That’s a great price. I would stock up for sure.
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Office Depot Printing charges 3 cents a copy for notaries. But - you have to sign up with them as a notary and get an SPC card with an SPC number. I find it more convenient than printing documents myself, especially when I have more than 2 orders. . They charge same for both legal and letter and you order is printed and organized the way escrow wants it… Just email order to office depot - then pick it up on your way to signings. Saves you printing time as well…
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@seattlecondospecialist I am beyond stunned that you email a borrower’s loan package to Office Depot for them to print. Borrower’s privacy and security of their PII goes right out the window with this practice…and is also goes beyond all best practices for a notary public
Just Wow…no other words
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This it my first time posting but I read the blogs and have learned a lot from all of you. I am a newbie as well and I will say when your name isn’t recognized by a lot of SS and TC; it is very hard starting off to get the offers. Some of us have put our total focus on making this business flourish and it we can’t afford to turn down offers when we are new in the field. I do agree some of the fees for all things considered are low balling us for what all is required. Keep in mind for someone starting off a month or so ago, they have to take what they can get. It is a learning experience and an opportunity for the SA to build their brand and establish a reputable reputation; and it’s hard when there are so many seasoned veterans in the game. I am not in the most booming City but the surrounding counties around me have a market that is more fast pace and attract more revenue. When I think about how many offers I get a day and can only get because the seasoned Vets gets it first; it can almost be discouraging. You have to crawl before you walk. I completely understand a lot the Vets on this platform and no disrespect because I listen to all of you. But for the newcomers the acceptance of the lower pay is a different perspective from the Vets. For that reason I work diligently on marketing myself for direct relationships because I realize that is going to take me where I want to go with my business versus SS. I encourage other newcomers to step out on faith and have confidence in what they have learned and challenge themselves to get some direct deals/closings along with the SS.
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Ouch, I’m shocked too. I delete all info off my computer immediately after UPS/FedEX drop off, so letting the client’s private info floating out there is a BIG NO for me. I always use encrypted email with password when dealing with private info.
@vizionzmobilenotary Excellent work negotiating.
=> Regarding fees each business owner decides to charge, once you go low it’s very difficult for that client to approve a requested increase in baseline fees.
Plus, the end result is lower fees for all because of the pricing ‘race to the bottom’ to gain some experience.
As has been mentioned many times, starting a business within this business sector is a MARATHON, not a sprint.
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Also, there is an excellent specific cost breakdown by one business owner for services within her [ @anon78047977 ] region & for her overhead:
"Ok for a seasoned already in business Signing Agent (meaning no start up costs to factor in, just on going costs)
Average Refinance
- 150 pages (300 when having to print 2 copies)
- 35 miles average miles to signing/from signing/to FedEx drop
- Print cost average .15 per page (Laser printer, standard paper. Note this is also the cost at Staples, FedEx Office in the area BUT I have actually calculated my real costs by dividing the number of pages I get from a toner kit, my drum kit, cost of paper etc. but I use this average of .15 because there are Notaries around who actually use outside printing)
- IRS mileage .56 per mile (you can use actual costs of gas, insurance, plus maintenance costs. I will use the IRS rate because it’s a good average and I also have Tolls I have to pay which I will not add in this example. Also later I kind of use this amount as a “catch all” for other expenses. Again, I have determined my “actual” costs and the averages I use are pretty spot on.)
- 2.25 hours an average total time spent which includes, confirming appt & reviewing instructions, printing/prepping docs, travel time to/from/to FedEx, signing/notarizing docs, scan back
- Costs that people usually do not take into consideration because it’s part of their household BUT they are costs of running a business (home office expenses - internet, electric, computer, phone, supplies, etc.) Remember every business has similar expenses
So here we go…let’s look at average total for this signing:
$45 print costs
$19.60 mileage rate (So this number is based on IRS mileage rate. I use this number as a catch all to give me an estimate of my actual costs (gas, toll, %of annual maintenance, %of insurance and a % of home office costs, %of supplies, etc. Since I know my % for every business expenses, I already know this number is pretty close to my actual costs. For example my actual costs for this signing would be around $21)
It will cost me $64.60 for a 150 page refinance order. With no issues, no traffic, no reprints, no problems
If I took a $75 signing fee I would net $10.40
I would net roughly $4.62 per hour for a signing that took up 2.25 hours of my time.
