Business ElementaryFederal Laws on the NJ Real Estate Exam: A One-Page Review
The short answer: On the New Jersey salesperson exam, federal law clusters in two outline areas: Financing (RESPA, TILA/Regulation Z, TRID, ECOA) and Practice of Real Estate (Fair Housing Act principles, prohibited conduct, advertising, ADA accessibility and reasonable accommodations). This page is a one-page map of what each statute is for—so you can tell them apart under time pressure. Deep practice stays on financing questions, practice of real estate, RESPA kickbacks and fair housing exemptions.
Confirm topic weights in the current PSI candidate bulletin.
Which federal housing and lending laws show up?
| Law | Core idea on the exam | Primary cite |
|---|---|---|
| Fair Housing Act | Protected classes; refuse to sell/rent/negotiate; discriminatory ads; steering, blockbusting, redlining | 42 U.S.C. 3604, 3605 |
| ADA (housing access angle) | Accessibility and reasonable accommodations in housing contexts tested with fair housing | Outline X.A; see also exam accommodations |
| RESPA (Section 8) | No kickbacks or unearned fees for settlement-service referrals | 12 U.S.C. 2607; Reg. X 12 CFR 1024.14 |
| TILA / Regulation Z | Truthful credit terms; advertising triggers | 15 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.; Reg. Z |
| TRID | Loan Estimate and Closing Disclosure timing | 12 CFR 1026.19 |
| ECOA | Equal credit opportunity; do not discriminate in lending decisions | 15 U.S.C. 1691 |
| Lead disclosure | Pre-1978 housing pamphlet, known info, warning statement, inspection opportunity | EPA / 40 CFR 745 |
| CERCLA (exam familiarity) | Hazardous-substance cleanup liability concept for contaminated property | 42 U.S.C. 9607 |
How do Fair Housing and ECOA protected classes differ?
HUD summarizes federal Fair Housing Act classes as race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status and disability (HUD). ECOA's credit-protection list is different and includes characteristics such as marital status, age and public assistance that are not on the federal Fair Housing list—exam writers love that contrast (15 U.S.C. 1691; financing guide).
New Jersey's Law Against Discrimination is broader still (including source of lawful income and other state classes). State overlays are tested in the NJ law portion and in practice questions; see NJ LAD for agents.
What Fair Housing conduct is always worth a flashcard?
- Steering: restricting choices by word or conduct because of a protected class (24 CFR 100.70(c))
- Blockbusting: for profit, inducing sales by talking about who is moving in (42 U.S.C. 3604(e))
- Redlining: discriminating in loans or financial assistance for housing (42 U.S.C. 3605; 24 CFR 100.120)
- Ads: any notice or ad that indicates a preference or limitation (42 U.S.C. 3604(c))
- Disability: refusing reasonable accommodations in rules/policies, or reasonable modifications at the person's expense (42 U.S.C. 3604(f)(3))
What RESPA and TILA traps show up?
RESPA Section 8 bans giving or accepting a fee, kickback or thing of value for referring settlement service business in a covered transaction (12 U.S.C. 2607). Exam and practice questions often disguise this as a "marketing partnership" with a title or mortgage company—work those scenarios on the RESPA kickbacks page.
TILA/Regulation Z tests whether credit terms in ads are accurate and whether trigger terms force full disclosure. TRID tests when the Loan Estimate and Closing Disclosure must go out (12 CFR 1026.19). Lead disclosure is often paired with property-condition questions (lead disclosure guide).
Where does CERCLA fit without over-studying it?
Exam questions rarely demand Superfund procedure. They test the idea that owners and certain other parties can face cleanup liability for hazardous substances at a facility (42 U.S.C. 9607). Pair that with the practical disclosure instinct: environmental red flags are physical-condition issues, not psychological stigma.
Quick self-check before practice exams
- Can you name Fair Housing's federal classes without peeking?
- Can you name at least one ECOA class that is not on that Fair Housing list?
- Can you explain Section 8 of RESPA in one sentence without saying "all vendor gifts are illegal"?
- Can you state TRID's two three-business-day clocks?
- Do you know NJ LAD adds source of lawful income on top of federal Fair Housing?
If any answer is fuzzy, revisit the linked deep-dive pages before drilling more random questions.
How should you study this cluster?
- Memorize which statute owns which decision (housing vs credit vs settlement fees vs lead).
- Drill the Fair Housing / ECOA class lists side by side.
- Know NJ LAD adds classes the federal Fair Housing Act does not.
- Use exemptions carefully—federal exemptions and NJ LAD exemptions are not identical (exemptions guide).
Federal law on the outline is high-yield because the fact patterns look like daily practice. For timed multiple-choice reps, use the practice exams course. Business Elementary's 75-hour pre-licensing course builds the same statute map before you sit for PSI.
Sources
- PSI NJ real estate candidate bulletin (content outline): https://test-takers.psiexams.com/api/content/bulletin/1667
- 42 U.S.C. 3604, 3605 (Fair Housing Act): https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title42-section3604
- 12 U.S.C. 2607 (RESPA Section 8): https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/12/2607
- 15 U.S.C. 1691 (ECOA): https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15/1691
- 12 CFR 1026.19 (TRID timing): https://www.consumerfinance.gov/rules-policy/regulations/1026/19/
- 24 CFR 100.70, 100.120 (steering; lending discrimination): https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/24/100.70
- EPA lead real estate disclosures / 40 CFR 745: https://www.epa.gov/lead/real-estate-disclosures-about-potential-lead-hazards
- 42 U.S.C. 9607 (CERCLA liability): https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42/9607
- HUD Fair Housing overview: https://www.hud.gov/fairhousing
Last reviewed: November 7, 2026