Notary Signature verification of US mortgage documents

Anyone who needs to sign mortgage documents in the United States quickly finds out that the signature requires official verification. Many people are unaware that the task of verifying the signature and authorizing the documents can be completed without visiting the United States in person and without even needing to schedule an appointment with the United States embassy. An Israeli notary can take care of the process of signature verification of US mortgage from beginning to end, conveniently and efficiently, thereby saving time and a considerable sum of money. This article expands upon this subject with explanations by our firm partner and certified notary, attorney Michael Decker.

Our law office, with branches in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, offers a wide array of notary services to customers within Israel and outside of it. Our office deals every day with legal procedures which require notary services. Our office’s notary services include signature notarization for documents inside and outside of Israel, official translation into many different languages, authentication of foreign documents and more.

When does a signature need to be verified for use in the United States?

In recent years many Israelis have taken to buying real estate in the United States, such as apartments for investment, hotels, etc. Many of these buyers are seeking to create an extra source of income and put away funds for their retirement years. Similarly, many American citizens living in Israel buy real estate back home in the United States. Buying real estate entails various legal procedures such as taxation, insurance and meeting the requirements of the state in which the property is situated.

Before attending to these legal procedures, the funds for the purchase must be secured. To do so, many people go to American banks specializing in the matter and request a loan. However, this is the stage where many people face an issue when applying for a mortgage in the United States: the signature on the mortgage documents (and usually on several other documents needed to buy the property) must be officially verified to be considered valid. This is a requirement imposed by the American authorities, which is similar to the requirement for signature authentication on mortgage documents in Israel. There are several different ways to verify a signature on American mortgage documents, and as we shall soon explain, seeking help from a notary in Israel specializing in the matter may be the quickest one.

What are the options for signature verification of US mortgage?

In principle, it is possible to fly to the United States and sign all the necessary mortgage and purchase documents in person. Of course, this would involve considerable expense, and would usually require obtaining a visa beforehand. At the time of writing, it would also require staying in quarantine, due to COVID restrictions. Moreover, it would require finding an American notary in the specific state to verify the signatures. Another option is to have the documents notarized in the United States embassy. This requires scheduling an appointment in the embassy, weeks or even months ahead of time–a delay which may put the whole real estate deal in peril. Besides, the embassy does not always offer notarization services for all the necessary documents (throughout most of 2020, for example, the US embassy was not willing to notarize non-urgent documents).

A readily available and convenient solution for those seeking to handle the matter quickly and without leaving the country, and which sadly not everyone is aware of, is to hire the services of an Israeli notary to verify the signature on the mortgage documents. Many people wrongly assume that only an American notary can do so, while in reality the task can also be done by an Israeli notary who is fluent in English. Turning to an Israeli notary to have the signature on American mortgage documents verified can save time and money and offers a convenient and easily accessible way to efficiently move forward with the process of buying a property.

What is the process for having American mortgage documents notarized by an Israeli notary?

As we’ve mentioned, not everyone is aware of the option to use American notary services in Israel in order to buy an property and take out a mortgage in the United States. The notarization process requires visiting the notary’s office and identifying oneself. The process of identification involves presenting identity documents and answering some identifying questions. Likewise, the original documents to be verified must be presented to the notary. Following that, the signature on the documents will be verified and signed by the notary, the signer and the witnesses (if required), and the document will be stamped with the red notary stamp. Finally, the document must be officially authenticated in Israel (called apostille). The entire process can be done by an Israeli notary, quickly and conveniently.

Signature verification on American mortgage documents – contact us

In this article we explained the different ways to verify a signature on American mortgage documents, including the option to make use of a notary in Israel. For further questions or assistance in this matter, you are welcome to contact us and we will be happy to help. Our office has attorneys who are certified notaries and who specialize in the process of buying real estate in the United States and completing all the necessary notarization and authentication services. You can contact us at the telephone numbers or email below.