The Challenges Facing Community Banks – Part One
REQUIRED READING: I hear from a lot of community bankers who are concerned that the community banking model might not survive. Many paint...
Ready For The Next Challenge: A Field Services Odyssey
REQUIRED READING: For as long as most mortgage default servicing industry veterans care to remember, the duties of the field services professionals -...
REO Insurance Remains Consistent Amid Extreme Industry Changes
REQUIRED READING: After Hurricane Sandy crashed through the Northeast in late October, the level of destruction created by the monster storm created deep...
CSI: Mortgage Banking
REQUIRED READING: Over the course of the past several years, the mortgage meltdown has given rise to a new risk management landscape. Mortgage...
When A Vendor’s Mistake Becomes Your Responsibility
REQUIRED READING: In April 2012, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued Bulletin 2012-03, which said in regard to violations of consumer financial...
The Five Major Assignment Errors And How To Avoid Them
REQUIRED READING: John Maynard Keynes once wrote, 'It is better to be roughly right than to be precisely wrong.' However, Keynes never worked...
How The Power Of Fear Drives Today’s Due Diligence
REQUIRED READING: Back in 1933, Franklin D. Roosevelt took over the presidency by declaring to the nation, 'The only thing we have to...
Long-Term Vacant Properties: Part II – Strategies For Healing
REQUIRED READING: We should endeavor to achieve full recovery in all of the many diverse housing markets around the country. The private market...
Long-Term Vacant Properties: Part I – How The Crisis Emerged
REQUIRED READING: The boom and bust in housing that is a hallmark of the recent economic cycle has resulted in an unprecedented volume...
After One Door Has Closed, Another Needs To Open
REQUIRED READING: It is no surprise that times continue to be tough in the housing market, and underwater borrowers increasingly face foreclosures and...
Did The Dodd-Frank Act Fail?
REQUIRED READING: After every over-optimistic credit expansion comes the ensuing bust. After every bust comes legislation and expanded regulation to try to prevent...
On The Street Where The Politicians Live
REQUIRED READING: The November 2012 election resulted in bringing 13 governors, hundreds of state representatives, and countless mayors, city managers, members of council,...
Pricing Engine Evolution: The Next Chapter Awaits
REQUIRED READING: The late Steve Jobs once remarked, 'I have a great respect for incremental improvement, and I've done that sort of thing...
The First Commandment Of Loan Servicing: Keep Your Costs Under Control
REQUIRED READING: If there were 10 Commandments for the loan servicing business, Commandment No. 1 would be: 'Thou shalt contain costs while controlling...
What, You’re Missing Documents? Then No Short Sale For You!
REQUIRED READING: The short sale is undoubtedly preferable to a foreclosure, and properly executing one can be tricky. But a large number of...
Statistically-Supported Appraisals Can Weather A Perfect Storm
REQUIRED READING: The appraisal industry is confronting a level of scrutiny, competition and regulation that some have characterized as the 'perfect storm.' How...
The Role of Valuations In Conservation Easements
REQUIRED READING: The creation of conservation easements, which are land preservation agreements between landowners and qualified environmental organizations or governmental bodies, is currently...
Private Capital Would Return If Policymakers Pay Attention
REQUIRED READING: Since 2008, housing finance and federal policies have been totally intertwined. The result: More than 95% of all originations and virtually...
Will The CFPB Obliterate The Warehouse Lending Sector?
REQUIRED READING: April 13, 2012 - remember that date, because the game may have changed significantly for warehouse lending on that day! Specifically,...
Creating A Bulk Buying Process To Ensure Property Repair Savings
REQUIRED READING: Servicers and investors count on their field service partners to help maximize the value of real estate owned (REO) portfolios with...