Online MLO Questions Video

In an 80/20 loan structure, the borrower obtains two loans: an 80% first mortgage and a 20% second mortgage, often referred to as a "piggyback loan." The 20% loan has second lien priority, meaning it is subordinate to the 80% loan. If the borrower defaults and the property is foreclosed, the lender holding the first mortgage (80%) is paid first, and the second mortgage (20%) is paid from any remaining proceeds.

The first lien is always the larger 80% loan, and the second lien covers the smaller 20% loan.

A subordinate lien (or junior lien) refers to any loan or claim against a property that is secondary to the first lien (the primary mortgage). Examples include second mortgages, home equity loans, or lines of credit.

“A subordinate lien is a mortgage or other lien that has a lower priority than a previous mortgage or lien.”

— SAFE MLO National Test Study Guide

A Suspicious Activity Report (SAR) is filed by financial institutions to report known or suspected violations of law or suspicious financial activities. The requirement to file SARs falls under the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), which is designed to prevent money laundering, fraud, and other financial crimes. SARs must be filed with FinCEN (Financial Crimes Enforcement Network) whenever suspicious transactions are detected.

TILA (B), Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (C), and RESPA (D) do not govern the filing of SARs.

When a mortgage loan originator (MLO) is also acting as a real estate broker in the same transaction, an Affiliated Business Arrangement (ABA) Disclosure is required under RESPA. This disclosure ensures that the borrower is made aware of the relationship between the parties involved in the transaction and any potential conflict of interest, especially if the MLO could benefit financially from both roles.

Loan application (A), appraisal disclosure (B), and the special information booklet (C) are separate required disclosures, but they do not address the issue of affiliated businesses.