Mortgage complaint trends
Compliance doesn’t prevent all consumer complaints, but it goes a long way toward happier customers and borrowers — and better business for MLOs.
Read More
Category: Fundamentals
DRE Bulletin Digest: Winter 2026
The Winter 2026 Real Estate Bulletin lays out the California Department of Real Estate’s expectations for ethical conduct by its licensees in the age of ARMs, digital brokerages, and AI.
Read More
Form-of-the-Week: Credit report disclosure forms for originating an SFR mortgage — Forms 302, 217, 217-1, 217-2 and 219
A mortgage loan originator (MLO) processing an SFR mortgage application pulls a credit report, advises the applicant of the credit agency’s score and any derogatory financial information which suggests adverse action on the application. Critical to approval, the applicant provides the MLO with explanations for the derogatory items so the MLO can process the application.
Read More
Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac accept new credit score model
Lenders and MLOs now have more Enterprise-approved options for qualifying homebuyers with thin credit histories.
Read More
The representation of a seller-client
Learn how to manage licensed activities as a seller agent from soliciting a seller-client and organizing the marketing of their property through closing a transaction.
Read More
CFPB cuts into mortgage discrimination rules
A new CFPB federal rule shaves down the definition for what lender actions qualify as mortgage discrimination.
Read More
Designated officer missteps
This article presents three real-life scenarios in which each licensed brokerage corporation’s designated officer conducted unlawful activities which led to disciplinary and enforcement actions by the DRE.
Read More
Changing a real estate corporation’s Designated Officer
Avoid the cancellation of licenses attached to a corporate license by following proper DRE procedures to make Designated Officer changes.
Read More
A Designated Officer’s diligence guidance
Learn about a designated officer’s duties to maintain corporate and employee compliance with Real Estate Law.
Read More
California’s for-sale inventory growth: buyer caution rises faster than owner need to sell
In early 2025, low-tier priced housing has the lowest level of inventory available for sale or rent.
Read More
Duties owed by designated officers
Learn how an individual becomes a designated officer of a DRE-licensed corporation and provides supervision and oversight of all its employees for compliance with real estate law.
Read More
Home sales volume impacts sales agent licensing and renewals
View California sales agent trends from 2002-present, and examine the effect of home sales volume on licensing.
Read More
Form-of-the-Week: Purchase Agreement with Short Sale Contingency, and Deed-in-Lieu of Foreclosure — Forms 150-5 and 406
Alternative methods to a foreclosure sale on mortgaged property include a short sale and a deed-in-lieu of foreclosure. RPI Form 150-5 allows a buyer to purchase a property when the mortgage holder agrees to take a reduced payoff to satisfy the debt and clear title. RPI Form 406 allows an owner to deed their property directly to their mortgage holder.
Read More
Referral fees to transaction agents from third-party providers prohibited
Learn to identify impermissible fees for your referral of a transaction participant to a third-party provider as a duplicate charge and a prohibited kickback and establish broker-owned services and refer clients to use them to capture legally entitled profit from transactional services otherwise received by third-party providers.
Read More
Condition of property: the owner’s disclosures for symmetric information
Learn the seller broker duty to inspect and disclose their observations and knowledge about a property’s condition to prospective buyers, preparation and delivery of the seller’s Transfer Disclosure Statement (TDS) and recognize the home inspection report (HIR) as a risk mitigation activity.
Read More
DRE offers tips and caution for AI usage in real estate
The DRE cautions that responsibility for AI-generated content ultimately rests with the broker.
Read More
Analyzing the buyer representation agreement
Learn to explain to your buyer and tenant clients the provisions contained within the buyer representation agreement and tenant representation agreement.
Read More
Form-of-the-Week: Designated Officer Employment Agreement, and Real Estate Team Agreement — Forms 511 and 512
A corporate broker uses RPI Form 511 to establish a corporate broker-officer’s duties and fee schedule for earnings as designated officer of the real estate corporation and licensees held under the same broker use RPI Form 512 to form a real estate team and establish each team member’s responsibilities and fee sharing.
Read More
Buyer representation
Learn when to enter into a buyer representation agreement with a buyer-client and distinguish between representing individual and entity clients and the forms and retainer periods used for each.
Read More
Resources
Education
Get to know us
Products & Services
