What Homestead sends me
The requests that come most often from this part of Florida:
- Bills of sale for equipment, trailers and machinery.
- Land and lease paperwork for growers and nurseries.
- Powers of attorney for family property abroad.
- Affidavits for insurers and agricultural programmes.
- Travel consent letters and vehicle documents.
Worth knowing in Homestead
Agricultural schedules start early and finish late, so early morning and evening sessions are the norm rather than the exception here.
Homestead is in Miami-Dade, so a deed is recorded with that county's Clerk, even though the place feels a long way from downtown Miami.
A good share of the family paperwork here ends up in Mexico or Central America, which means the apostille step follows the notarization, and the destination decides the wording.
How an online session works
You book a time, and I send a secure link, usually for the same day or the next, and the platform then checks your identification and asks a few questions drawn from public records, before we meet on video, where I confirm you understand what you are signing and that nobody is pressuring you.
You sign electronically, I complete the notarial certificate, and you download the finished document with its seal and audit trail, all of which normally takes about fifteen minutes.
What you need
- A phone, tablet or computer with a camera and microphone.
- A current, government-issued photo ID.
- The document, complete and unsigned.
- Confirmation from the office receiving it that they accept an electronic notarization.
In person, honestly
I am based in Lakeland and travel inside Polk County, so I do not drive to Homestead for a signing, so if your document has to be signed on paper in front of a notary, look for a mobile notary there, and if it can be done online, we can start today.
Frequently asked questions
- Do you travel to Homestead?
- No, I travel inside Polk County only, and everything else is done in an online session, which is valid across Florida and carries the same legal weight as signing in person.
- Is an online notarization valid here?
- Yes, Florida authorized remote online notarization in 2020, and a document notarized this way has the same effect as one notarized across a desk, though the office receiving it can still ask for paper.
- Can we do it before the workday starts?
- Yes, early sessions are normal, so tell me the time that works and I will confirm.
- Can you notarize a bill of sale for farm equipment?
- Yes, and the notarization covers the signatures, so write the description clearly with any serial number.