My Recent Home Sale Was the Easiest Closing Ever. Here’s Why

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We were able to use a remote notary for our recent home closing, so we did not have to go anywhere and no one had to come to us. 

Recently, I sold my home. I have sold several properties, and normally when someone buys a house I’ve owned, the closing process has been a huge pain. We have sat for a long period at a title office while the office looked for some HOA paperwork. And we have had notaries come to our home, sometimes showing up late or coming at inconvenient times like at 7 a.m.

Once, we even had to ask a neighbor we didn’t know to come over to be a witness for us when we signed the papers because our notary didn’t realize we wouldn’t have a non–family member witness present in our home at 10 a.m. on a random Tuesday.

This recent home closing was a breeze, though. And there’s one simple reason why.

This made our home closing a delight

Our recent home closing was the most pleasant one ever because we were able to complete the entire process using a remote notary.

Essentially, instead of having to meet with someone in person, we were able to provide our IDs and answer some basic identifying questions using an online link the notary provided to us. Then, we jumped onto a Zoom call. The notary had us hold up our identifications next to our faces to confirm who we were, and then she provided us with a link to a whole bunch of online documents that we could e-sign while she watched us do it on the webcam.

There was even a witness who jumped on the call at the time when we needed to sign the property deed, which had to be witnessed by both the notary and a third party. The witness also watched the signing on the conference call, and she put her signature electronically on the forms as well.

The whole thing took about 20 minutes, and we were able to do it from the comfort of our campground where we were on vacation, rather than having to go anywhere or have anyone come to us.

Is a remote notary right for you?

Remote notaries have become accepted in a growing number of states, but that doesn’t mean they will be allowed in every location or every real estate transaction. Some mortgage lenders or title companies may not allow this option, and not all states have laws allowing remote notarization.

But, if you are allowed to do it, there’s very little reason why you would need to show up in person to close on a home — especially if you are selling and don’t need to be there in person to get the keys. Why not just do it from the comfort of your own place so you won’t have to go out of your way or wait for an undetermined amount of time?

We’re all pretty used to Zoom and remote meetings from the pandemic anyway, so it’s no surprise they’ve come to real estate closings — and are making them a lot more convenient than they ever were before.

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