James R. Follain, an economist with more than 35 years of experience in the analysis of housing and mortgage markets, has joined Honolulu-based Collateral Analytics as senior vice president (SVP) of research and development.
Follain specializes in the measurement and management of risk associated with lending and investing in the mortgage and housing markets. He is a senior fellow at the Rockefeller Institute of Government and a member of the extended faculty at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.
Follain has held a number of positions as an economist within major academic institutions and with various business, government and policy-oriented organizations. He held senior positions at Freddie Mac from 1998 to 2003 and the Federal Reserve Board from 2003 to 2004. He also served also as a professor of economics at Syracuse University from 1988 to 1998 and a professor of finance at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign from 1984 to 1988. He also served as president of the American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association in 1988.
According to Michael Sklarz, chairman and CEO of Collateral Analytics, Follain ‘is a world-renowned housing economist who has authored many important academic papers and publications, and we are privileged to have him on our team.’
‘His comprehensive knowledge and research in housing and mortgage markets will deepen our credibility and strengthen our ability to meet the needs of clients,’ Sklarz adds.
