The most dangerous statement in the English language is, “But we’ve always done it this way.” Referral business has always been a mainstay in our biz, and is not “against the law,” but oddly enough one topic that has come up a few times here in San Diego at the MBA’s conference is continued talk about MSAs, or Marketing Service Agreements. The CFPB spells out everything in its FAQ site. Attorney Brian Levy also discusses the topic in one of his Musings. One session yesterday included attorneys Mitch Kider and Troy Garris; any questions on the following should be addressed to them. The shorthand notes? Referrals are fine, but paying for them, think twice! RESPA’s been around for decades, the purpose being to discourage kickbacks and illegal referrals. You can’t give someone a thing of value for a referral. You can still do lots of things that you can do with your referral partners! Setting up an MSA? Make sure it is for real servic
Do you know what “splooting” is? Here’s a hint: 4-legged animals do it. (Hey, I don’t make these things up.) Quite the word. Words are very interesting, and can incite a riot, help someone get through a loss, make up this Commentary, entertain. Every morning I share my Wordle results with a few friends, comparing who was able to find the 5-letter word of the day in the fewest tries. For the most part Wordle is quick, fun, and mildly entertaining, which is the exact opposite of financing a home as any borrower or loan originator will tell you. Originate? “Origin”: source, inception, root means the point at which something begins its course or existence. Origin applies to the things or persons from which something is ultimately derived and often to the causes operating before the thing itself comes into being. “ate” is a suffix meaning “state of quality of” and when added makes an adjective a verb. Originate, tolerate,