Posted by Kenneth Ruiz on 4/28/13 10:48pm
Msg #467593

Help Me Please!!

Can anyone help me with their insight into signing work and average fees for signings in the Sacramento or San Jose area? My family is considering a move - it is a big decision for us and your input would be very helpful. Thank you in advance for your kindness.

Ken

Reply by Yoli/CA on 4/28/13 11:12pm
Msg #467594

Please refer to Msg #467533

Also, you might consider talking to some of your current larger clients. Ask them how their business is in San Jose versus Sacramento. That may give you a clue as to client retention.

Regardless of where you move to, there will be an adjustment period. The length of adjustment may depend on your marketing skills and strategies.

Fees are whatever you demand and are willing to accept. You are, after all, an independent contractor.

Reply by Marian_in_CA on 4/28/13 11:17pm
Msg #467595

I'm not sure about fees up that way... but there are a lot of well established notaries there, many of them who post here.

Also, consider that if you're moving to California, you're looking at a 4-8 month (or longer) process just to obtain your notary commission, and it will cost you about $400-800 just to get a commission. You have to go through the classes, exam and background check and then wait for the Sec of State's office to issue your commission.

Reply by Kenneth Ruiz on 4/28/13 11:21pm
Msg #467596

Yes - Thank you - I should have mentioned I am a CA notary.

Reply by Marian_in_CA on 4/28/13 11:26pm
Msg #467597

OH, in that case...never mind what I said about that. Your name has you in TX.

Reply by GOLDGIRL/CA on 4/28/13 11:43pm
Msg #467599

If you're a commissioned CA notary, then you are now or have been a state resident, so you must have some idea of the cost of living in the various areas. Anybody who's spent any time in CA would know that it costs a zillion times more to live in San Jose than the Sacramento area.

Also, we all know that notary saturation plays a big part in fees. Both of these areas are full to the brim with NSAs as a quick glance at "Find a Notary" would reveal.

From reading NR, I get the impression that notary fees offered by SSs are pretty much uniform throughout the country. Some well-established notaries command and get more. Notaries in areas where NSAs are few and far between can get higher fees (supply and demand) but it only takes one lowball NSA to move in and knock the bottom out of your pricing structure.

And having vacationed in Texas several times, my observation is that a dollar goes waaaaay farther there than anywhere in CA. But you must know that if you've lived in both places.

Reply by GOLDGIRL/CA on 4/29/13 12:44am
Msg #467601

Hey just saw this. A list ....

... of the "10 Most Expensive U.S. Cities":

The average home price in San Jose is over $700,000. Home prices are a little more affordable here than they are in San Francisco. The average apartment rents for about $1,728 per month, which is twice the national average.

Oakland, San Francisco and Santa Ana were the other CA cities on the list.

Reply by JanetK_CA on 4/29/13 1:31am
Msg #467602

Re: Hey just saw this. A list ....

Santa Ana and not Newport Beach???? They must be talking about what I think are called Standard Metropolitan
Statistical Areas (or SMSAs), but even that makes me scratch my head. There are certainly some nice parts of Santa Ana, but I'd venture to guess a large portion of it is high-density, lower income. And I can think of lots of other cities that have a much higher cost of living - just in So Cal. Do you have a link for that?

Nonetheless, I think you made some good points in your previous post about cost of living - and supply and demand.

Reply by GOLDGIRL/CA on 4/29/13 2:30am
Msg #467604

Re: Hey just saw this. A list ....

Sorry, can't get the link to work. But if you google/yahoo "Kiplinger 10 most expensive cities," the list will appear. By Santa Ana, Kiplinger apparently meant all of Orange County, which would include Newport Beach. I was wondering about Cheryl's neck of the woods: Santa Barbara, and then there's San Diego.... both completely unaffordable in my book. I went broke once just driving through Santa Barbara, but maybe that's not a big enough metro area for the list.

Reply by JanetK_CA on 4/29/13 2:50am
Msg #467605

Re: Hey just saw this. A list ....

Thanks. Found it. Interesting, though, that they made references to areas in several different cities in "the OC", yet listed only population for the city of Santa Ana. Someone didn't do their homework!

BTW, Santa Barbara/Montecito was the first area I thought of, too. Beverly Hills/Brentwood/Malibu I figured would be included in with LA.

Reply by 101livescan on 4/29/13 7:39am
Msg #467607

The most expensive states to raise children in: CA, NY, HI, IL, PA, MA, MN, VT, RI, CN, PA, NH

Not necessarily all in order, CA, NY, HI at the top.

I think the boom is in Texas, not in CA. I would target a state that has a better run state than CA, we're just climbing out, but have a huge hurdle with too many welfare recipients, etc. and companies leaving the state for Texas because it's a better run state.

Reply by Stephanie Santiago on 4/29/13 11:41am
Msg #467650

Maybe I missed something, I didn't think Kenneth was asking

about the cost of living in California.
Perhaps he can afford to move to CA and was just asking about the industry.
Like myself, I can afford to live in CA; however, I enjoy handling signings and general notary work.
Why jump to conclusions.
Kenneth could be independently whealthy.
Anyway, have a fantastic day, all.


Stephanire

Reply by Stephanie Santiago on 4/29/13 11:37am
Msg #467648

Kenneth, I am approx 40 miles from Sacramento and 35 from

San Jose.
Good luck in this industry.
Follow California notary Law and you will be fine.
While California is saturated with Notaries Publics, I handle my signings with a high quality of work and Customer Service.
Stand out and you will gain respect and grow your business.
I wish you nothing but the best.

Stephanie Santiago