And exact location of signing. That’s my major issue. Most do provide that. Only Snapdocs doesn’t. Zip codes in low-population areas are HUGE. Providing only a zip code could result in location being anywhere from across the street to a 30 mile/1 hr. drive ONE WAY. It’s simply impossible to know if offered amount is rational; nor is it possible to give a reasonable quote.
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I refuse to do Mortgage Connect. Their packages are always large and require copies to leave with signer. They pay so low!
Guess you aren’t doing the 108 page HELOC for $150 then.
All loan signings require that….when you see page count you can do X2 because you always leave a full copy with the signers.
This is not my experience I have been doing HELOC through MC at about 110 pages.
Always rarely applies when you consider how many different lenders they work with.
I always counter MC based on 200 pages. So lately it’s been pretty great.
Sure seems that some view signer’s copy as optional. Probably assigned job on low fee accepted. It’s a shame that half fee for half job is acceptable by half-a** SS. (sorry… too fitting to resist)
Some closers at MC will put on orders signer received their copy electronically so only print one copy.
Other orders say failure to print and leave a copy results in fees reduction.
I see prices by two copies on everything now because some say they shouldn’t have to print it or even more interesting they pick and choose what to leave a copy of. Makes it harder on everyone.
Back in the day I had a handful that said borrowers had copies - on my own I would print an extra copy of the Note, final HUD (at that time), First Payment Letter and NORTC (if applicable) to leave hard copies with them. Just to play it safe.
Hi Linda!
I agree - perhaps the newbies will re-examine whether it’s really worth it to operate at a loss.
Usually, yes but when I do directs with title companies they don’t require signer copies. My point was really that it’s a LOT of copies with that company and low pay.
I assure you that they don’t offer anywhere close to $150 for 108 page HELOCs where I live and work. Maybe divide that by 3 
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It’s an accepted counter offer.
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Same here in East Tennessee. I am seeing refi offers as low as $60 and seller’s as low as $40. Avg for refi offers in this area is around $80 and Seller’s $75. There are exceptions of course, Bancserv and First American are usually higher than the average signingorder.com or snapdocs offers, but there just aren’t enough of those right now to not have to deal with the others.
I agree some get on here and thank then make up their own rules, thats why we now have 10 of more pages of instructions.
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263 pages? The higher the stack, the faster they sign. I laugh out loud and plop that whole stack in front of the borrower, hand them a pen or two, and tell them to start signing. It’s amazing how fast they sign. It’s almost hard for me to keep up watching the copies. I’ll say it again, the higher the stack, the faster they sign.
I prefer to control the paperwork and actually make sure they know what they’re signing since that’s the job.
A noble thought, but you’re not there to man/woman-splain documents. Aside from the legals and the settlement statement, why would you care if the signers understand what they are signing? I don’t ask the Grub Hub delivery driver to explain the credit card charges on my receipt. You’re there to witness signatures and notarize the legals. If the signers have questions, the loan officer is the only person actually authorized to answer them. But admit it, doesn’t it make us feel all tingly when we spin those documents (with an explanation) across the table like a used car salesman?
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You’re absolutely not alone — this has become a growing problem across the industry, and it’s getting worse, not better. I recently received a package from Mortgage Connect that was 385 pages, with multiple duplicate instruments and unnecessary internal documents that have nothing to do with what the signer actually needs to review or sign. It’s extremely inefficient, and it shifts all of the burden — time, materials, toner, wear on equipment — directly onto the Notary Signing Agent.
What makes this even more frustrating is that printer quality and toner reliability have declined significantly since the pandemic. Costs have gone up, consistency has gone down, and yet signing services expect Notaries to absorb the additional expense without any adjustment in compensation.
To manage this, I’ve begun printing only the documents that the signer actually needs to sign or initial. The rest — the extra informational pages, escrow-only internal forms, redundant disclosures, and lender copies — are materials meant for the title or escrow agent, not the Notary. If they want all their internal office paperwork printed twice, that needs to be compensated. We are service providers, not free print shops.
The real issue here is that Notaries keep absorbing losses in silence, and the companies know it. Which is why I strongly believe it’s time for us, as professionals, to start setting boundaries together instead of individually.
• No more accepting massive document packages without proper fee adjustments.
• No more printing hundreds of unnecessary pages at our own cost.
• No more allowing services to inflate their workload onto Notaries without compensation.
• No more being afraid to say “no” or request fair pay for oversized packages.
If more Notaries hold the line and stop accepting unreasonable expectations, the signing services will have no choice but to correct the behavior — because they cannot function without us.
It’s long past time for Notary Signing Agents to unite, communicate, and demand reasonable, equitable standards across the industry. When we stop absorbing the cost of inefficiency, the industry will finally be forced to stop creating it.
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Here’s an informative forum post from a few years back that may answer some of the issues raised in this and other recent posts.
Professional Signing Agent/Notary Union?
My submissions address all these issues from a “let’s start a union” perspective. It’s worth a look. And, mind you, whiIe agree with the problems stated by this author, I just don’t think they can be solved for the reasons I’ve given in my various responses in the thread I’ve referenced.
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I disagree completely if you don’t do anything why would a signing service hire you? No, it makes me feel like I am doing my job.