Comments on: Life in escrow: When we compete with American Idol.

By: Rhonda Porter

Rhonda Porter — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 01:51:43 +0000

Jillayne, that’s exactly what I mean by “losing professional control”. Your Doctor doesn’t make house calls…people should meet in an office and not at home where they are feeling very “casual” and are “alert” because they are in the comforts of their own home.

Don’t worry, Tim. You won’t have to make any changes. I hear Congress is working on a new bill to outlaw signings not done in an escrow office.

By: Jillayne Schlicke

Jillayne Schlicke — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 00:25:29 +0000

It dawns on me that people who are signing while wishing they were watching American Idol probably weren’t really paying much attention to the mortgage documents they were signing.

No wonder so many defaulting homeowners are saying “I didn’t know…”

This makes me imagine a time in the future when, if the borrower wants to sign their documents any place other than in a quiet escrow office, devoid of distractions, including screaming toddlers, then lenders will insist that the documents be handed to the client 24 or 48 hours prior to the signing appointment so the borrowers will have time to do their due diligence.

By: Rhonda Porter

Rhonda Porter — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 21:19:25 +0000

How about adding an “after hours” fee? Kind of like OT…or charging milage? (Don’t tell ARDELL I said this).

By: Tim

Tim — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 20:09:07 +0000

Sandy,

I don’t have the courage to say that, yet. I’m open for suggestions, but it is getting out of hand.

Rhonda,

We did have our 2nd office lined up but last week (I think) is when on they closed Starbucks in the evening, so had to scramble for that bump in the road too.

Escrow has to be flexible and sensitive to different belief/religious things—such as not being able to sign a document because the time on the clock is a “bad number.” Or, the date in which docs were produced/drawn is unlucky. You literally have to roll with the situation as it arises.

By: Rhonda Porter

Rhonda Porter — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 17:40:53 +0000

I really try to encourage my clients to sign at the escrow company’s office when at all possible. My second choice would be their office or the agent’s office. It’s great to be accommodating and sometimes you have to meet people at awkward places…I think the “in home” signing may be one of the most challenging because you are on the clients turf and you lose “professional control” to all distractions in their home. You might be better off meeting them at Starbucks where you have their attention instead of them watching American Idol. Just my 2 cents…

BTW there are of course times I would make exceptions to meetings at home (if the client has physical or health challenges, for example).

By: Kary L. Krismer

Kary L. Krismer — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 17:38:47 +0000

There are people that watch TV and don’t have DVRs?

By: Sandy

Sandy — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 17:28:07 +0000

I have seen this happen quite a few times–it’s representative of a pretty interesting mindset, to say the least. It’s like we almost need to say, “dude, you’re buying a house, and there is a contract. This needs to be your priority, at least for this one day.”

(the “dude” part is optional.)

I think it’s great we give people all kinds of options like mobile signing and what not, but I think maybe we also need to educate or remind them about the meaning of the time is of the essence clause.