Tag: remote closing

But really, have you met RON?

Ever since the State of Kansas passed and implemented permanent RON legislation, we’ve been hard at work to get RON off the ground and running.

We’re thrilled to introduce you to our friend RON.

Who/what is RON?

RON stands for Remote Online Notarization. This is the process of a signer appearing before a notary public (with RON designation) via a recorded audio-visual call. The documents are signed and notarized electronically, and the signer must complete KBA (knowledge-based authentication) identity verification prior to signing.

The implementation of KBA identity verification makes completing a signing and notarization with RON technology even more secure than in-person.

Why does RON matter?

Over the past few years we have come to understand the need to be flexible and introduce remote solutions. Beyond quarantine and illness, we’re living in an increasingly digital world. If you can order your groceries from your couch, why not buy or sell your house? Both are inevitably quicker and contact free.

The significance of RON goes beyond a matter of convenience. Sellers often move before the sale and buyers aren’t always available to close. Our Kansas RON notaries can complete a notarization with a signer anywhere in the United States. Over the past month, we’ve completed deed packets with sellers in Colorado, Iowa, Texas, and right here in the Flint Hills.  These signings took no more than 15 or 20 minutes, proving to be quicker and more cost effective than overnighting documents back and forth to out of state parties.

How does it work?

Tallgrass Title has partnered with the RON platform Pavaso in order to complete seamless notarizations. Like many other RON platforms, Pavaso boasts KBA identity tools and an environment to perform audio-visual sessions, that are recorded and stored for 10 years (should there ever be any question about a particular signing or document).

Pavaso also allows for your Tallgrass Title closers to act as the notary during these RON sessions, whereas many RON vendors require that you use their contracted notaries. We understand that relationships make up 90% of the work that we do – if you and your client utilize RON through Tallgrass Title, you and your clients will be meeting with your beloved Tallgrass Title closers.

If we decide that RON will be right for your next transaction, we will send the signer and any requested observers links to sign up for Pavaso in advance of the scheduled “closing” time. During this time, the signer will have access to review the documents they will be signing in advance. We feel that this gives the client opportunity to prepare questions for the closing agent and avoid the “rush” feeling that often accompanies in-person signings.

When will this be available?

It’s available now! We have been using RON to complete deed packets for several months now and have found this to be an excellent resource for sellers. We hope to utilize RON for loan packets in the future, but approval will always be up to the individual lender’s discretion. If your lending institution is interested in or already using RON, let’s talk!

That’s a wrap!

If your team would benefit from more information about this awesome resource, we’d love to sit down and provide you with more information and/or a demo! Please keep this awesome resource in mind for your next transaction. And as always, let us know how we can best serve you and your clients – it’s what we’re here for!

What’s new at Tallgrass Title in 2022?

We hope that you had a wonderful Christmas season and we wish you good luck in the coming year. The past two years have been incredibly eventful at Tallgrass Title and we are grateful to every buyer, seller, realtor, lender, and vendor we’ve have the opportunity to work with during such unprecedented times. We’ve seen many businesses bloom as the region responds to growth and an everchanging market. It has been so good to do business with you.  We want to make note of a couple of changes you might notice around Tallgrass in the New Year.

RON is coming to Tallgrass

RON Swanson? Weasley? Not quite! Remote Online Notarization.  Kansas passed legislation last spring that allows Kansas Notaries to complete notarizations through remote audio-visual conferences, beginning in January 2022.  With this capability, we will be able to conduct a deed packet signing or close a loan with your client over a video call. We will be able to close your deals anywhere in the state of Kansas!  Look for an announcement about this service in the coming weeks. This is a service we cannot wait to provide!

New Rates & Fees

Tallgrass takes pride in providing top-notch customer service and the best value for title insurance premiums and closing costs. In order to maintain our high level of customer service, we have made a small adjustment to our premiums for the new year.  To compliment our rate adjustment, we have opted to give back to the consumer by including complimentary endorsements in the cost of our loan policy on simultaneous issue packages.  While growth requires adjustments, we believe we will remain the most competitive option for the services we provide in our tri-county service area.

