I am SOOOO happy for you. I don't know whether you went to an attorney's or title office, but now many or most of these are done in people's homes.
RANT
I have been a Notary Signing Agent since March, 2013, and I've handled the paperwork for several original mortgages, thought most of my work is refi mortgages. It is amazing that somebody can sign here in IL for a mortgage in another state, like SC (that happened last week) and their spouse signs the rest of the paperwork the very next day after FedEx or UPS has overnighted the paperwork, with a different notary notarizing each borrower's documents.
I go to these closings now, with a sticky note for each borrower, hand written how the names are printed on the documents, TODAY's date and how they are to initial any initialed pages, to put in front of them to help remind them to sign it all right. This is EXTREMELY fussy work and most people don't have to sign these large packages very often in their lives, usually 90-180 pages each. You cannot sign any of these in less than 30 minutes and I have had 3 hour signings before. People sometimes schedule other things the same day, according to the lender's "unicorn time promises." This summer, I got a call Friday at 7PM for an 8PM morning signing, and I was on my way to a 7PM signing at the time. I asked for and GOT a hefty fee for this, but as soon as we done the 8AM signing, the borrower left to catch a bus to a baseball game in Chicago. =/
The lenders want them done on time, quickly and sent back immediately, and like to let the borrowers pick any 'ole time and date, regardless of whether a local signing agent is available, or not. We are contacted
after the appointment is made, and Too often we get the paperwork emailed to us or go to a site to download the pdf file (s) right before we need to leave for a closing.
So...I feel for you, bc I know that these lenders are working on the next mortgages before they finish with yours. My major complaint is that they are rushed and often the borrowers and the bank don't communicate with each other. The other day, I drove to a refi closing for a couple, and had NO IDEA that co-borrower had suffered and stroke and had to sign about 120/160 pages. I don't think that his wife had told them about this. I live with an attorney, my DD is also an attorney, and they told me that he could have signed with an "x", and it still would have legal, also, since his wife had POA, she could have signed it all for him, too. Pity.
Since my work is part time and I am an independent contractor, I am now telling my vendors and the banks that call me that I have to have the paperwork about 4 hours minimum before I have to leave for a closing, or else I will cancel the closing. It's SO STUPID to make these appointments before all of the figures have been resolved. The paperwork gets filed, and you can make changes with your lendor later, BUT, the blame is always thrown on the signing agent whenever there is a mistkae (again, bc too many of these are rushed)
ALSO, the lenders try to pay us very cheaply, or so low that we make no profit, even though, it's the expense of gasoline, wear and tear on your car, YOUR paper, and YOUR printer's toner. Most jobs eat through 300 pages of paper (one ream=500 sheets of paper= ~ $2-$6/ream, but I buy on sale) and each toner lasts between 1,000 sheets and 1,600 sheets, and these represent my dedicated printer at the office and my printer at home, bc I work from both places)
i have to negoiate a fee that makes me a profit, and I have many vendors that agree to decent fees. i have had ONE vendor who decided that my error should cost me my ENTIRE profit, and it took me a year to get paid for the two jobs I did for them in 2013, but I finally got paid. I don't work for them, anymore, instead I overprice every job, or I have a "conflict".
Just wanted all of you to know that mobile notaries have been around for 15 years now, and it's highly likely that your next refi mortgage or original mortgage, or signing for an investment property will be handled by one.
i DO enjoy the work and I want a happy ending for the people who are signing and borrowing.
Understand, however, the real winner is the bank, bc they start raking in interest payments for their lenders two months after the signing.
DD and I both do this work. i think my favorite serivce is Quicken's Loans. They give the borrower the option to overnight all of the paperwork prior to the closing. Your copy is neatly bound, the paperwork to be signed is in a nice package, sealed until the Notary opens it, and they throw in a couple of pens with their name on them. I have a small collection of them. Sometimes I do a Quicken's Loan where I am asked to print the signed copy, and I bring these pens for the signing, principally bc states have laws about what color to use, and everybody wants the pens to be a uniform color and type, so I always supply the pens.
Just some FYI, but I am really happy that you FINALLY got this done!!
