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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). While the decision was under appeal, Strauss was brokering loans. 3, indicating a voluntary surrender.

Business 425
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The ‘double-edged sword’ of dual licensing

Housing Wire

The company recently launched a mortgage brokerage firm that offers a plug-and-play program for real estate agents to become mortgage loan officers, a practice called dual licensing. of the loan amount, with a $5,000 cap, which adds to the typical buyer-side agent commission of up to 3%. For example, Realfinity pays LOs 1.4%

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RESPA enforcement is back — are you ready?

Housing Wire

That’s because real estate agents and loan officers are in survival mode and desperate to close new business. “The line of what is legal and illegal depends on who is running the CFPB,” Steve Murray, partner at RealTrends Consulting , said.

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Did Michael Strauss, accused of fraud, just start a new mortgage company?

Housing Wire

There were no severance packages, and even health insurance was canceled retroactive to May 2022, leaving some on the hook for huge medical bills. The nascent mortgage company, however, has only one loan officer registered and no loan origination volume so far, according to the mortgage tech platform Modex.

Mortgage 395
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Loan America sues Sprout for allegedly failing to purchase loans

Housing Wire

The company has one branch and 11 active loan officers. Former employees accuse the company of retroactively cutting off their health insurance on May 1, 2022 without prior communication. Former employees accuse the company of retroactively cutting off their health insurance on May 1, 2022 without prior communication.

Insurance 404
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Opinion: Solutions to restore housing as an economic growth engine

Housing Wire

As a driver of the economy, housing should be bolstered by: Non-bank lending institutions to lend in lower-income areas and to minorities in the same way that CRA provides for banks Reducing government-insured and guaranteed mortgage loan fees. Since 2016, legal immigration growth has declined by 40%.

Insurance 380
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Homebuyer snags $1.4 million seed funding for first-time homebuyers

Housing Wire

An ex-software engineer, Green is also a former loan officer and founder of The Mortgage Reports, a mortgage education website that was eventually acquired by Full Beaker. The company was founded in 2019 by Dan Green, under the mission to make homeownership more inclusive and less expensive for first-time borrowers. “There are 2.5