Originally Posted 1/13/22

Congratulations!! After all the hard work, scrimping and saving, building and strengthening your credit, and making offer after offer, you have finally arrived! You are now an official new homeowner. It is such an exciting and exhausting experience. But before you start packing up the boxes and raiding Home Goods in the early hours of the morning, before the fun stuff comes, there will be signatures. You must sign your name on what will amount to hundreds of documents and digital agreements over the coming days and weeks. If you have never bought a piece of property, this process may seem more than overwhelming. Don’t fret; your friendly neighborhood notary loan signing agent is here to help.

Producing a loan and buying a property is like strapping into a roller coaster—a ride with twists, turns, and dips. Sometimes, you feel like you are racing towards the biggest purchase of your life and hanging upside down. It is not an easy process, and quite honestly, it’s not very entertaining. Still, when it all comes together and you get the keys to your new home, it will all be worth it.

There will come a time to sign the final documents for every purchase, refinance, or home sale. The signing could occur in several locations, including your current home, the title office, or Starbucks. Wherever your signing occurs, it will happen with a Notary Signing Agent. A Notary Signing Agent is a notary public with the training and certification to handle loan signings. A notary public is needed at the signing table because a number of the documents to be signed need notarized signatures. Title and Escrow offices hire Notary Signing Agents to assist with the signing because they have trained to effectively and efficiently walk you through the entire loan package. They can explain confusing documents and create a sense of comfort, calm, and confidence at the signing table.

So, what should you expect at the singing table during your loan signing? Let’s walk through it.

There will be an assortment of documents in any given package. However, there will be many standard documents in California, and I will write a little about those here today. I won’t list all the documents in your signing package, as each lender and title office may add or subtract certain documents. But in general, you will always see the following documents:

Closing Disclosure; This one matters. It’s a pretty close estimate to all your final numbers. You can find the purchase price, loan amount, and type of loan. You will find your payment amount, escrow, possible mortgage insurance, and your final payment amount on this document.

Uniform Residential Loan Application; This is just a printed version of the loan application you already filled out. If you are applying for a joint loan, there will be sneaky spots on the first page where you need to initial, and your notary will point those out.

California Per Diem Interest Affidavit; This is a very California-specific form, and this entire concept can be confusing. It is a document that have you choose when the loan funds; the two choices determine how quickly you get your funds and if you accrue extra interest fees in the disbursement process. It may be a form you ask your escrow officer about before the signing.

Amortization Schedule; This 5-9 page document lists all your payments for the loan’s life. It shows the payment amount and the amount going to interest and principal. Sometimes these documents require initials, a signature, and sometimes nothing.

Borrowers' Consent to use tax return information; This tax form, once signed, gives your lenders access to your tax records for specific years. By the time you’ve reached the table, they have accessed your tax return information.

*Errors and Omissions/ Compliance Agreement; This document promises that you will assist in any changes or corrections that need to be made. These are strictly clerical changes. This document also requires notarization.

*Signature Affidavit: You may see your name in one or more variations on this document. You will sign this and address each of the name variations. This document requires notarization

First Payment Letter; You will see your loan and first payment information on this document. It will also tell you when your first payment is due. (Normally two months away.)

*Correction agreement/ limited power of attorney; This is another document asking that you would not only assist in correcting any of the papers, but it also asks for a 120-day limited power of attorney. This POA is just to allow them to go in a fix things. You should know these corrections will never be about money or finances; they could often be fixing notary mistakes. This document always requires notarization.

Note; This is your promise to pay. Sometimes it will require your initials and signature, but more often than not, a signature is all that is needed.

*Deed of Trust, Often referred to as DOT. Also known as Trust Deed, this is the functional equivalent to a mortgage, and it makes a piece of absolute property security for a loan. The DOT is often a 15-17 page document and sometimes requires initials on every page, and sometimes just a signature at the back. This document also requires a notary.

There will be many more forms, disclosures, and agreements in your package and tax information. Overall, however, the biggies are on this list.

A couple of other things to be aware of at your signing are the requirements of the notary. For your notary to adequately and lawfully conduct the signing, they will need a couple of things, i.e., identification or a driver’s license. Your ID cannot be expired, and it doesn’t have to be a California license; it can be any state license. The notary signing agent might also need a second form of identification. There is another document that lenders often include in the package: the Patriot Act Form. It will require two forms of id. You can use your state ID, social security card, passport, or Costco membership card. Be sure to come prepared with a second form of identification for this document.

This entire process at the signing table can take as little as 45 minutes and as long as 2 hours. It will ultimately depend on you and how much time you take to read at the table or how much time you spend pre-reading documents before the signings. More of this is in your control than you may think.

I hope you found this article helpful. If you are on your way to the signing table for the first time and have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I’m here to help you and help ensure your signing is smooth and effortless.

Jennifer Cooper

JKC Mobile Notary

559-212-4706

jcooper@jkcmobilenotary.com