When you are purchasing or selling property in Hawaii, International buyers and/or expats will need to have their closing documents notarized by a U.S. notary. If the buyer or seller is out of the U.S., their best bet is to have the documents notarized at a U.S. consulate. They may also have the document notarized by an attorney/notary who is registered with the U. S. Consulate and then have the documents authenticated by the U. S. Consulate. The authentication procedure is as follows:

• Make sure the attorney/notary is registered by calling the Consulate.
• Have the document signed and notarized (the attorney should add the authentication document).
• Express ship the document to the proper U. S. Consulate with a return Fed/Ex slip.
• Follow up to make sure the U. S. Consulate has signed and will ship (Some international buyers/sellers have found that some consulate notaries require the signers to actually call for the document pick up after authentication, so it is good to follow up).

Following these procedures will help to ensure that your Maui real estate transaction will close in a timely manner.