Rachel Dollar

Biography

Ms. Dollar is a Certified Mortgage Banker, a Certified Financial Crimes Investigator and a recognized expert on mortgage fraud. Ms. Dollar represents lending institutions and investors in mortgage banking related matters including:

• Litigation of regulatory and disclosure law violations including RESPA and TILA
• Lender liability litigation defense
• Servicing related litigation including actions involving contested foreclosures and evictions after foreclosure
• Litigation of mortgage fraud and related actions including causes of action based in Federal RICO, broker bond and fidelity bond claim and appraiser and settlement agent errors & omissions policy claim litigation
• Title and closing protection letter claims and litigation
• Repurchase litigation
• Mortgage banking related real estate litigation
• Mortgage insurance claim and rescission litigation
• Drafting of standard documents such as escrow instructions, broker agreements and internal policies and procedures

Ms. Dollar’s clients have included insurance companies, major banks, mortgage lenders, secondary market investors and other financial service companies. She has been involved in the discovery, investigation, resolution and litigation of most of the large-scale mortgage fraud schemes in play across the country over the past several years.

Ms. Dollar has developed a reputation as one of the foremost innovators and thought leaders in the real estate finance industry and has been widely quoted in the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, the Los Angeles Times and other publications. She was recognized in 2005, 2006 and 2007 by Inman News as one of the 100 Most Influential Real Estate Leaders. She is a nationally recognized speaker on the topics of mortgage banking and mortgage fraud, has testified before Congress and has appeared on CNN, CBS News and other radio and television programs.

She is the editor of the acclaimed public industry website, Mortgage Fraud Blog, recognized in 2007 as Most Innovative Real Estate Blog. Ms. Dollar is an author of Protect Yourself from Real Estate and Mortgage Fraud the first full scope mortgage fraud book released by a major publisher (Kaplan Publishing, August 2007.)

Ms. Dollar is also a licensed California real estate and mortgage broker.

Bar admissions

• All California State Courts including California Supreme Court
• United States District Court, Northern District of California
• United States District Court, Eastern District of California
• United States District Court, Central District of California
• United States District Court, Southern District of California
• United States District Court, District of Colorado

Multiple state and federal pro hac vice admissions

Education

• Newport University, School of Law, J.D.

Professional associations and memberships

• International Association of Financial Crimes Investigators
• Fellow, American College of Mortgage Attorneys
• Media Committee, CMB Society, 2008-2009
• Quality Control Leadership Committee, Mortgage Bankers Association, 2008-2009
• MORPAC Committee, 2008-2009
• President, Sonoma County Bar Association, 2007
• Chair, MBA Appraisal Outreach Task Force, 2007
• California Real Estate and Mortgage Broker
• Association of Financial Crimes Investigators
• Mortgage Bankers Association
• California Mortgage Bankers Association

Publications and Presentations

• Congressional Testimony - February 10, 2008 - "Foreclosure Aftermath: Preying on Senior Homeowners"; Senate Special Committee on Aging
• Protect Yourself from Real Estate and Mortgage Fraud, Rachel Dollar and Ralph Roberts with Joe Kraynak, Kaplan Publishing, August 2007
• Mortgage Fraud Blog, 2004-Present

Please contact Smith Dollar PC for CV if interested in Ms. Dollar's prior speaking engagements

Awards and designations

• Certified Financial Crimes Investigator
• Certified Mortgage Banker
• 2004-2007 Inman News Top 100 Most Influential Real Estate Leaders
• 2007 Inman News Most Innovative Real Estate Blog
• 2010 North Bay Business Journal Women in Business Award