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

CFPB director nominee bashes FTC for ‘lax approach’

Dear Readers, Rohit Chopra — President Joe Biden’s nominee to replace Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Director Kathy Kraninger – has earned the reputation as someone who is not afraid to go after large corporations for wrongdoing. As one of five Federal Trade Commission (FTC) members, Chopra is widely known as the consummate consumer advocate. He recently showed a glimpse of his leadership style after the FTC sanctioned Amazon.com for expanding its business empire by allegedly cheating its Flex package delivery service workers out of more than $60 million in tips. In a Feb. 2 statement, Chopra chided the FTC [...]

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

Anything besides the pandemic

Dear Readers, For once, I don’t want to talk about the pandemic. For a year now, our world has revolved around the changes and restrictions that have come about because of COVID-19. With the vaccine roll out underway, there is finally light at the end of the tunnel of returning to a “new” normal. Acting Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Dave Uejio wrote in a recent blog post about the bureau’s work to address housing insecurity, promote racial equity, and protect small businesses’ access to credit. Though he did refer to easing the hardships consumers currently face because [...]

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

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

Blog – Tuesdays with Mary