Herbert Willis, President of Sunshine Signing, joined host Mike Sedita on the Good Neighbor Podcast to talk about innovations in notarizations and sealing the deal. The Good Neighbor Podcast is known for speaking with successful business owners in the Tampa area.
Read MoreIllinois Passes Remote Online Notarization
Illinois became the 47th state to legalize Remote Online Notarization last week.
They unveiled their new e-notary system, which allows residents to notarize documents remotely.
You could still previously use RON to sign documents, but there were too many pitfalls. Everyone had to be within the state, and it still required a wet signature from the notary. The new rules require the notary to be in Illinois, but the signers can be anywhere.
“In keeping with our ongoing effort to modernize the Secretary of State’s office, E-Notary serves as a game-changer for Illinoisians by now providing a convenient way to notarize documents without leaving their home or office,” Alexi Giannoulias said. “Enabling commissioned notaries to work virtually makes the process faster and more secure for individuals and businesses alike.”
As of now, there are just about 250 notaries approved to be e-notaries in the state, though that number is probably going to explode as we move forward.
The E-Notary system facilitates electronic signatures from both the customer and notary, along with electronically attaching the notarial certificate and seal to the document.
Following the Illinois General Assembly’s 2021 legislation authorizing electronic notarization, Secretary of State Giannoulias prioritized its implementation.
This involved securing state approval for administrative rules, developing an E-Notary application, vetting technology providers, and training staff for processing applications.
WREX
Notaries may charge up to $25 for an e-notarization.
Your Nationwide Notary Signing Service
Increase your efficiency and bottom line with Sunshine’s Mobile Notary Services and Online Notary Services. Sunshine is always there when you need us.
Or Call us at (727) 817-0000
Mister Goblin – “The Notary”
Another day, another win for notaries in pop culture. You may remember Notary Publix, the shorts from 2015 were the last time we told you about notaries in pop culture. That time a streaming series of shorts featuring former Saturday Night Live actress Kate McKinnon.
Well, welcome to the music world. In April, Mister Goblin has a new album coming out called Frog Poems. And part of that is a track called “The Notary”, which was released on Youtube a few days ago.
The song talks about how the singer wants to become a notary so the singer can have some practical use in life.
“The idea for this one came up during pandemic lockdown when I was brainstorming excuses I could make to get out and see people without violating the social contract,” Sam Goblin said of ‘The Notary’ in a statement. “One of the ideas being that I could become a notary and stamp shit for my friends. Never did get around to it, but I did write this song. Joe (the other guitarist on the record) had to sell me a little bit on the shoegaze-y whammy bar part he wrote, but I’m so glad he did because now I think it really makes the song.”
ourculture
Check it out below.
2024 Update to Florida Witness Requirements
Attention Notary Professionals
Witness requirements in Florida for real estate documents are changing in January 2024. It is important to take care in fulfilling these new obligations so your documents are done correctly.
Read MoreChoosing the Right Title Company: Tips for Home Buyers
For Prospective Home Buyers
One thing a lot of home buyers don’t think about it the title company they will use to close the transaction. People are rightfully honed in on choosing their new home, but forget about chain of titile and how important it is in the home buying process.
Selecting a trustworthy title company is a crucial step in the home buying process. Here are some guidelines to help home buyers choose the right title company:
Read MoreHigh Real Estate Prices and the Impact on Notary Work: Challenges and Adaptations
The real estate market is currently experiencing a period of remarkable growth and high real estate prices, with property prices soaring in many regions. While this trend can bring financial gains to homeowners and investors, it also has far-reaching effects on various sectors of the economy.
Notary work, which plays a crucial role in mortgage and real estate transactions, is no exception. The surge in real estate prices presents both challenges and opportunities for notaries as they navigate the evolving landscape.
Read MoreMortgage Rates Continue to Climb
Would be buyers took another hit this week as mortgage rates continue to climb. Under normal circumstances, housing prices would fall, but low inventory continues to raise prices, as demand is exceeding supply.
Read MoreStudent Loans and the Housing Market
We doubt anyone was thinking about student loans a few months ago, except for those that have them. But, they have a looming effects on the housing market, already hit hard by high interest rates.
Why Student Loans will Affect the Market
Look back to the pandemic. Extreme measures were implemented to ease the economic suffering of so many people. In that regard, payments for federal student loans have been frozen.
And that is about to change. At the beginning of October the freeze ends and potential home buyers will see another bill coming their way.
Read MoreEffective Leadership Skills
Effective leadership requires a combination of skills and qualities that enable individuals to guide, motivate, and inspire others to achieve common goals and objectives. These essential and effective leadership skills include:
- Communication: Strong communication skills are fundamental for leaders. They must articulate their vision, expectations, and ideas clearly and listen actively to their team members. Effective communication fosters understanding and collaboration.
- Emotional Intelligence: Leaders with high emotional intelligence can understand and manage their own emotions and those of others. This skill helps in building strong relationships, resolving conflicts, and motivating team members.
