Those who have purchased a home are familiar with the lengthy, paperwork-filled closing process. The Erie County Clerk says he's working to change that.
As is so often true, those signings in the clerk's office were required by Albany. County Clerk Chris Jacobs says that changed two years ago and his office is one of the first in the state to shift the process so it can all be handled on-line, without a visit to Old County Hall. He says that will change his office since there are about 40 closings a day. Jacobs says the whole process will now be different.
"Mortgages, we've been ahead of the curve on that. We've been actually electronically recording and filing mortgages for well over a year now," Jacobs said.
"Now, since we couldn't do deeds, the only place you would see it was your bank when you were re-financing. That's been done. Now, we'll both be able to do deeds and mortgages."
Jacobs says it can be handled in a lawyer's office since most lawyers have escrow accounts to electronically process all those closing costs and the purchaser will then pay the lawyer those fees and the bill for the home purchase.
