Fair Lending Shake-Ups: CFPB Vacates Townstone Settlement, FHFA Ends GSEs' Special Purpose Credit Programs — The Consumer Finance Podcast
The Latest on Junk Fees and New York's Foreclosure Abuse Prevention Act — The Consumer Finance Podcast
The Latest on HUD's Disparate Impact Rule - The Consumer Finance Podcast
Title Insurance and Your Transaction
Law Brief®: Robert Wolf, Alexander Tiktin and Richard Schoenstein Discuss the Continuing Foreclosure/Eviction Moratorium
Credit Eco to Go Podcast - Not a Normal Mortgage Crisis: How the Mortgage Industry Weathered the Pandemic
Not a Normal Mortgage Crisis: How the Mortgage Industry Weathered the Pandemic
In a recent foreclosure action, Plaintiff Lakeview Loan Servicing, LLC (“Lakeview”) sought summary judgment against Defendant Andrew Branley (“Branley”). Lakeview claimed that Branley executed a Note to JPMorgan Chase Bank,...more
Illinois continues to move forward in regulating “shared appreciation agreements.” On August 15, 2025, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation proposed regulations implementing the Residential...more
The State of Nevada has enacted the Uniform Mortgage Modification Act (UMMA or the Act) as Assembly Bill 192, which will become effective on October 1, 2025. The UMMA was prepared by the National Conference of Commissioners...more
Recently, a complaint was filed against loanDepot.Com, LLC (“loanDepot”) in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland alleging violations of the Truth in Lending Act (TILA)/Regulation Z loan originator compensation...more
On June 12, the U.S. Senate passed S. 1467, the Homebuyers Privacy Protection Act, which would amend Section 604(c) of the FCRA by adding new limitations on prescreening reports....more
Fannie Mae published its Preferred Equity Guide Update (25-06) and its Preferred Equity Checklist (Form 6441) in mid-April. Although unpublished iterations have been circulating for the past two years, lenders and law firms...more
In January 2025 the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued Mortgagee Letter 2025-06 revising servicing and claims requirements and loss mitigation options for FHA insured mortgage loans effective...more
Legislation to prohibit so-called “trigger leads” in the homebuying process once again has been reintroduced in the House and Senate....more
If you are buying or financing beachfront property in Florida, you should be aware of the state’s Beach and Shore Preservation Act in Chapter 161, Florida Statutes. This Act was adopted by the legislature to regulate certain...more
On March 18, the state of Arkansas enacted HB 1238 (the “Act”) to amend the state’s foreclosure law to allow mortgagors to recover attorney’s fees if a foreclosure sale is set aside due to a mortgagee’s failure to comply with...more
If you have established a living trust and own real estate, you were likely advised to transfer the real estate to your trust. A living trust may also be known as a “revocable trust,” “inter vivos trust,” or “family trust.”...more
Financial institutions that purchase mortgage loans in Maryland, including securitization trusts and other secondary market purchasers, face a new requirement to obtain a state license. The Maryland Office of Financial...more
On January 17, the Chair of the Appraisal Subcommittee (ASC) of the CFPB published a blog post detailing the progress made in strengthening oversight of the real estate appraisal industry. Since April 2022, the ASC has...more
On January 10, 2025, the Maryland Office of Financial Regulation issued emergency regulations revised to clarify that “passive trusts” holding residential mortgage loans must obtain a Mortgage Lender License and if the trusts...more
On January 10, 2025, the Maryland Office of Financial Regulation (OFR) issued formal guidance asserting that assignees of residential mortgage loans—including certain “passive trusts” that acquire or obtain assignments of...more
In a recent decision, the Supreme Court in Queens County denied lender’s motion for summary judgment and appointment of a referee to compute in a foreclosure action, finding triable issues of fact, underscoring the importance...more
At this juncture, it is difficult to assess the breadth of damage and loss of life that has occurred as a result of the devastating fires in California. Based on initial reports, it is possible that entire communities have...more
Recently, the CFPB filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan against a real estate company, and an independent real estate brokerage firm and its brokerage affiliates and CEO, alleging...more
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”) filed an action on December 23, 2024, against Rocket Home Real Estate LLC (“Rocket Homes”), a real estate brokerage and affiliates (“Defendant Brokerage”) and an individual...more
The CFPB recently issued a final rule increasing the asset exemption threshold under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA)....more
On October 29, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin and the state’s Division on Civil Rights (DCR) released a report detailing the findings of a multi-year investigation into Republic First Bank (Republic) and its...more
On August 29, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Center (“FinCEN”) published Anti-Money Laundering Regulations for Residential Real Estate Transfers (“Final Rule”) regarding residential real estate. The Federal Register...more
CFIUS Review Might Apply to Your Real Estate Deal - Most real estate professionals do not expect to seek approval from the president of the United States before closing a real estate deal. However, the U.S. Treasury...more
A recent study, Government Litigation Risk and the Decline in Low-Income Mortgage Lending, provides further evidence that the law of unintended consequences reigns supreme, particularly in the realm of public policy. The...more
As any bank professional regulatory compliance professional knows redlining is the hottest issue today and has been since Attorney General Merrick Garland announced the “Combatting Redlining Initiative” in October 2021. Since...more