ABAWatch.org and RESPA Guides

Colorado probe of real estate business partnerships, a source alerted to ABAWatch.org, a watchdog site for affiliated business arrangements. The site includes definitions and descriptions of ABAs and discussion boards, though it looks as if the last comments were in March 2005. (Note: Affiliated business arrangements among real estate service providers are legal under the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, known as RESPA, as long as certain guidelines are followed and companies disclose their relationship to consumers.) Another online venue that might be of help to real estate professionals trying to figure out how to stay out of trouble: HUD's guide to RESPA.