Finance & Mortgages

RESPA (Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act)

A federal law that governs disclosures in residential mortgage settlements and prohibits kickbacks and unearned fees.

Quick flashcard

What does RESPA (Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act) mean on the Texas real estate exam?

Answer: A federal law that governs disclosures in residential mortgage settlements and prohibits kickbacks and unearned fees.

Read the explanation below, then return to the full flashcard deck and try it again from memory.

RESPA (Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act) definition

The Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act is a federal law that applies to most residential mortgage loans. It requires lenders to give borrowers disclosures about settlement costs and, under Section 8, prohibits kickbacks, referral fees, and unearned fees among settlement service providers.

Under the integrated federal disclosure rules, the creditor generally must deliver or mail the Loan Estimate no later than three business days after application. The consumer generally must receive the Closing Disclosure at least three business days before consummation.

Source basis

Definition checked against the official sources below on .

On the exam

RESPA Section 8 bans kickbacks and unearned fees. Pair it with the TRID disclosure timing.

Exam trap

A referral fee paid just for sending business, with no service performed, violates RESPA Section 8.

Tested in

Financing & Settlement (7 of 80 National)

From definition to recall

See this term inside a real exam question.

Pass Texas gives you Texas-specific practice, diagnostics across the 14 exam areas, Trap Library, Math Coach, offline access, and one $59.99 purchase. No subscription. No copied exam questions.

Try 5 free questions

This definition is Texas real estate exam-prep education, not legal, tax, or professional advice. Verify current rules against the official source before relying on them for a real transaction. Back to the full glossary.