9 Hours of 2025 Washington MLO Continuing Education

This course will cover many prohibited acts that Washington mortgage loan originators must be familiar with when practicing mortgage loan activities within the state. Students will learn what actions are prohibited by the Revised Code of Washington and the Washington Administrative Code.

After being instructed on what not to do, students will be presented with a list of subjects that they must do during their business. This includes what to do when working for more than one mortgage broker, how to properly use trade names, and licensing of main and branch offices.

Lastly, students will review the Washington required disclosures that must be given to loan applicants.

Topics and Learning Objectives

This MLO continuing education course is broken down into several learning topics. At the end of the course a 15-question final exam will be given. The topics included in this course are:

1. Prohibited Practices
2. Permitted and Mandatory Acts
3. Disclosure Requirements
4. Final Exam

Total study time: 1 credit hour (50 minutes)

This course will prepare Washington MLOs to:

• Understand what conduct is prohibited by laws such as the Washington Consumer Loan Act (CLA) and the Washington Mortgage Broker Practices Act (MBPA).
• Know what conduct is not permitted when working with a buyer on a residential loan modification.
• Recognize the classes of individuals that are protected by Washington's discrimination laws.
• Understand what a fiduciary is and how a broker or mortgage loan originator is a fiduciary for a borrower.
• Understand how a mortgage broker or mortgage loan originator is compensated, and what the rules governing compensation are.
• Identify what must be disclosed to a borrower.

NMLS ID Required

You must have an NMLS ID to receive credit for this course. You will need this number before you begin the course.

If you already have an NMLS ID but don't remember what it is:

• Login into NMLS

• Click on the Composite View tab.

• Click View Individual on the sub-header row.

• The number that appears in parentheses after your name is your NMLS ID number.

If you do not have an NMLS ID and need to obtain one, use the instructions available in the NMLS Resource Center.

​​​​​​​This course will instruct mortgage loan originators on a number of regulations that they will have to comply with while taking part in their mortgage loan origination activities. Rules, such as those implemented by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, are set in place to protect the interest and well-being of consumers who apply for mortgages to purchase or refinance their properties.

Topics and Learning Objectives

This course consists of four sections and a final exam:

1. Top 10 Federal Topics for 2025

2. Prohibited Kickbacks Under RESPA Section 8

3. Non-traditional Mortgage Products

4. Appraiser Independence Rules

5. Final exam

Total study time: 8 credit hours (6 hours, 40 minutes)

Module 1: Top 10 Federal Topics for 2025

Study Time: 3 clock hours (150 minutes of federal law)

Licensed and registered mortgage lenders, brokers, and mortgage loan originators are required to maintain a consistent and current understanding of all regulatory requirements with which they are obligated to comply. This especially applies to individual mortgage loan originators who, in addition to their sponsoring company, will be held accountable for failures discovered through regulatory examinations and investigations involving residential mortgage loans that they originate.

The topics outlined in this module are mandated by the NMLS and state regulators, covering the more egregious regulatory compliance failures recently discovered through various regulatory examinations, investigations, and audits.

Module 2: Prohibited Kickbacks Under RESPA Section 8

Study Time: 2 clock hours (100 minutes of ethics, fraud, and consumer protection)

The Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) was signed into law in 1974 and became effective in June 1975. One function of RESPA was to eliminate kickbacks and unearned fees initiated by those involved in loan settlement services. Before the passage of RESPA, parties associated with the buying and selling of real estate, including lenders, real estate agents, and title companies, often engaged in undisclosed kickbacks to each other, which inflated the costs of real estate transactions and often did not properly disclose all closing costs to consumers.

While RESPA contains various consumer protection regulations, in this ethics section we're going to concentrate on the regulation's prohibitions on kickbacks and referral fees.

Module 3: Non-traditional Mortgage Products

Study Time: 2 clock hours (100 minutes of non-traditional mortgage)

Besides traditional conventional loan products, there are other options available when it comes to rehabilitating a home for purchase or refinance that might be better for the needs of a borrower.

In this module, let's explore some unique mortgage products available to borrowers that may better fit their needs compared to a conventional mortgage loan These other options include the FHA 203(k) property rehabilitation loan, four types of energy efficient mortgage products, and the Fannie Mae HomeReady® rehab loan product.

Module 4: Appraiser Independence Rules

Study Time: 1 clock hour (50 minutes of elective topics)

Now, there isn't any doubt about it - the appraisal is a critical part of the financing process, not only for the borrower but also for the loan originator. The appraiser can be viewed as protecting the interests of both parties by ensuring that the subject property is accurately evaluated.

In this section, we will review the appraisal independence requirements as outlined by various federal regulations, agencies, and published guidance.

NMLS ID Required

You must have an NMLS ID to receive credit for this course. You will need this number before you begin the course.

If you already have an NMLS ID but don't remember what it is:

• Login into NMLS
• Click on the Composite View tab.
• Click View Individual on the sub-header row.
• The number that appears in parentheses after your name is your NMLS ID number.

If you do not have an NMLS ID and need to obtain one, use the instructions available in the NMLS Resource Center