Mail Away Closing Tips

​The frequency of mail-away closings is increasing. In an industry, when buyer or seller conducts a real estate transaction in absentia, it is called a “mail away and have become increasingly popular, to the point where it is a rarity for buyer and seller ever to meet, ever to communicate directly, or ever to sit down together at the same closing table. If you are involved in a closing that requires the mailing of documents below are some tips that can help avoid delays.
 

• If Borrower, Buyer, or Seller will be out of town on the date of closing, notify the closing agent as soon as possible so that the closing agent can coordinate a mail away of the closing documents
  • Borrower, Buyer, or Seller should choose a local professional with expertise in specific areas of the transaction such as a Certified Notary Signing agent who specializes in loan transactions. Documents notarized at the local Pack n Ship stores will be rejected because those notaries are not certified.
  • Not all lenders allow documents to be signed in advance of the closing date

·         Find out if the state requires the signature of a witness – if so make sure a witness is available to sign at the time of the appointment.Witness RequirementsThe following witness requirements must be followed for any document being recorded in the following states.
Connecticut: Two witnesses required (one witness may be the notary)
Florida: Two witnesses required (one witness may be the notary)
Georgia: One witness required (can’t be the notary)
Louisiana: Two witnesses required (neither can be the notary)
South Carolina: Two witnesses required (one witness may be the notary).
 
If you're not sure, just call the phone number for your closing company, contact information is listed on the instruction page included in the loan package.  if any questions arising during the signing, they would rather talk you through every little step than to re-do everything later because something was unclear.