Posted by Lenny James on 9/14/09 10:41pm
Msg #303877

New Notary

I am a new notary and I want to get started performing some closing/singings. I am a Notary in New York state and I am willing to cover the five counties covering New York City. In addition, I am willing to cover Naussa and suffolk counties. I drive, have GPS, and offer a professional and patient demeanor.

How can I get started? Any advice will help.

Reply by CaliNotary on 9/14/09 10:49pm
Msg #303881

It's nice that you have a patient demeanor

Now what do you know about loan docs?

Reply by John/CT on 9/15/09 8:22am
Msg #303901

You'll need it, given how slow the NSA business is now. n/m

Reply by Shoshana/AZ on 9/14/09 10:51pm
Msg #303882

Wow! That's a big area and an ambitious plan. You may find that your potential clients won't pay enough to make that much tarvel worth while.

Reply by MikeC/NY on 9/14/09 11:42pm
Msg #303887

Good luck to you... I hope you realize that the area you want to cover is not feasible. I cover western Suffolk and eastern Nassau, and that's a lot of ground to cover, especially when you take traffic into consideration. Covering the 5 boroughs AND Nassau and Suffolk - the bridge and tunnel tolls alone will quickly put you out of business...

Also be aware that in the NYC metro area you cannot generally do purchase closings unless you've been trained as a title closer, which is a whole other job that goes well beyond what a signing agent does (you can sometimes do them if the property is out of state). That leaves you with refis, CEMAs, HELOCs, and reverse mortgages. If any of that seems like a foreign language to you, you're not really ready yet...

Familiarize yourself with the documents and the process first - a good place to start is the TSR Training Guide, which is available to purchase here under the Notary Supplies tab. While you're digesting that, start reading the forum posts beginning with #33325. Familiarize yourself with the Orange Search Button before asking a question - many questions have already been asked and answered here.

Also, keep in mind that notarization is always a local issue - just as the venue is where your feet are at the time you notarize, the only rules and regulations that apply to anything you do are those of NY State. You'll ask a question and get people from other states answering based on what THEY can or can't do - it may not apply to your particular situation.

I don't mean to try to discourage you, only to try make you realize that this is not something you can jump into lightly. Do your homework and make sure you know what you're doing before you dive into the pool (which, BTW, is very shallow right now - you have a lot of competition for very little work).

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions specific to NY; I'll try to help you out if I can...

Reply by John_NorCal on 9/15/09 7:49pm
Msg #303991

Great reply Mike! Clear and to the point n/m

Reply by LKT/CA on 9/14/09 11:44pm
Msg #303889

To get started you will want to use the orange search button on this forum and look up messages 33325, 188799, and 183435....then read the rest of the posts in that thread. Any question you have has most likely been asked and answer. Again, use the orange search button to find the answer. If a company calls you for a loan signing, check in Signing Central on this forum and read the reviews. If the company has all bad or mixed reviews, it is wise not to work with them or you'll be working for free. Read this forum as often as you can. Also, in Signing Central, you can click on the companies and read the reviews - that will give you a heads up on who NOT to work for.

Know your state's notary laws backwards and forwards. Start with message 33325. Good luck.

Reply by Lenny James on 9/15/09 4:27pm
Msg #303969

Thank all of you for your advice and I will read up on the suggested post. I figure while things are slow I will do the required homework to bring up to speed. Thanks again and good luck to all of you as well.