Hi all. So I did the Loan Signing System course as well as the Notary Learning Center course. I am eager to do my first signing but also very nervous. I don’t feel like I would be able to confidently explain all of the documents that I am asking the borrower to sign. Am I over reacting? Any advice?
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Think the biggest mistake newbs make is over-explaining the docs. Pretty much the Title of the doc says what it’s about. The worst thing you can do is screw up an ‘explanation’ with what you think it means & be very wrong… and then have a Borrower tell the Lender ‘but the notary SAID’…
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Thanks, that is what I thought . But if a borrower asks about a document, do you just give them a few minutes to read it over themselves?
Of course. They can take as much time as they want to ‘read every word in this package’. Never had 'em actually do that past the 3rd page. You’ve taken 2 courses, start using what you learned. It won’t take very many before you’ll be able to do 'em with your eyes closed. Most Lenders would prefer you not ‘explain’ anything…just ‘describe’ it. This is the Note; it obligates you to make the payments…like that. Short & sweet.
Also, remember these are refis…they’ve seen this stuff before.
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If he the borrower or signer has any questions you can refer them to the loan officer.
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Thanks so much for the encouragement
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I did the LSS also. Just keep going over the video and docs that were in the course Just read and get familiar with the docs. practice with someone, practice by yourself. You will get it and gain confidence. I am watching right now, I have a signing this Friday and a General Notary appointment tomorrow. You will be fine.
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You will get different answers. I always start off by saying (after initial pleasantries), “Now allow me to give you the lay of the land,” and then I proceed to tell the customer what I can do as a notary in my state or can’t do, such as given advice, interpret docs, etc. That done, we start with the first doc. I read the title of doc, point out information they need to read and interpret, fill in the blanks, etc., etc., and signatures. This is a shorthand version, but it covers the basics. I was nervous on the first signing too, less nervous on the second, less on the third. What I knew going into the home was that if the customer liked me, they would be much more forgiving of my fumbling and mistakes, or not notice at all. I like a little warm up to put us all at ease before we start (i.e, “What a wonderful velvet painting of Elvis”, or whatever). In my case, it took about year before I didn’t have to think much about what I was doing, by that time I’d done a lot of signings. I mean to say that it became more and more automatic, I knew what I was doing. But there was a period of trial and error, I made mistakes. It’s part of the deal.
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