Real Estate Newsletters

The Home Mortgage Disclosure Act

In 1975, Congress enacted the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA). The statute can be found at 12 U.S.C.S. §2801.

The Residential Real Estate Mortgage

Most purchases of residential property are financed through mortgages. A mortgage is a financial transaction by which a purchaser borrows money from a lender that is payable over time.

Land Trusts

A land trust is a device by which land is conveyed to a trustee for the benefit of another. A settlor is the owner of the property that is placed into the trust. A land trust is created when settlor expresses his or her intent to create a trust through a written instrument. The instrument must name the trustee and identify the trustee's powers, the beneficiaries, and any remaindermen. The settlor may be the trustee and, in most cases, the beneficiary of the land trust.

Prohibition of Discrimination in the Sale or Rental of Real Estate

The Fair Housing Act, which can be found at 42 U.S.C.S. § 3601 et seq., prohibits discrimination in the sale or rental of real estate on certain enumerated bases.

Reasonable Dispatch Service -- A Mover's Obligation to Deliver

When a homeowner or a tenant enters into a contract with a mover to transport furniture and furnishings out of state, those federal laws and the regulations adopted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) come into play. The FMCSA requires a mover to transport a shipment with "reasonable dispatch."