What is the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA)?

Full question:

What is the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA)?

Answer:

A consumer protection law that requires lenders to give borrowers advance notice of closing costs.

This content is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Legal statutes mentioned reflect the law at the time the content was written and may no longer be current. Always verify the latest version of the law before relying on it.

FAQs

The purpose of the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) is to protect consumers by ensuring transparency in the settlement process of real estate transactions. RESPA prohibits certain practices, such as kickbacks or referral fees among settlement service providers, which can inflate costs for borrowers. Agents cannot receive undisclosed fees for referrals or engage in practices that mislead consumers about settlement costs.