CHUKLE #1 "Brown said the treatment of home warranties under the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, which prevents kickbacks for referrals among settlement service providers, is one of the issues facing real estate firms, home warranty companies and consumers. Since home warranties are not a requirement for a mortgage origination or home sale, NAR believes that including the optional insurance product as a settlement service stretches the meaning of RESPA. Brown urged the subcommittee to pass H.R. 2446, the RESPA Home Warranty Clarification Act of 2011 introduced by Reps. Judy Biggert (R-Ill.) and Lacy Clay (D-Mo.), that would clarify that home warranties are not subject to RESPA and would provide for appropriate consumer disclosure."
CHUCKLE #2 "Another area of concern to the industry is the definition of points and fees in the Qualified Mortgage provision of the Dodd-Frank Act, which limits the total points and fees collected by lenders and their affiliates -- such as title companies -- to 3 percent of the loan amount. This limits many affiliated companies from offering full services to their clients to avoid violating the cap. NAR recommends that Congress restore an exemption for affiliates duly constituted under RESPA, so that consumers can fully benefit from greater competition between affiliated and unaffiliated mortgage lenders."
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