Posted by Clotilde Gonzales on 9/4/09 4:54pm
Msg #302931

New Notary - trying to get organized

I have not yet begun to notarize and I would like to ask for some clarificaition on certificates I would need to carry with me. If I missed something, please help.

Acknowledgement
Jurat
Subscribing Witness
Document Custodian
Power of Attorney

Reply by Glenn Strickler on 9/4/09 4:58pm
Msg #302933

Begin by using the orange search button and read message #33325. The orange search button will be your friend.

Reply by Shoshana/AZ on 9/4/09 5:00pm
Msg #302934

Good luck to you.
I don't think I would carry document custodian or Power of Attorney. The person hiring you should provide those. I only carry acks, jurats and an AZ-specific form for a credible witness.
Shoshana

Reply by davidK/CA on 9/4/09 5:28pm
Msg #302938

I agree with Shoshana, but you also need the following:

CA SOS Notary Handbook, current version.
A Recission Calendar, current year.
Copy of your Commission
Your Notariy Journal.
Your notary seal and backup Notary Seal.
A California Jurat Rubber stamp.
Pens, blue and black ink.
A flashlight for finding the address in the dark.
Cell phone and and an alternative power source.
A GPS system of some sort
A locked bag to carry everything in.

Good Luck. It's tough out there!

Reply by Linda Juenger on 9/4/09 6:40pm
Msg #302942

To add to David's list:

At least 1 if not 2 (for backup) dual tray laser jet printer. You CANNOT use inkjet.
High speed internet. Dial up will drive you nutso.
A working plan to keep your books: Quickbooks or the likes.

Reply by Shoshana/AZ on 9/4/09 7:02pm
Msg #302943

Many of us get along really well with a single tray laser printer. In 7 years I haven't had one client complain that I had only a single tray printer.

Reply by Linda Juenger on 9/4/09 7:25pm
Msg #302946

I guess I spoiled myself from the very beginning by starting out with a dual tray. I just can't imagine having anything else. I hate dealing with legal size docs and personally wish they were all on letter size. When I get a pkg that prints all legal, I kind of cringe. They have to cut the docs down when they get them back and to me that is such a waste of trees, time and money.
Printing all legal size all the time costs you much more than adding another tray to your printer. It would pay for itself in no time. Legal paper is much more expensive. I go through twice as much letter size as legal size.

Reply by rengel/CA on 9/4/09 7:55pm
Msg #302948

I've never had a client complain, but I complained constantly until I got the dual tray printer. Now I am a happier camper! : )

Reply by Glenn Strickler on 9/4/09 8:50pm
Msg #302951

Dual tray more than pays for itself

Considering the price difference between legal and letter, I want to print as much as I can on letter. Yes, I know you can print the letter, then the legal on a single tray, but time is money also.

Reply by nolanotary on 9/4/09 9:10pm
Msg #302952

I have say, I worked off of a single tray for 2 years, then printer died. I replaced it with HP3005dn (single tray) and spent $150 on optional second tray...best $150 I ever spent. Saves time, money, and legal paper. Paid for itself in a month. Will never go back to a single tray printer again.

Reply by LKT/CA on 9/4/09 9:12pm
Msg #302953

I also get along just fine with single tray laser printers. I have two single tray laser printers and print all legal - two sets in five minutes if I print from both simultaneously - when time is short. If I have plenty of time, I will just print from one and then both sets are printed before ten minutes is up. Sometimes my written instructions say print in all legal size. One time I had instructions to print in all letter size. I also get along just fine with a single tray laser printer.

For me it's a nice balance because I work directly with a couple of Title and Escrow companies in my area so I pick up docs already printed - no paper or toner expenses and still get $150 - $175. For those companies I get edocs, then I use all legal. An analogy would be when you have a three hour headache signing that turns out to be a regret, but previous to that you had five easy going signings from 5 star companies that took 40 minutes each and the package sizes were 80 pages each - and you got the check in two weeks. It all evens out...somehow....

