FREE Email Subscription Lists

Written By: Stacey Sprain,
Certified Ambassador Loan Processor (CALP)

With our ever-changing market atmosphere, it’s more important than ever to make sure we’re up to date with major guideline changes and restrictions, that we are aware of training opportunities and that we are constantly seeking out the most current and accurate product and program information to assist us in making the best decisions and choices we can for ourselves and for our borrowers.

That being said, I’d like to share my personal list of email subscription offerings from some of the most pertinent resources out there in our industry. These subscription lists will assure that you receive first hand notifications when there are changes and updates to products and programs, announcements of training and education opportunities and will keep you up to date on breaking news and announcements of importance.

FANNIE MAE
Fannie Mae offers you the opportunity to personalize your subscription choices. Simply go to https://www.efanniemae.com/lc/newsletters/index.jsp where it’s very easy to register and choose to subscribe only to the topics that are of the most interest to you. The free subscription options include Selling Policy Updates, Servicing Policy Updates, Desktop Originator Updates, Desktop Underwriter Updates, Single Family Hot Topics Alerts, Uniform Instrument/Legal Document Updates and the In the Loop newsletter.

FREDDIE MAC
Freddie Mac offers a number of free email subscription opportunities.
You can subscribe to receive notifications of Learning Center Updates, which includes such topics as training and education news, Community Outreach, Loan Prospector and Underwriting, Mortgage Product Alerts and Updates, Selling and Delivery Updates and Servicing Announcements. Simply visit the Email News Service page at http://www.freddiemac.com/learn/subscribe/ to set your subscription preferences.

You’ll find Freddie Mac’s complete Subscription Center Web Page at http://www.freddiemac.com/news/alerts/newscenteremail.html.

In addition, FHLMC offers RSS feed options- Go to http://www.freddiemac.com/news/rss_feeds.html.

HUD/FHA
HUD offers a number of mailing list subscription options and links to state-by-state mailing list options. Go to http://www.hud.gov/subscribe/mailinglist.cfm
for a complete listing. There are some interesting opportunities for learning with subscriptions to some of these lists. Topics include Energy, Lead Based Paint Hazard Control, Affordable Housing, HOC Reference Guide, Housing Counseling, Research and Reports, Community-related topics; the list is endless!

**Important** To subscribe to HUD’s standard Single-Family Mailing list, which will provide you with notifications of Mortgagee Letters, FHA-related product and program changes and training announcements, visit http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/ref/hsgregst.cfm.

USDA RURAL DEVELOPMENT
The US Department of Agriculture offers free email subscriptions for bulletins and updates associated with the Guaranteed Rural Housing Program. Be sure to visit http://www.rdlist.sc.egov.usda.gov/listserv/mainservlet or http://apps.ams.usda.gov/ocnews/to customize your free subscriptions.

VA-VETERANS AFFAIRS
VA allows you to sign up for email alerts when you register for access to the Veterans Information Portal or if you do not wish to subscribe on the Portal, you may wish to visit http://www.va.gov/opa/pressrel/opalist_listserv.cfm where you can sign up for VA’s Public Affairs distribution list.

Your VA Regional Loan Center may also offer email distribution lists for their updates and training announcements. Be sure to visit your VA RLC website which you’ll find listed at http://www.homeloans.va.gov/rlcweb.htm.

Now before you run off and get yourself subscribed on ALL of these lists, allow me to offer a bit of further advice. It’s important to be very selective about the lists you subscribe to so that these bulletins and alerts don’t disrupt your work day and distract you from your workload responsibilities. The last thing you need is to be pelted by a hundred additional emails in your inbox each day.

I would suggest subscribing only to the three top email lists of importance to you based on which will have the most immediate impact on your business. For the others, I recommend creating another email address with which to have the alerts and bulletins forwarded so you can check that inbox perhaps every other day or just once per week. This will allow you to maintain productivity while still giving you the opportunity to keep current on changes and updates.

I hope you find these subscriptions and suggestions helpful. They have certainly proved beneficial to me over the years!

About the Writer. As one of NAMP's volunteer writers, Stacey Sprain is currently a NAMP member in good standing and is a NAMP Certified Ambassador Loan Processor (CALP). If you would like to become a volunteer writer for NAMP, please email us at: blog@mortgageprocessor.org.