According to Maine’s Morning Sentinel, the SAFE (Secure and Fair Enforcement) Act for Mortgage and Licensing of 2008 will take effect April 1, requiring loan originators to have state licenses.  The state’s Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection (BCCP) says they have received 1,550 applications, but there are 18,000 loan officers currently registered.  Advocates say this will increase the level of professionalism and better protect consumers.  But Karen Brown-Mohr, executive director of the Manufactured Housing Association of Maine (MHAM), said 20 hours of education, plus licensure and background checks can be very expensive in terms of fees and employment time lost.  Will Lund, superintendent of BCCP, said he is not necessarily enamored of the SAFE Act.  He says, “The state of Maine had a system of registering loan officers that worked quite well.”  Maine’s legislature is set to discuss a bill that would exempt loan originators who only deal with five or fewer loans in a year.