$95 I would net $30.40 or $13.51 per hour
$125 I would net $60.40 or $26.84 per hour
$150 I would net $85.40 or $37.96 per hour
So when I advocate for SAs and fees I am not just coming up with number off the top of my head. I have done the math for myself personally."
SOURCE: Signing Agent Fee is Just Not a Notary Fee - #38 by notarybe
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OOPS!
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By any chance have you requested and received authorization to make copies of the Borrowers document packages at a commercial business?
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FIRST OOPS: By emailing a borrower’s loan document package to Office Depot and/or FedEx, QuikPrint, etc. it exposes their non-public private identifying information [NPII] to great risk.
This is the reason nearly all lenders & title/escrow companies [T/ECs] adamantly insist that THEIR OFFICE chooses and takes action regarding emailing documents to the Borrowers.
SECOND OOPS: Most commercial copying equipment contains memory chips that retain images of all documents copied. This is also exposing their NPII to great risk.
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Truth! It doesn’t matter if you are a newbie or not. It doesn’t matter! Newbies think they have to take the low ball offers to get established. This will not help newbies. Guess what? After you have worked for almost nothing for a long time…there will be new newbies who are told the same scam. It is a never ending circle. It’s a scam to say once you have experience they will pay more. They will not because there will always be some newbies working for next to nothing.
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Agree, agree, agree… experience explains / newbs don’t heed. Gets old.
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Yes, it does get old . . . maybe they don’t realize we are providing this wisdom without compensation . . .
When we were learning, no one handed us answers (unless we paid a Mentor for their insights). We each had to grind it out, make mistakes, learn, correct, and implement a plan of action to improve the services we provide via our businesses 1 at a time.
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Thank You for your detailed breakdown! Very helpful!
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NOTE: The detailed pricing data provided (above) is an excerpt from the post created by notarybe. Source cited at the end of the post above.
Same thing happened to me! I was getting steady work from them for $150 then I took sometime off, when I got back they wanted me to sign up for auto assignments for $75 per package. I said no so they stopped calling me 
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Again my post was just giving perspective in what some of the newbies are facing. It does not mean I agree with it or accept it to be the handbook of which we should follow. It is just easier to say how people should conduct their business when you do not know their circumstances or finances. All newbies will not be in the position to turn down offers because they are lesser amounts than what we deserve. You can generally give advice and advocate for the appropriate pay; I just don’t think anyone is at liberty to make some of the new comers feel guilty for doing what they need to survive. I market myself and spend hours trying to figure out how I can better myself and expand my reach. I am not afraid of putting myself out there and going for the Directs, nor am I afraid to ask for the fee I deserve,. I just understand everyone starting out will not have that same mindset. I just was sharing a perspective that seems like it’s missed because of the most of the Vets are so far detached from that beginning process and responds from their level of expertise. I have a mentor that helps guide me through my journey but I also have other things set in place that so many others may not have and it makes a huge difference. I will graciously bow out of this topic because I am not afraid of demanding what I deserve.
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Attagirl!…… 
Good for you. 
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Please don’t paint ALL experienced certified notary signing agents [CNSAs] with the same broad-brush stroke based on faulty assumptions . . .
There are several experienced CNSAs (with a decade or more of tenure) who choose to donate their time, efforts, and energy to contributing daily to the forum because they remember quite well the overwhelming growing pains & burn of launching their business in this competitive business sector.
It’s quite a shock to feel a "bite on the hand that is feeding’ expertise to those seeking trustworthy insights for free. 
Your post gives many of us cause for pause as to why we continue endeavoring to assist . . .
Wishing you the Best 
Vets are so far detached from that beginning process …ha! We get the same stupid lowball offers that newbs do. Difference is we always say no and N E G O T I A T E
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@Arichter Confirming accuracy with your experience, position, & response. Identical experience here. Yes, regularly receive the “same stupid lowball offers that newbs do. Difference is we always say no and N E G O T I A T E”