Best States to be an LSA in + Inquiry About Tennessee

Beginner's Questions
1

Hi all, hope it’s okay I’m asking a question, I deeply appreciate you taking your time to read and respond as I know your time is valuable.

So, I already have done hours of research about the state of Tennessee. Apparently, it used to be an attorney state as older articles online say it was. I called the Secretary of State office plus local attorneys… it’s NOT an attorney state.

One of my questions is… role call for TN, anyone here in TN (I’m looking at moving to Knoxville area) staying busy with loan signing assignments?

One of my concerns… I’ve been putting feelers out by calling Knoxville title/escrow companies and asking the usual questions, do they use mobile notaries, etc. Most of them said they have in-office notaries, some local go-to notaries, and lastly about 10% of the time they will outsource. That doesn’t sound promising??

In one of the Mark Wills videos where he interviews an Escrow Officer, they were talking about that “an average officer likes to have at least 10 signing agents in their rotation”… well, the title companies I talked to in Knoxville were talking like they are already plenty well stocked.

Any thoughts on this, or better yet YOUR personal experience working Tennessee?

I am currently in South Carolina (attorney state, won’t start this career here if it’s nearly impossible). No kids. Husband wants to do this too. We can hustle 7 am - 10 pm if that’s what it takes. Can relocate anywhere… looking to start a new life with a new career.

My other question is… WHY does it look like most of the highest earning LSA’s are located in the escrow states of… you guessed it… Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, New Mexico? Is it BETTER to move to one of those states to give ourselves the best opportunities? I can if needed, I have no strings attached in my life.

Y’all know all those youtube testimonial videos you see out there… mostly the ones Mark Wills is always putting out. I would say most of those agents making 8K+/month shown in those videos… are in the states above. Is it just a coincidence, or…?

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Not a coincidence. Getting direct, repeat business from one or more ‘local’ TCs seems to be only viable in really large cities or the states you mentioned. I’m in rural/small town Arkansas…and all the TCs in my 6 county service area consider me as ‘the competition’. Mark Wills is in CA. If you & hubby are both doing this…you better move to a very large city with huge volume or you’ll be each other’s competition.

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Hello, I am commissioned in the North SF Bay area in Calif. We are slammed over here. I am getting about 50-60 text messages plus direct phone calls thru Snap Docs and other agencies averaging $125-175 per signing. This is the state you want if u want to stay busy.

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So I’ve dug a little deeper beyond the Attorney States vs Not conundrum. Check out this image below, there’s another category called Title Company States. Which looks like comprises most of the country… with the Attorney states being on the east, and the couple Escrow states on the west.

Can anyone give clarification as to WHY it appears this industry is hottest in those handful of Escrow states?

Does the “closing table” concept make it not as hot here in the title company states?

That is what they were telling me when I called the TN title companies as a feeler… that closings typically take place at the table.

Out West, is closing NOT taking place at the company table?

Just trying to decipher why it seems like so many of the superstar interview testimonials are in that handful of states.

Getting tempted to move out there… lol .

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WOW nice! That’s amazing. I know many are moving out of CA but still so many are moving in. Happy to hear you stay more than busy. Is speaking Spanish required, or do you think it will be in the near future? I am tempted ha, though I bet the cost of living is a huge change.

6

Thanks for your response, I enjoy reading your commentary here.
Yeah I’ve thought of getting Jon Snedeker’s course since his experience is from FL (more similar) and like you said Mark Wills is in CA which is a different ball game.
That’s not good the TCs consider you the competition. The whole thing that all these course videos/interviews I’ve been watching keep saying is that the office workers/closers can only be in 1 closing at a time so they have to “bring us in for overflow closing work.”
Like you are saying, there’s NO WAY that is the case for all metro areas. The TCs I talked to in Knoxville pretty well said they can meet their current flow and may not need me.

It doesn’t entirely make sense, TN and many states out here have tons and tons of transplants moving in, countless retirees plus people escaping from the cold and companies relocating here due to much lower cost of living and taxation. Maybe all that doesn’t trickle down to positive flow for notaries!

I would like to know why the escrow states out West seem to be best for this industry, maybe there’s no rhyme or reason. May consider moving, though a big change for a lifelong southern girl :grinning:

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No spanish is not required but would be a plus. The signings that require a bilingual notary will state it in the initial text( most of the time). Yes the cost if leaving is high especially in renting or buying property. I have been here all my life, so I am accustomed to it.

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I am in Nashville, which is a booming market. In July there were 5,000 closings in Davidson county alone. That does not include refi, heloc, reverse mortgages, or loan modifications. However, the cost of living in Nashville and the surrounding areas is higher than in any other part of the state. Not sure about the Knox County area market.

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9

Thank you for your transparency, much appreciated. I am considering Nashville now as well. I’ve been testing the waters with Chattanooga by doing as much due diligence as I can, which means calling SS’s and asking if they have frequent assignments in Chatt area (answer is no) and calling the local title companies, which they are all telling me they handle everything in house and attitude was a bit hostile… not sure if that is common. So not looking good for Chatt and it would be scary to make the big move there and not get work. Whereas Nville, I did the same experiment and a handful of TC’s told me they hire in mobile notaries “all the time” and “would I like to be added to the list.” Awesome! So that’s encouraging.

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I would love to hear how Memphis area notaries are doing.