The CFPB is one of those federal entities that is truly known by it’s initials. Even more so than FBI or CIA, you have to think for a minute to remember what it stands for. . . . ? Consumer . . . .??? Now to make things more difficult, the head of the CFPB…
While our beloved Commonwealth of Virginia prides itself on keeping up with the Joneses in all matters of E-Commerce, we have taken more of a “wait and see” attitude toward the most electronic of closing technologies. Naturally, big states with fewer Notary Publics per square mile would need to take the lead on electronic notarizations. …
Many of our clients make much ado about not wanting unnecessary or unauthorized “inquiries” on their credit. Conscientious credit rating maximizers know that too many inquiries can cost you a few points! But what is a few points when compared to months or years of paying a higher rate of interest simply because you didn’t…
Would that life were so simple that one DEED would fit all such transactions!!!! But if no one has told you today, please be assured that drafting a correct and appropriate deed to pass down real estate titles between generations is anything but simple! It is certainly not a job for a person not licensed…
This week I had a client ask me if I’d had much experience with internet lenders. A visit to a website, an email exchange, and a voice on the phone and my client had a quote on his interest rate that fell into the category of “too good to be true”. “Can I trust…
For the past several quarters, many of our closings for home buyers in the starter home or first move-up category have revealed a loss of FHA market share. It seems that the traditional market for FHA appeal was the 1st or 2nd home market with buyers lacking a substantial down payment. FHA loans can allow…
As 2016 comes to a close and I reflect on the reasons for various real estate transactions going into an adversarial mode, a couple of trends stand out: Real Estate Closings, despite centuries of experience and practice, can be complex monsters. . . and Dodd Frank and all previous attempts at consumer protection consistently…
This year’s (11-8-16!!) ballot has the potential to be a little more complex than usual. In my city there is a referendum on Light Rail, a question on exempting widows of First Responders killed in the line of duty from real estate taxes, and a constitutional amendment on keeping Virginia a “Right to Work”…
You might not notice from reading our Blog but we actually love helping our clients with business transactions as much as real estate transactions! I never thought I’d hear something so coherent from someone sometimes thought of as a “Hollywood Ditz”, but this interview is a very interesting and thought provoking lesson for young entrepreneurs:…
The ever entertaining and thought provoking NREP (National Real Estate Post), formerly known as TBWS (Think Big Work Small) challenges our national leadership and loan regulators to promote home ownership by easing qualification regulations. /Shocking Zillow Renter Report The NREP blog also points out that the 50 year low in the home ownership index may…
