October Research Blog - Real Estate, Business, and For Fun

Legislatures continue 2021 efforts

Dear Readers, I can’t believe we are already into February. January was certainly a busy month in many respects. New business, new goals, new administration. Through it all, state legislatures have continued their work, which had been halted for much of the last year. You can see from the edition, these legislatures are introducing legislation that touch on a variety of industry-related legislation. One piece of legislation that was interesting to me came out of Arizona. The Arizona Legislature recently introduced a bill that would require dealers selling manufactured homes to maintain a licensee’s trust account or open an escrow [...]

October232026-03-23T13:26:41-04:00

Hybrid opportunities can extend appraisers’ careers

Dear Readers, It is not an easy task to find silver linings pertaining to the country’s pandemic of 2020, and all that it took away or altered regarding one’s personal and professional life. The COVID-19 coronavirus is still a major disruption as businesses everywhere keep looking for a way to sustain, survive and keep its doors open. For those in the real estate appraisal world, it has been difficult indeed praying that such a door does not get slammed permanently in one’s face. Many, though, continue to remind appraisers that with all of the negativity and setbacks facing those trying [...]

October232026-03-23T13:26:41-04:00

Kraninger’s resignation, Schulman’s new role starts the year

Dear Readers, A lot has changed since last month. Joe Biden is officially president, and Kathy Kraninger has resigned as director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) two years into her five-year term at the new administration’s request. Biden has nominated Federal Trade Commission member Rohit Chopra to be the agency’s next director. If confirmed, Chopra — a close political ally of Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who created the idea of the CFPB — is expected to step up RESPA enforcement and other laws affecting the financial services industry. The Senate will also be holding hearings for a new head [...]

October232026-03-23T13:26:41-04:00

CFPB appears to be bulking up

Dear Readers, Nominations, taskforce reports, and enforcement actions, oh my! The year 2021 has certainly started off with a bang, and it looks like changes will only accelerate as the year goes on. No worries — we’ll be here to help you keep track of new rules and stay compliant. One of the literally biggest things that came out of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) this past month was its consumer protection law taskforce report. The issuance is broken into two volumes, one of which is almost 900 pages, and the other around 100. According to the taskforce members, [...]

October232026-03-23T13:26:41-04:00

Change at the CFPB…again

Dear Readers, We now know who will be the next person to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). President Joe Biden nominated Federal Trade Commission member Rohit Chopra to head the bureau. Chopra is no stranger to the bureau. He helped set it up following the passage of the Dodd-Frank Act and served as the CFPB’s first student loan ombudsman. We may know who will lead the bureau. However, we have no idea what direction it will take. That’s unfortunate. The American Land Title Association and other business groups have endorsed a bi-partisan leadership structure for the bureau in [...]

October232026-03-23T13:26:41-04:00

Appraisers, and everyone else eager to ring in 2021

Dear Readers, It would be hard to imagine a more anticipated New Year’s Eve than the one that just took place several days ago. With the loss of life, jobs, and income, and just the overall devastation at the hands of the COVID-19 coronavirus felt by so many over the past 12 months, the sights and sounds of welcoming 2021 seemingly couldn’t have come soon enough. Personally, and professionally, we are still a long way from returning to “normal.” It is understood that when Jan. 1 arrived on the calendar, it did not magically erase all the sadness and damage [...]

October232026-03-23T13:26:41-04:00

Preparing for a new year

Dear Readers, As a lifelong girl scout, I can tell you the motto, ‘be prepared’ was definitely put to the test in 2020. So much so, that this year, it is my New Years’ resolution, one that I hope to pass on to you. In terms of the Dodd Frank Update, this means we will be working to prepare you for upcoming changes in the compliance and regulatory department. For an in-depth look at the state of the industry and what experts are anticipating, be sure to check out our special report coming sometime this month. The housing and lending [...]

October232026-03-23T13:26:57-04:00

Welcoming a new year

Dear Readers, I love fresh starts— school years, birthdays, and especially new years. What goals do I have? What new habits do I hope to have at the end of this year? The possibilities are only as limited as I make them. Along with the unprecedented events of 2020, industry members were busier than they have been for quite some time. As the dust clears and we look ahead, what goals do you want to attain? What did you have to put aside last year that you hope to bring back into focus in 2021? In addition to professional goals, [...]

October232026-03-23T13:26:57-04:00

New year, new enforcement worries

Dear Readers, Goodbye, 2020. We can all breathe a collective sigh of relief that 2021 — along with COVID-19 vaccines — are upon us at last. Meanwhile, the industry is closely watching what happens during the final days of the Trump administration. Perhaps most notable is on Dec. 7, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced its second RESPA enforcement action of the year.The CFPB’s action against Nationstar Mortgage — the largest non-bank mortgage servicer in the country –— was years in the making. However, in this month’s cover story, Mayer Brown Partner Ori Lev, a former bureau deputy enforcement [...]

October232026-03-23T13:26:57-04:00

Looking forward to serving you

Dear Readers, I am excited and ready to bring you the same quality of content you’ve come to expect in my new role as editor of The Title Report. I plan to use all my previous experience to bring all of the available information in the world of titles to you. I’ve spent the last five years or so working every job I can find in whatever newsroom will take me. I’ve reported, read copy and even sold ads in two different states. That all led me here to The Title Report, where I will be working as an editor [...]

October232026-03-23T13:26:57-04:00

Blog – Tuesdays with Mary