Posted by Donna LaBelle on 7/27/13 11:00pm
Msg #478285

question for Virginia notaries

How's business? how saturated is VA with notaries? What can you charge for a basic notarization?

Reply by anotaryinva on 7/28/13 6:00am
Msg #478302

Slow.
Depends on what part of Virginia, here in Northern VA (suburb of DC) there are plenty, look up the zipcode you are interested in.
$5 or $25 for electronic.

It's a beautiful state if you are thinking of relocating. We enjoy all four seasons here, we've got mountains, valleys, and seashores.

Reply by MW/VA on 7/28/13 11:18am
Msg #478311

You can get a feel for how much competition there is

by looking up certain cities here & on the nos. site. My area of Virginia Beach has a lot of notaries, but we are a densely populated area. What helps me is that there are a lot of VA loans here, and those steamline refi's have kept me in biz these last couple of years.
Our state fee for notarization is a maximum of $5, but I charge a minimum travel fee for GNW.

Reply by NVLSlady/VA on 7/28/13 12:12pm
Msg #478315

Re: question for Virginia notaries (Why?)

Please excuse the defensive posture taken with the asking of this question; a linkedIn poster asked me the most Ridiculous (simple-minded) question about Va not too long ago . . .

But, now that you ask, some would argue about the quality of life in Va (depending on where you live). The commutes are Long and gridlock is common - making the days long. Lots of SOHO folk here; if you can work from home you're likely happier than the average.

C.O.L. (cost of living) index is High - but should not present a problem for CA natives. Could not do notary work as a career (without a 2nd income) and actually make a decent living with the fees we're paid. Of course, if you're high energy (and in high demand) and can do 10-15 closings a week!!

I love the area I typically work in. I can be in D.C. in about half hour to 45 min. Plenty of suburban communities with access to city commodities like metro. I can travel 40 minutes and see pastoral scenes (cows, horses, fields) and back to "civilization" and my favorite eats again in a flash!

Owning real estate in VA is smart; but I think retiring someplace else will be smarter - just don't count on ever returning to the Old Dominion (unless you marry one of the Clampetts or Trumps).

I believe Bankrate has a cost of living comparison . . .