Posted by Notarysigner on 5/12/10 4:53pm
Msg #336107

Is it me?

In the last month I have discovered two revenue streams that with a little bit of effort could produce easy income. The shipping industry and just today, video taping depositions. To me, after all I’ve had to deal with in the short period of time I‘ve been a notary (3 years), SS suing me, low-ball and non-paying SS why are we even dealing with this? Soon, borrowers will be told to find their own notaries. Advertising will be the key to getting those jobs. TC/ lenders don’t care as long as Docs are recordable. SS will vanish because of corruption ( connections between escrow officers and SS contacts) and the real estate industry will continue to thrive do to lack of interest.

Our focus should be on providing a service to people needing to validate their interest in anything via a simple signature.

We are the first line of defense against fraud because we are credible, reputable and not self-serving. I admit experience varies but whether we’ve been doing this for 30 years or 3 years, our stamp accomplishes the same thing.

We can say no to low paying companies by supplementing our incomes with a little ingenuity and footwork. Examples for making money I‘ve discovered in 3 years. Section 8 vouchers. WELFARE. Kids in college needing a affidavit stating that parents will be responsible for off campus apartments. SCHOOLS. Retirements Affidavits for companies with retiring employee who are married and don’t want to share their retirements. JOBS. Long term care/hospice facilities directives MEDICAL. These are just a few that are helping me to forget about SS relationships in general.

Not venting……just trying to understand why are all you beautiful people are so serious about the SS impact on us?

Reply by Shoshana/AZ on 5/12/10 5:00pm
Msg #336109

I re-discovered a revenue stream today - market research companies pay people to be part of focus groups! Tomorrow I am getting $85 to taste salads for 2 hours!

Reply by Notarysigner on 5/12/10 5:06pm
Msg #336111

That's what I'm talking about!

Reply by Sylvia_FL on 5/12/10 5:06pm
Msg #336110

"Soon, borrowers will be told to find their own notaries"

Some companies already do that:)

Reply by Notarysigner on 5/12/10 5:06pm
Msg #336112

yes I had one yesterday. thanks.

Reply by Sylvia_FL on 5/12/10 5:09pm
Msg #336114

I had them back as far as 2003:)

Now I don't do signings any more but I have had borrowers bring their loan docs to me, when they have been told to find their own notary.

Reply by garland/CA on 5/12/10 5:07pm
Msg #336113

I'm with you on this. More and more I am looking to market in non-loan notary type work. Signing agent work is very stressful, it's hard to have much of a life (making personal appointments of any kind - hair, dentist, etc) is difficult because of the last minute nature of this business), etc, etc
For a year now I've been doing the trustee sales for my county. Doesn't require a notary, but I was contacted because of a notary site I was listed on. It is providing a nice little supplement and is not as stressful as the loan signing business.

Reply by SharonMN on 5/12/10 5:23pm
Msg #336117

Well, some of us are from states where we can only charge a dollar per notarial act (or 50 cents!) You cannot even make minimum wage on that, and no one wants to pay a travel fee.

Reply by Notarysigner on 5/12/10 5:37pm
Msg #336119

I would suppose you'd just have to tell them no then. But the gotta due depositions, healthcare and please don't tell me there no welcome...There has also got to be a convienence fee of some sort you can charge or, welcome to Ca.

Reply by anotaryinva on 5/12/10 6:06pm
Msg #336125

Re: Is it me? Yes it is in VA

In Va, you can charge $5 per signature, plus an actual travel fee. Any Notary Public in Va charging more is breaking the law, and that includes those meeting at a nearby coffee shop. If I get called to sign someone's will or whatever at 6pm 8 miles away, I can charge $ 5 +$ 8.80 = $13.80. Guess what for me to go 8 miles during rush hour is 45 minutes (one way) So I would be making roughly $4 ph. I suggest that they try to work with their bank (usually free) or UPS ($5)

Reply by LKT/CA on 5/12/10 6:03pm
Msg #336122

<<<...it's hard to have much of a life (making personal appointments of any kind - hair, dentist, etc) is difficult because of the last minute nature of this business), etc, etc.>>>

One can have a very normal and balanced life in this industry - very easy to do, one just has to know how. Here's how: Schedule all events of your day as an appointment, whether personal or business and keep those appointments. Don't let any new job calls overrun what you already have scheduled. Examples:


9am - 11am.....dental appt.

11am - 12:30pm......grocery shop

2pm - 4pm .......loan signing (includes the signing & round trip travel)

6pm - 7pm.......walk the dog

8pm - 10pm.........loan signing (includes signing & round trip travel)

If you get a call for a new job and it's for a time that's already booked, you inform the caller that, "Sorry, I'm booked during that time".

The easiest way to "have no life" is to let loan signings overrun your personal life by dropping personal events out of your schedule. Then when you sit home and wait for docs that never come, thinking you could have taken care of personal business if you knew the signing wouldn't happen.....then you become frustrated and annoyed at the business when all along, if you keep personal appointments in spite of the calls for new jobs, your life stays in balance.

Yes, we all need the money and it's easy to just call and cancel the dental appointment for the loan signing but as I said - it gets annoying when the loan signing doesn't happen for whatever reason.....and you could have kept that dental appointment (or hair appt, or whatever).

Or like in the case of someone who posted recently that they missed their grandchild's recital for a loan signing....and I don't think the loan signing happened that evening, or the docs were later and later and pushed the loan signing into the time for being at the recital and they missed half of the recital.

It's certainly possible to have a life and keep it in balance if you plan correctly and do not let one overrun the other by scheduling all events as an appointment....and not dropping one for the other.

Reply by Sylvia_FL on 5/12/10 6:05pm
Msg #336124

Well said Lisa:) n/m

Reply by MW/VA on 5/12/10 6:46pm
Msg #336129

Well said, indeed--it's the story of my life. n/m

Reply by Notarysigner on 5/12/10 6:12pm
Msg #336126

6 to 7 breakfast coffee with working family members still at home
7 to 8 wave goodbye and make sure they're not coming back
8 to 10 Art session
10 to 12 noon Gardening
12 to 7 pm Notary appointments
..nothing between 12 to 7? Start all over again with art but include honey dos' as instructed.

Reply by garland/CA on 5/12/10 6:19pm
Msg #336127

I am learning this balance.

85 -90% of my loans in the past have been same day schedules and I would take as many as I could. So I rarely scheduled anything else except on the week-ends or between 8 am and 10 am during the week. And yes, the business ran me too often. In these slower times it is hard to not take appointments, but at the same time it feels good to be in control of my own life.

so many lessons to learn, so many opportunities to learn them....

Reply by John/CT on 5/12/10 7:06pm
Msg #336134

The Biz ....

I do get calls from time-to-time from borrowers looking to have their loan dox notarized. Because Connecticut has a statutory limit of $5 per notarization + $0.35 per mile, I only agree to meet them in my capacity as a Notary Signing Agent. As such, I will go over every page of the document set with them, making sure each are properly signed/initialled/dated/notarized as required, and (if they wish) will even drop off the dox at either the UPS or FDX station. And, in this capacity ... as their signing agent ... I will charge them $10 less than I would to a signing service for that same exact same service.