Hi there everyone.
I had the pleasure of having a friend and former Signing Agent direct me to this wonderful website. She has not done any closings in several years so she can only provide me with limited or outdated as she puts it info.
She told me I do not “NEED” to take the class to become a signing agent but it helps. My questions are:
- Do I need to get background checked?
- Do I need to become certified?
I see different websites that do certifications so I am not sure if is really needed as you could be certified by a certain assoc and not the other.
- Is it worth it to sign up with SigningAgent.com from NNA or AAN?
My friend told me she never paid any of this associations a dime and she still got enough calls. She said she still gets called every now and then even though it has been years.
- Which laser printer should I get?
I do not have any cash on hand so I have to buy it from Best Buy on Credit.Am I placing the cart in front of the horse? I have not done first signing yet.
I was watching this notary in YouTube that even has a printer in his car with a power inverter and a wireless internet card/hot spot in case of last minute document sending.
I am in Broward Florida. Any tips and pointers will be appreciated.
Also what level of Error/Omissions do you carry?
I see in the different websites that they said some companies require you to have a certain amount. So in your opinion what is the most frequent requested minimum. I did get some but was wondering if I have to go get more just I can compete?
Question first - what is your background? Do you have any real estate or title experience at all? That will answer your question…if you have no experience at all, and have never seen the documents involved in a mortgage loan, then I feel a certification course will be key to helping you understand what you’re doing. Just be careful what course you choose - especially if you have NO experience at all with mortgages - you need to find the course that is going to go through all the docs with you. If I were in your shoes I would check into Notary2Pro (Carol reads here and posts occasionally) - it’s my understanding her course is very comprehensive and detailed and, further, she provides post-certification support. I have not personally taken it but I hear good things about it - I’m thinking of getting back into some signings in 2017 and have tossed around taking her course to update myself on changes I’ve missed. But one thing - please - IGNORE YOUTUBE!
Most companies strictly require the background check - and it’s good for your profile that people see you’ve cleared one. The check done by the State of Florida is superficial at best - another gives a second level of comfort. The certification will do the same thing.
As for the E&O - that’s your decision based on your own situation. I used to carry $100k because I have assets; when I stopped doing loan signings I dropped it to $25k for as I’m now only doing general notary work. Just remember, standard E&O will only cover you for notarial errors - it will not cover errors you make with regard to loan signings. There IS Signing Agent insurance available but it’s pricey.
Printer, well, you say you have no cash on hand but you need a laser printer - that’s mandatory. So, I would suggest checking ebay and see if you can find a deal on a brother laser - I personally prefer HP, but Brother is cheaper - just get something to get you started til you can make some money. When shopping ebay just pay attention to page count and monthly duty cycle. I got a nice HP 4300 dual-tray in 2013 for $200 (and that included shipping) - that machine is still chugging along.
I will not comment on the NNA or AAN - well, yes I will. I initially got certified through NNA despite having a 25 year career as a real estate paralegal because I thought it would help - it honestly didn’t. AAN?? I have NEVER gotten an assignment through them - they are very nice but I have been very disappointed in my membership there - I get no emails or updates or anything - and they especially do not provide a conduit for work. List here, Notary Rotary, 123Notary and any other free site you can. Get a free website - webs.com has them and there are others with which I’m not familiar. Set up a FB page and use that…these are all FREE…
Main thing? Make sure you have your notary laws down cold before you do this - there is no forgiveness for a notary who does not know his laws. Roger Rill in Ohio said it best - “you need to be an outstanding notary before you can be a good signing agent”
Good luck to you.
2 Likes
Here’s a printer at Best Buy - it’s a multi-function so you can scan too - which you’ll have to do scanbacks and/or faxbacks - this one does 27ppm but is only a single tray - which means you’ll either have to buy a second tray (expensive) or print everything on all one size - legal - can also get expensive but, hey, you do what you need to do.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/brother-mfc-l2700dw-wireless-black-and-white-all-in-one-laser-printer-gray/8162018.p?skuId=8162018
**BTW - I would check into certification first - no need to buy a laser printer if you decide this isn’t something you want to do or you can’t pay for the certification to begin with.
Also to incorporate or not? Is it usefull or recommended to start it as company sole proprietor or LLC?
For that question I’d refer you to your attorney or your accountant. I am neither and wouldn’t even begin to advise anyone about that.
Oh, one thing though - get your Federal EIN - never never never use your social security number (except for getting your background check) - can do it online at irs.gov - takes 5 minutes and you’ll have your FEIN that you’ll use in all your business filings.
Hi Jose, Linda H. sent me a link to your posts and recommend that I talk with you. If you like please give me a call at: 916-777-5931. My name is Carol Ray and I am the owner of Notary2Pro.
I need to make a correction here - I just realized while reading another article that I was referring to the wrong association - I was thinking of ASN - American Society of Notaries, based on Florida.
My apologies to you, Jose, and to AAN for the error.
Thank you for telling me how easy it was to get an EIN! I just went online and got mine!
Check with your accountant. Everyone’s situation is different.
