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Winter News
(OK, it's a little chilly but no snow and ice!)
February 2016

Welcome to our Winter Newsletter!
In This Issue
Board of Directors
2015/2016 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
 
PRESIDENT
Sandy Garcia
  American Bancshares Mortgage
PRESIDENT-ELECT
Kevin W. Strickland
  SunTrust Mortgage Inc
VICE PRESIDENT
Pat Gaver
  Capital City Bank
SECRETARY/TREASURER
Matthew Goldman, CLO, CRO
SECOND VICE PRESIDENT
Michael Azzarello, CMB
IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT
Jay Ralstin
  Waterstone Mortgage Corp. 
LOCAL CHAPTER REP
Sherry Wenrich 
  HomeBridge Financial Services, Inc. 
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Brenda Thomas
LEGISLATIVE REPRESENTATIVE
Eric Prutsman
  Prutsman & Associates, P.A.
                                            
2015/2017 Directors
(●TERM ENDS JUNE 2017)
● Brett Bosarge
   Fidelity Bank Mortgage
● Randi Gocinski
   Radian
● Cammie Aucoin
   Sierra Pacific
Michael Culbertson
  JP Morgan
Robert Villalon
   Mortgage Information Services, Inc.
Candice Racine
  Essent Guaranty, Inc.
Randy Galloway
  Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Corp.
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR
Patti Spaniol 
  United Guaranty
DIRECTOR EMERITUS
Margie Fletcher (elected 2005)
Chuck Ivy (elected 2006)
Georges Lussier (elected 2010)
  BB&T
                                                           
Local Chapter Presidents
MBA OF CENTRAL FLORIDA
Sherry Wenrich
  HomeBridge Financial Services, Inc. 
GULF COAST MBA
Mary Lou Bear
  BB&T
MBA OF JACKSONVILLE
Sherry Gallitz
  First Federal Bank of Florida
MBA OF SOUTH FLORIDA
Doug Leever
MBA OF SOUTHWEST FLORIDA
Nigel Fullick
MBA OF TALLAHASSEE
Cathy Sherman
  Capital City Bank
MBA OF TAMPA BAY
Francine Villa
  American BancShares Mortgage
 
Board contact information available on our web site at www.mbaf.org 
What is the MAA:
by Amy Swaney on behalf of MBA Washington
MAA is a crucial portion of the Mortgage Bankers Association's (MBA) advocacy efforts as it connects real estate finance professionals with their representatives in a collective voice. Our ability to unite and organize on both the state and local level is what makes the Mortgage Action Alliance such an effective tool for individual members of our industry and state MBAs as well.  

 

Our battles are far from over and active participation is needed from everyone, from chief executive officers to receptionists, to underwriters and originators. I encourage you to continue to engage with MAA on the federal and local level to help move the needle and amplify your voice with others in our industry.

 

Are you speaking up? Are you making your voice heard? Don't wait for someone else to advocate for you. Join the Mortgage Action Alliance today and unite with mortgage professionals all around the country.

 

Enrollment in MAA is easy ... simply fill out an online form at www.mba.org/maa. Your membership is always free and lasts for one calendar year. We need you. Your voice matters and it is critical that you use it. Together, we can make a difference on Capitol Hill and in state capitals across the country. The larger the group, the louder the voice ... add yours today.

 

Amy Swaney, CMB is governmental relations officer and branch manager with Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Citywide Home Loans. Amy is also chair of the Mortgage Action Alliance (MAA), a voluntary, non-partisan and free nationwide grassroots lobbying network of real estate finance industry professionals, affiliated with the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). Amy may be reached by phone at (480) 822-6262, ext. 2164, e-mail amy@amyswaney.com or visit  http://mba.org/Advocacy/MortgageActionAlliance 
Membership Committee Update
sepia-handshake-header.jpg

 

We would like to remind you about an important benefit of being a Member....networking.  The MBA of Florida Conferences are well known for meeting contacts within all aspects of our industry.  If you are a lender and looking for an associate to support your company, please consider doing business with a Member of the MBA of Florida!  By doing business with a Member you are also supporting your Association.

