Charlene: The difference is the the VM that is brokering the title- they are risking the fines for adding fees to the title fee for their own profit, Since  it is hard to discover that illegal practice without the participation of the abstractor. We are being told all the time that they " cant make it with the higher title fees, can you drop your fees by "x" or we are going to find someone that will", even though that fee is being paid by the customer.. Section 8  states that title fees can NOT be added to unless "core" title work is performed by the new entity- that just does not seem to cause any concern for the brokers or companies that do this. The new HUD-1 does not help this out either by not showing where the title money is actually being paid to- what a mess they did to the abstractors with that revision. Hope that helps explain- I contuinue to hold my fees steady.

Steve Meinecke
Independent Abstract