The Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) is a consumer protection statute, first passed in 1974. One of its purposes is to help consumers become better shoppers for settlement services. Another purpose is to eliminate kickbacks and referral fees that increase unnecessarily the costs of certain settlement services.
Danielle Maurer, Noldor Elf in search of Silmaril. Views. Sauron is a Maia, one of the spirits that rank below the Valar in terms of power. They are more than the elves and other creatures of Middle-Earth, but not as powerful as the Valar (who function like the gods of Middle-Earth, even though they did not create themselves).
Other Maiar in the Lord of the Rings include the Wizards (Saruman, Gandalf, Radagast, and the Blue Wizards), the Balrogs, and, if you're into the Silmarillion, Melian. The reason Sauron stands out as more powerful is that Sauron took up with Morgoth, the Valar who went bad early on. Sauron became his most powerful and trusted lieutenant (save Gothmog, the Lord of the Balrogs), and probably learned much from his master.