In 1974, Congress passed RESPA to help keep settlement costs down by targeting illegal unearned fees, splits of fees, referral fees and kickbacks. RESPA is also meant to provide more effective disclosures to homebuyers and sellers regarding settlement costs and reduce the amounts homebuyers are required to place into escrow accounts. The law is complex; however, there are some key points that everyone working in the settlement services industry should be aware of and understand. In this series of articles, RESPA News will provide a review of those important RESPA issues including kickbacks, splitting of unearned fees, affiliated business arrangements, penalties, enforcement and more.
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