in your "industry". If you ever want to compare educations, let me know privately. And if you haven't read the previous threads this is going to be a secondary source of income for me...It sounds like many of you who do this as you main income are very threatened by new blood. So if this is your main income, IT SAYS A LOT ABOUT YOUR OWN EDUCATION!

As for being a thin skinned whiner, sorry, it's not really relevant to your bashing this time. Well I guess if you want to insult a soldier who spent 4 years protecting your extremely prosperous "industry", a Gulf-War veteran with 2 tours and voluntary EMT I guess you're right.

As for the cheap shots towards my kids (which is real mature by the way), I send them to private school because I don't want them getting their "9th grade education" in a bi-lingual public school class...One would hope you'd understand that I want the best for my kids...But again, I may be asking too much from the "notary industry".

HUA - If anyone knows what this actually means I'll be VERY impressed!

Reply by Charm_AL on 1/25/07 10:15am
Msg #172545

Re: THE DISRESPECT IS OOOOOOZING FROM MANY OF YOU!

the Chinese girl who dressed/posed as a soldier?

Reply by Charm_AL on 1/25/07 10:21am
Msg #172547

look at the compitetion in your area. Set your fees to what you need to be successful/profitable. Many start at $75/100. for a simple refi- than tack on printing charges for e-docs. I have read anywhere between $25 and $50. Than add extra for 2nds, and so on.

Get something on your profile here, companies look for notaries here and they will pass you up with no info listed.

Reply by lenelle/FL on 1/25/07 12:19pm
Msg #172567

Take a moment

to listen to the comments that are being given to you and take them to heart if you can. There are many seasoned notaries here that are fed up with all the newbies coming in that are uneducated in this field and undercutting them. I understand that this was supposedly your point, but you have to understand that we see this everyday and at what point will it end? TitleGal is correct, without a profile you will not see any business from this site due to the competition that you have in your area. Many of us do this full time and I certainly hope that your comment regarding education is not directed at everyone who is a full time NSA. I will tell you that I am a full time NSA, and I have a paralegal degree and got tired of working for someone 60 hours a week when now I am in control of my own time and efforts. You do not know the circumstances of anyone here so to approach this forum in the way that you have has now made you look less than favorable. Good Luck, but remember this is not a part time income for some of us and we take our businesses every seriously.

Reply by Aaron Faden on 1/25/07 2:34pm
Msg #172582

Re: Take a moment

Lenelle,

Thank you for the info and taking the time in your response...If you'll refer back to my original thread I was very cordial and polite. I wanted to make CERTAIN that I didn't upset the "notary industry". I made it a point to not under-cut the pricing point. As you can see from some of the heated replies to ME...Some of your colleagues "just don't get it". I'm a business professional and I won't bore you with my education and background, but when people come out fighting I won't sit back merely on the point that they're veteran notaries so it's OK. That's a joke...And of course I wasn't referring to all who are NSA. Just the ones that picked a fight with me...Some of these people act as if they're curing cancer or saving the world from starvation...I thought this business was about verifying identity and signatures...AND THAT'S IT...Is there a super secret aspect to this job that I'm not privy to??

Take care

Reply by Becca_FL on 1/25/07 4:03pm
Msg #172594

Re: Take a moment Aaron

>>>I thought this business was about verifying identity and signatures...AND THAT'S IT<<<

Another genius statement from a newbie.

Good luck with that attitude, Aaron, it won't get you far. Until you understand that the job of an NSA is WAY more than just verifying signatures, do us all a favor and stay home. You would be doing a dis-service to borrowers in your area, not to mention the TCs and lenders, with your current line of thinking.

Reply by Aaron Faden on 1/25/07 5:36pm
Msg #172596

I respectfully request your point of view

Please enlighten me when this "industry" is BASED on people screwing other people. I find it interesting that I came into this seemingly respectful line of work to meet people, build a business and network. Again, I started this thread with the best intentions...I wanted to know what to charge; what not to charge. So that I WOULDN'T undercut the prices...How many times to I need to reiderate this fact??? I'm learning a lot from some of you fine stand-up model citizens.

It takes a strong person to attack someone via typing...You should be frightened, I'm about to launch my GPS guided CTRL+ALT+ESC key at you!!

And by the way, I recieved TONS of private e-mails denouncing many of you negative people...They all say the same thing..."those kind of notaries don't speak for all of us - they're making us all look bad".

It's shameful that they can't say this in a public forum...They say they can't say what they want in fear of the brutal competiton and backlash...

I had no idea that becoming a notary was exactly like being part of "big government"...

Reply by Becca_FL on 1/25/07 9:16pm
Msg #172619

Re: I respectfully request your point of view Aaron

You seem to be the one missing the point here. Let me try to give you an analogy that you can understand. But first, Id like to personally thank you for your service to our great country. You see, I am very thankful to the Men & Women, both past and present that made the choice to fight for my freedom, especially my freedom of speech.

When Uncle Sam sent you to fight in the Middle East, were you trained? Of course you were trained. You had basic training, advanced training and even mental conditioning before Uncle Sam felt you were "ready" to serve your country. Now, if you made a mistake while serving, was your CO there to coddle and cajole you? Of course not. Your CO was there to tell you that you screwed up and that you put others at risk because of your mistake. Was your CO "nice" about it? I doubt it.

Now, consider the NotRot community your drill instructor and your commanding officer, training you to be the best darn Notary Signing Agent you can be. Listen to what NotRot members have to say even if you don't like the way things are said. You asked for assistance, it was given. Not much is sugar coated here, as I can imagine is the case in the military. This is business, not war and not romper room, suck up your feelings and you just might learn something.

Reply by Aaron Faden on 1/25/07 10:10pm
Msg #172627

good analogy

Becca, thanks for taking the time to write (and the analogy). It was smart of you to want to break things down in a "soldier-way" but I assure you I'm no jarhead...I must admit, it's refreshing to hear military training and NotRot in the same sentence. To answer your questions, my CO & DI's were all hard-lined...But that was their job. Perhaps I missed the portion when signing up to this website that says "if you're new and you post on the discussion board expect to be thrashed, disrespected and denigrated".

I can assure you that military code demands only the very BEST of people, not the worst...

Perhaps I should refer the military recruitment personnel to this website?!?! I had no idea there were so many angry and vicious notaries around. I think they'd make good snipers because they like to attack from afar and retreat quickly and silently...Just a thought...

Honestly I can't believe I've received the "welcome" I have only being on this website for ONE day...I can only imagine what the people who call this website home do for "fun".

Reply by MelissaCT on 1/26/07 9:46pm
Msg #172783

Aaron, quick question for you

What did you do to earn respect here?

From what I read of your post (much like the THOUSANDS before yours which asked the same question) you're looking for your competitors to give you their pricing, basically. You claim it's because you don't want to undercut, but you're asking for non-public information from competitive businesses. Hopefully, you see why there is hostility and defensiveness here with a question like that.

Yes, we were all new once, yada yada Scooby-Doo. The difference is that most of the "veterans" created their own pricing, made their own mistakes and created their own businesses from the ground up. There was no message board, no asking the competition what to charge; what not to charge.

How much will it cost you to wait hours for documents, make numerous phone calls, print 200-300 pages, drive through traffic, spend an hour with borrowers signing documents, travel back through traffic (don't forget gas, vehicle wear & tear, more oil changes, miles that will NEVER come off your vehicle), assemble docs in a specific order/fax certain docs here & there/QC your work, get to overnight carrier before cut-off time, chase payment, etc.? Now figure in how much less time you are available to be with your family/home. Oh, and add in the profit you hope to make to figure what your price should be.

rots of ruck