Reply by Joan Bergstrom on 9/4/09 10:30pm
Msg #302955

Dual Tray Printers

I have 2 dual tray printers and the only reason I purchased the additional tray was to save money.
The basic price at Sam's or Costco is $42.65 for legal and approx. $26 for letter.

When you just use 1 tray you don't realize that the majority of most loans are printed on letter size paper.

It won't get you hired but a dual tray printer can save you a bunch of money in a very short time.

The last one I bought was on Ebay and I think it was a little over $100. I have 2 Brother 8860DN printers

Reply by Joan Bergstrom on 9/4/09 10:40pm
Msg #302956

Correction!

What I should have said is that within each individual loan package the majority of the documents printed are on letter size paper.

I would guess it's approximetely 70% letter & 30% legal for most of the loans I do.

Reply by A-1 Signing Agents, LLC on 9/5/09 11:04am
Msg #302985

Profile

Very important. You need to let them know what you have to offer. Area's you cover, etc.

Reply by JanetK_CA on 9/5/09 3:37pm
Msg #302997

I noticed that you didn't say anything about doing loan signings, just notarizing. Most of us here specialize in loan signings, which is why you received the responses you did about printing. If you're not planning on getting into that end of the business, you can ignore that. Your clients will have the documents, so all you need are certificates, primarily Acknowledgment and Jurat forms. I find it useful to keep some on letter size pages and some on legal size, especially for loan docs.

I agree with what was said about Document Custodian and Power of Attorney (especially) forms. Reread what our handbook say about UPL. And in nine years as a notary, I've only once used a subscribing witness - and those circumstances would no longer be allowed under current CA law.

If you ARE planning on doing loan signings, before you think about investing in a printer, make sure you study up on loan documents, unless you have a good background in dealing with them. That's more important than what equipment you have. Next, you need to figure out a marketing strategy. You've picked a very difficult time to get into the notary business. You didn't say what your goals are, so if you're just planning to do some general notary work on the side, then no worries. But if you're planning on this as a new career - especially with loan docs - be sure you put together a good business plan... BEFORE you invest lots of money. Lots of people who have been doing this for many years are bailing out because they can't make enough money to survive.

Best of luck!

Reply by Clotilde Gonzales on 9/5/09 9:35pm
Msg #303007

Doesn't sound very encouraging, but I am planning on getting into loan signing. I don't have any experience in loan docs. I am just trying to get as much info as I can.

Once I get my first loan signing job do I send them a confirmation letter/e-mail?

Reply by Shoshana/AZ on 9/5/09 9:38pm
Msg #303009

No, they send you a confirmation. Among other things it should state how much you will get paid for the job.

Reply by JanetK_CA on 9/6/09 12:25am
Msg #303010

I highly recommend you get the Professional Signing Agent Training Manual available from this site. Sounds to be like you have your priorities backwards. You shouldn't even think about trying to get any assignment until you know what you are doing - first as a notary (and that means knowing your SOS manual thoroughly) - then as a signing agent. You will have in your hands documents that involve a major financial transaction for someone else and there are lots of things that can go wrong, if you don't know what to do. This can be not only very costly to the borrowers and/or your clients, but could result in serious liability to you, as well.

The training materials mentioned above are a great way to get started and will answer many of your questions. Once you've studied up, if you still have specific questions that you're not sure about, by all means bring it here, but most of the professionals on this board expect you to do your homework first (including trying the orange Search button). THEN you can worry about your first loan signing job!

Reply by CopperheadVA on 9/6/09 7:39am
Msg #303012

It IS possible to break into this business without having prior experience with loan docs. I did it myself. However, it did involve a lot of self-study - and after 4 years I still learn new things here and there. You've already gotten some good advice here. Also, this forum is a wealth of information. Read this forum every day, and go back and read past postings. Lots of good info and situations posted that one can learn from.

Also, when you get a call from a company and accept a job, do a search here about them and turn the job back if they have a reputation as a chronic non-payer. These companies will not change their spots for you!