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Smart Rate, Michael Strauss no longer authorized to do business in Illinois

Housing Wire

Meanwhile, Michael Strauss , its only loan officer, now has an inactive status on his license, according to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR). Mortgage tech platform Modex shows that Strauss, the only mortgage loan officer at Smart Rate, originated $5.56

Business 413
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Virtual notary adoption surges as businesses rush to close transactions remotely

Housing Wire

This article was written for FinLedger, HW Media’s new fintech focused news brand designed specifically for financial services professionals in banking, payments, insurance and proptech. Digital adoption has been hampered by state laws since a federal law that outlines practices for remote online notarizations does not exist.

Business 461
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Tighter enforcement environment won’t just affect lenders

Housing Wire

They’ll also be measuring new legislation/regulation and possibly greater enforcement by various state departments of insurance, state bar associations and more. TRID is still the law of the land, and nothing suggests that title and closing providers won’t continue to bear the brunt of that compliance requirement.

Lending 413
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Here’s what lenders should look for in a title provider

Housing Wire

We’re the largest centralized mortgage transactional services provider in the country, backed by the country’s largest provider of title insurance services. SF: As the transaction insurer, the title provider has a vested interest in closing and disbursing the loan.

Clients 337
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Another lender settles redlining accusations with DOJ

Housing Wire

The DOJ said that all of Lakeland’s branches were located in majority-white neighborhoods and that its loan officers did not serve the credit needs of Black and Hispanic neighborhoods in and around Newark. Lakeland, a community bank, operates 68 branches in northern New Jersey and in New York’s Hudson Valley.

Law 383
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The fight to standardize educational training for LOs

Housing Wire

The raison d’etre is the same whether you work as a mortgage loan officer at a depository bank or an independent mortgage bank – originate a purchase mortgage or refinancing for a client. Loan officers working for depository banks are not bound by the same requirements. Regulations to oversee them all.

Training 345
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The Apple Peeled - Ask the Experts: Market Dynamics with Jonathan Miller

Miller Samuel

The change in tax laws in 2018 and a several-month stretch that saw mortgage rates rise before recently dropping close to previous levels had both buyers and sellers re-calibrating what value is. Miller said there are more buyers today compared to 2009, but those buyers are “very jaded about what value is.” That process can take time.

Marketing 221