- Vision and Strategic Thinking: A good leader has a clear vision for the future and the ability to formulate a strategic plan to achieve that vision. They can set goals, prioritize tasks, and make decisions that align with the overall strategy.
- Decision-Making: Leaders must make tough decisions, often with limited information. They should be able to analyze situations, consider various options, and make informed choices. Being decisive is crucial to moving forward.
- Adaptability: In today’s rapidly changing world, adaptability is key. Leaders need to be open to new ideas, willing to change course when necessary, and resilient in the face of setbacks.
- Empathy: Empathetic leaders understand the feelings and perspectives of their team members. They can connect on a personal level, show compassion, and consider individual needs and concerns.
- Conflict Resolution: Conflict is inevitable in any group or organization. Effective leaders can address conflicts constructively, facilitating resolutions that are in the best interest of the team and the organization.
- Delegation: Effective leadership skills include the ability to delegate tasks and responsibilities to team members, while trusting them to complete the work. Delegation empowers team members and allows leaders to focus on high-priority tasks.
- Motivation: Leaders inspire and motivate their teams to achieve their best performance. This involves recognizing achievements, providing positive feedback, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
- Accountability: Leaders lead by example and take responsibility for their actions and decisions. They hold themselves and their team members accountable for meeting goals and fulfilling responsibilities.
- Problem-Solving: Effective leaders are adept at identifying and solving problems. They encourage creativity and critical thinking among their team members and actively work to find solutions to challenges.
- Time Management: Leaders often have demanding schedules. Effective leadership includes time management skills that are essential for prioritizing tasks, meeting deadlines, and maintaining work-life balance.
- Integrity: Leaders must be trustworthy and honest. Demonstrating integrity in all actions builds trust among team members and stakeholders.
- Resilience: Effective leadership can be challenging, and setbacks are inevitable. Resilient leaders bounce back from adversity, maintain a positive outlook, and keep moving forward.
- Team Building: Leaders should be skilled in building cohesive and high-performing teams. This involves identifying strengths and weaknesses, promoting collaboration, and fostering a sense of unity.
- Innovation: Forward-thinking leaders encourage innovation and creativity within their teams. They are open to new ideas and embrace change as a means of improvement.
Remember that effective leadership skills are not about mastering each skill perfectly, but continually developing and refining these skills to suit specific situations and contexts. Great leaders are adaptable and always open to growth and improvement.
Your Nationwide Notary Signing Service
Increase your efficiency and bottom line with Sunshine’s Mobile Notary Services and Online Notary Services. Sunshine is always there when you need us.
Or Call us at (727) 817-0000
Inventory for Housing Highest This Year
While inventory on the housing market is still at historic lows, they have reached the highest they have been so far in 2023. While there are 10% less houses on the market compared to this time last year, current inventory is now 1% higher than it was just one week ago.
The Altos Rule
This arises in the face of still rising interest rates, which are expected to raise rates. This is according to the Altos rule.
To understand the future of housing inventory in this country remember the Altos Rule. The Altos rule says that the more available inventory of homes to buy is the result of higher mortgage rates. If rates climb, so does inventory. If rates fall, inventory will fall.
Housing Wire
Summer is known for raising inventory, which usually peaks in August, but which is now expected to grow until September. There are now just under 500,000 single family homes on the open market. Houses on the open market is raising at a faster rate than it was at this time last year.
There are now just under 365,000 homes under contract. This flies in the face of interest rates that are the highest they’ve been in twenty years.
Current Market Prices
Even in the face of rising interest rates, home prices are still rising. In fact, housing prices are still rising in 99 of the 100 biggest markets.
But, 35% of homes on the market have seen price reductions since being listed. So, even though prices are rising, in many cases they are not rising at the pace sellers hope they are.
And we can see it in the home price reduction data too. Price reductions are about to inch above 2018 and 2019 again. 35.5% of the homes on the market have had price reductions. Price cuts always tick up late in the summer, and this year’s seasonal increase is speeding up just a bit with the recent higher mortgage rates. Each week we have slightly fewer buyers, making slightly fewer offers, so slightly more sellers cut their asking prices.
Housing Wire
First Time Home Buyers
So, as we stand in the face of rising interest rates, there are some positives. Negatively affected are younger, first time home buyers, who are increasingly being priced out of the market.
During the 2007 crash, many first time home buyers felt compelled to buy their home before prices rose even higher. This led to many foreclosures among that group. With record high home prices, it remains to be seen if that will happen again, or if potential first time home buyers will just stay out of the housing market.
Since, historically, real estate has been one of the best investments, the pressure of rising housing prices may negatively affect this group, and the larger market, in the long run.
Your Nationwide Notary Signing Service
Increase your efficiency and bottom line with Sunshine’s Mobile Notary Services and Online Notary Services. Sunshine is always there when you need us.