We hope that you are excited about the growth and opportunity within your Association! Should you have any questions about your membership renewal or want to refer a potential new Member, please do not hesitate to reach out to the following:
   
Brenda Thomas, Executive Director
Phone:  (407) 855-6155
mbaf@mbaf.org
   
Dawn Henshaw, Committee Co-Chair
Phone: (803) 545-4712
Dawn.henshaw@genworth.com 

Matthew Goldman, CLO, CRO, Committee Co-Chair
Phone: (407) 494-5626
Membership Listing as of 2-4-2016
**indicates Companies that  joined ALL SEVEN of our
Local Chapters
Financial Institution Members
Academy Mortgage Corporation
Acopia Home Loans
American Bancshares Mortgage, Inc.**
Ameris Bank
Assurance Financial
Atlantic Coast Bank 
Bank of America Mortgage
Branch Banking & Trust Co.
Capital City Bank, Residential Mortgage
Centennial Bank
Chase
Christensen Financial, Inc
Consumer Direct Mortgage, a Division of FirstBank
Crestar Funding
Deephaven Mortgage
Eagle Home Mortgage 
Embrace HomeLoans
EverBank
Farm Credit of Northwest Florida
FBT Mortgage, LLC
Fidelity Bank Mortgage**
First Commerce Credit Union
First Federal Bank of Florida**
Florida Capital Bank Mortgage
Florida Housing Finance Corporation
Franklin American Mortgage Co.
Freedom Mortgage Corporation
Green Tree Servicing LLC
Group One Mortgage, Inc.
HomeBridge Financial Services, Inc**
iberiabank Mortgage Company
K Hovnanian American Mortgage LLC 
Prime Meridian Bank
Prime Mortgage Group, LLC 
PrimeLending
Quontic Bank
Regions Mortgage
SecurityNational Mortgage Company
Sierra Pacific Mortgage
Spirides Hotel Real Estate and Finance Brokers, LLC
Stearns Lending
SunTrust Mortgage, Inc.
Synovus Mortgage
The Mortgage Firm, Inc.**
VyStar Credit Union
Waterstone Mortgage Corp.
Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.
 
 Associate Members
Arch MI
CCMC Inc.
CoreLogic(r)
Ditio Appraisals
CRS Data**
Edge MAC 
Essent Guaranty, Inc.
First American Mortgage Solutions
Freddie Mac 
Genworth Mortgage Insurance**
Mela Capital Group
Merscorp Holdings, Inc
Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Corp.
Mortgage Information Services, Inc.
National MI
Radian Guaranty
Ronald R. Wolfe & Associates
Rumberger, Kirk & Caldwell, P.A.
Stewart Lender Services
The StoneHill Group, Inc.
United Guaranty
  
Individual Members
Michael P. Azzarello, CMB
William Cannova
Chris Chemi
Michael Dunn
Josh Finley
Matthew Goldman, CLO, CRO
David Greif
Elizabeth Karwowski
Doug Leever
Holly Mobari
Leslie Schultz-Kin, Esq.
Sharon Priest
Peggy A Thomas
Alan Verch, CMB
 
Local Chapters
MBA of Central Florida
MBA of Gulf Coast
MBA of Jacksonville
MBA of South Florida
MBA of Southwest Florida
MBA of Tallahassee
MBA of Tampa Bay
President's Message
Sandy Garcia
MBAF Goes to Tallahassee
Membership is on the Rise and Paying it Forward
Last Tuesday MBA of Florida converged in Tallahassee, including local chapter presidents, your association leadership and some up and coming future leaders were able to participate in our Legislative Day.

Our first day was spent observing many important bills on the floor. The passion and conviction expressed amazed me. So many strong opinions and experts giving their reasons why a bill should or shouldn't go to the Senate. Eric Prutsman, MBAF's Legislative Representative, had appointments set early in the morning for day two. We met with Representative Chris Sprowls of Clearwater, Representative Scott Plakon of Longwood and Rene Plasencia of Orlando. There are no major issues or bills in legislation right now for the mortgage industry. Hot topics still remain foreclosure and insurance. Rules Chairman, Ritch Workman, let us know that many of the State of Florida Representative's recognize how involved our state and local chapters are and that we are well represented by Eric Prutsman.Thank you Eric for all you do for The Mortgage Bankers Association of Florida!
 
Well, it looks like we all made it through TRID. Education for our business partners continue to be the key to smooth transactions. Thank you to all the local chapters who held training on TRID and had industry experts speak during their monthly luncheon to prepare us and our industry partners. Through our continued education on this topic and many others I can see membership is on the rise. I personally speak to many attendees at the local chapter meetings who feel the need to belong and we all know education is the main driver to attendance and membership. The need for our local chapters and all they do has been very evident these past few months. 
 
So in closing, I would like to touch on the many community events the local chapters held during the holidays. I am so proud to belong to an association that gives back like the MBA of Florida local chapters do every year. GREAT JOB to all who make this happen year after year! A little further in this newsletter you can read about a couple of the chapters that reported on what they have been up to! 
 