Again, it is a true delight to serve you and your clients.  We look forward to seeing much more of each other in 2022!

Wet-Ink or Electronic Signatures on Closing Documents

Here at Tallgrass Title we are focused on helping to make each transaction happen as smoothly as possible. One of the tools we encourage people to use is electronic signatures. Programs such as Dotloop®, DocuSign®, and many others provide a secure platform for buyers, sellers, and realtors to affix their signatures to documents quickly and efficiently.

At the beginning of a transaction, contracts, addendums, and disclosures can be signed electronically. This cuts down on the time and shoe leather it takes to obtain documents to get the process started. Most programs also have a way to send a copy of the signed documents to the title company, so you don’t have to save a copy somewhere else on your computer to pass on later.

Soon after the commitment is sent out, our closing agents generate the Buyer Preliminary Documents and the Seller Deed Packet. We send them out as soon as possible and encourage early signatures as it helps the closing process go more smoothly. Our Buyer Prelim Doc packet can be signed electronically in its entirety.  This packet includes a warning sheet about wire fraud; it is very important that it is read by the buyers at the earliest opportunity. Scammers and fraudsters try to steal earnest money deposits, not just closing funds! The fraud sheet also shows that we have partnered with a secure company called CertifID® to send and receive wire instructions. This program verifies the senders/receivers’ identities, verifies the wire instructions, and insures each wire sent using the verified instructions.

The Seller Deed Packet also includes a warning about wire fraud in case they would like to have us wire their proceeds to them at closing. This document and all other documents that do not need a notary’s signature may also be signed electronically. As a reminder: the Information Release form and the 1099 tax sheet require the seller’s social security number so please send the completed documents back to us securely. The Deed and any Affidavits will need to be signed in the presence of a notary. Your clients can either meet with a notary of their choice or they can visit our office where one of our notaries would be happy to assist. During this time of social-distancing, we do ask that you call us to let us know when they are coming.

The final documents that are needed for closing are the settlement statements and the loan paperwork if the buyers are receiving financing. For our purposes, the sellers can sign their statements electronically and don’t need to come to a closing appointment in person unless they choose to do so. As of this time, the buyers do need to sign their loan packet in person, either at their bank or in our office. Some lenders have begun to have buyers sign a portion of the documents electronically to reduce the amount of time needed to complete the closing. However, the buyers do need to sign the mortgage and a few other documents before a notary.

Please reach out to us to discuss which methods best fit your transaction. Our agents are happy to help walk you through the tasks that can be completed electronically in order to help your transaction go smoothly.

Accessing Paperless Closer after Closing

With the increased social distancing brought about by the containment of the COVID-19 virus, Tallgrass Title is presenting several solutions for electronic closings.  This week, our closing agent Karissa is presenting how to access Paperless Closer following closing to retrieve any closing documents needed.

Congratulations! Your transaction has closed and managing the final signed docs does not have to be a nightmare. When closing remotely, your biggest concern should not be “how do I get a signed copy?” We can help with that!

All documents that enter our office are uploaded to Paperless Closer and made available online to only the parties who should have access. For example a Buyer’s Realtor will only have access to Buyer specific documents and a Seller’s Realtor will only have access to Seller specific documents. All parties will have access to documents that are not party specific.

Once the transaction is closed we will mark it as such, which in turn clears it out of the Open files list in your Paperless Closer. But don’t worry, you will still have access to all closed, old, and even cancelled orders.

To search files that are not currently open, log into Paperless Closer. In the Lobby, change the Status from Open to the status of your file: i.e. all, canceled, or closed

 

 

 

This will refresh the list of files you can access.

But what if I can’t find the document I need in the list?

The default in the Documents Tab allows you to view ten documents at one time. As seen in the example below, the Displaying items shows 1-10 of 26; you can switch pages using the arrows to the left or clicking on the page number you want.Once you find the document you are looking for in the list of Descriptions click on the button to open in a PDF to print or save.

Our Team here at Tallgrass Title is ready to help keep you organized. Let us keep track of the paperwork so you can focus on helping your clients make their dreams come true.