Contact

Questions about real estate transaction processes, regulatory frameworks, closing procedures, or specific transaction structures can be directed to the editorial team at Real Estate Transaction Authority. This page outlines what information to include in an inquiry, what response timelines to expect, and how different categories of questions are handled. Providing complete context in an initial message significantly reduces the number of follow-up exchanges required to address a question accurately.

What to include in your message

The clarity and completeness of an inquiry determines how quickly and precisely it can be addressed. Real estate transactions involve a layered regulatory environment — governed by instruments including the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA, 12 U.S.C. § 2601 et seq.), enforced by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), and supplemented by state-level licensing statutes that vary across all 50 jurisdictions. An inquiry that identifies the relevant transaction type, geographic context, and specific process stage allows the editorial team to direct the question to the appropriate subject area.

A well-formed inquiry should include the following elements:

1. Transaction type — Residential purchase, commercial acquisition, short sale, foreclosure purchase, 1031 exchange, seller financing, or for-sale-by-owner arrangement.
2. Transaction stage — Pre-contract, under contract, contingency period, title and escrow phase, or post-closing.
3. Geographic scope — The state or states involved, since property disclosure requirements, transfer taxes, and licensing rules differ by jurisdiction.
4. Specific question or gap — A description of the information needed, the document or process in question (e.g., Closing Disclosure, earnest money deposit mechanics, title defects), or the regulatory provision that requires clarification.
5. Source context — If the question relates to a specific page on this site, naming that page or its topic allows for faster routing.

Inquiries that omit transaction type or jurisdiction may receive a generalized response covering the federal baseline framework rather than state-specific procedural detail.

Response expectations

Editorial inquiries submitted with complete context are addressed within 5 business days. Inquiries requiring research into state-specific statutes, county-level recording fee schedules, or niche transaction structures (such as commercial real estate transactions or new construction processes) may require up to 10 business days.

Two categories of inquiry receive prioritized handling:

• Factual corrections — If a specific page contains a citation error, outdated regulatory reference, or a mischaracterization of a named agency's rule, flagging the exact passage and the correcting source enables the fastest editorial review.
• Coverage gaps — If a transaction process, document type, or regulatory framework is absent from the site's published reference library, identifying the gap by referencing the closest existing topic (e.g., "there is no page addressing dual agency in commercial contexts, only residential") helps the editorial team assess scope and prioritize new content.

The site does not provide legal advice, represent parties in transactions, or offer professional services of any kind. Responses address published reference content and publicly documented regulatory frameworks. For jurisdiction-specific legal questions, the appropriate resources include state bar association referral services or licensed real estate attorneys admitted in the relevant state.

Additional contact options

For structured feedback on the site's reference content, the Real Estate Transaction Checklist and Glossary pages include the highest volume of user-reported terminology questions. When submitting feedback on definitional content, citing the specific term and the public source that supports the proposed correction (such as a HUD handbook, CFPB published guidance, or a Fannie Mae selling guide provision) accelerates review.

The Frequently Asked Questions page addresses the 40 most common process questions submitted across the buyer, seller, and closing-phase categories. Reviewing that resource before submitting an inquiry eliminates duplication in roughly 60 percent of general process questions received.

For questions about the regulatory context underlying specific transaction rules — including RESPA Section 8 prohibitions on kickbacks, TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosure (TRID) timing requirements, or state-level escrow licensing mandates — the Regulatory Context page provides the federal agency framework with named statute and rule citations.

How to reach this office

Written inquiries are accepted through the contact form on this page. The form routes submissions into one of 3 editorial queues based on the selected inquiry category:

• Content accuracy — For corrections to published factual claims, statute citations, or agency attributions.
• Coverage requests — For gaps in the reference library, including transaction types or regulatory topics not yet addressed.
• General questions — For questions about real estate transaction processes that are not answered by existing pages.

Selecting the correct category at submission reduces routing time by at least 1 business day on average. Submissions without a selected category default to the general queue and are triaged manually before routing.

Physical correspondence is not accepted. Phone inquiries are not available. All substantive responses are delivered in writing to the email address provided at submission, allowing for an accurate record of what was asked and what reference information was provided in response.

The editorial team operates Monday through Friday, excluding federal holidays as defined by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) federal holiday schedule. Submissions received on weekends or federal holidays enter the queue on the following business day.

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