I hope to see everyone in Orlando on February 24-26 at our 13th Annual Eastern Secondary Market Conference with Exhibits in Orlando. Information and links is included further below, if you haven't registered please do now. This is going to be a fantastic opportunity to meet many or our members and folks from all over the country. We have a solid line up of sessions and speakers that are ready to bring you up-to-date and a great group of exhibitors to explain their programs and products they offer.
Legislative Report american-flag-banner.jpg
by Eric Prutsman, Esq.
"What a difference a year makes . . ." 
 
Four weeks into the 2016 Legislative Session and the mood is very different from last year. In 2015, the Legislature all but imploded, well, actually it did implode, and the House and Senate were never on the same page. Fast forward a year and things have changed: there is a little more revenue to spend; the contentious Medicaid-expansion issue is off the table; and legislators are already eager to leave Tallahassee so that they can get on the campaign trail. There are still five more weeks of Session but major legislation that got left on the table when the House abruptly left Session has already been passed and signed into law by the Governor. The budget process is on track and both the House and Senate are committed to passing some additional tax cuts - the only question is whether it will be enough to satisfy the Governor's target of $1 billion in  tax reductions. 
 
And there are plenty of issues to keep us busy this Session with legislation ranging from estoppel certificates to flood insurance to property tax and homeowners insurance issues. The good news is that reduction in foreclosures in Florida has also resulted in a reduction in the number of bills filed to address the foreclosure process. The bad news is that the 2016 Legislative Session marks the end of a term of service for two of MBA of Florida's friends: Representative Ritch Workman (who we hope to see in the State Senate after the November elections), and State Senator Garrett Richter - both have had been faithful public servants who have helped protect the industry and your ability to do business in Florida. Since Session is not over, we look forward to continuing to work with them over the next two months in Tallahassee. 
 
As always, we will keep you updated on the latest developments! 
MBAF Legislative Day
Some of our group that attended the Capitol visits on Wednesday 2/3 below. If you have never had the chance to visit the Florida State Capitol please put this on your list of things to do, even if not with a scheduled group function. It is pretty amazing to see just how it all works!
A Tour of the Capitol, a Member's Perspective, Respectfully Submitted by Denise Drews,
MBA of Tampa Bay Chapter

Mortgage Bankers of Florida was well represented last week at the tour of the State Capitol conducted by MBA Legislative Representative, Eric Prutsman. Many local and state members got an amazing opportunity to go behind the scenes and witness our government in action.

We started our tour by observing some lively debates in the House of Representatives over amendments for On Campus Concealed Carry Permits and Open Permits, both of which passed the next day and are on their way to the Florida Senate for voting.  According to Mr. Prutsman the debates and the voting pretty much followed party lines and the outcome was not unexpected but the amendments may not fare so well in the Senate.
Our next stop was conducted by Ritch Workman, Chair of the Florida House Rules Committee who took us down to the floor of the House of Representatives while they were not in session for an up close look at where our elected officials work.  On a side note, Representative Workman is a former owner of a mortgage company and twice past president of the Florida Association of Mortgage Professionals.  He is a great friend and advocate of ours in the mortgage industry.

We also got a chance to take a close look at the floor of the Senate which surprisingly is not as high tech as the floor of the House.  The desks that the Senators sit and work at have not changed or been upgraded since the building was constructed.  

We finished up our time at the Capitol visiting with some Legislators in their offices and for a change one of them asked us for help instead of the other way around. It seems that there are a few bank owned properties in his neighborhood in severe disrepair and he asked our advice as to how to deal with them and the lender who owns them.  Of course, we were more than happy to offer suggestions and our assistance.
Local Chapter News
There are seven local chapters in Florida. Below are the links to each chapter's web site. With so much going within each chapter it pays to get involved in your local area.

 

Chapter Web Links below:

 

Gulf Coast MBA 

MBA of Central Florida 

MBA of Jacksonville 

MBA of Tallahassee 

MBA of Tampa Bay 

MBA of South Florida 

MBA of SW Florida 

 

Many of the chapters are in the planning stages for the upcoming year getting their education calendars ready for you. We have a master calendar online you can access to view all the activities in one spot. As the chapters complete their planning session more events will be posted.

 

 Online Calendar of Chapter Events    
MBA of Jacksonville
Submitted by Sherry Gallitz, MBA of Jacksonville President
The MBA of Jacksonville partnered with the Jacksonville chapter of Florida Association of Mortgage Professional (FAMP) for two successful events to finish our year off strong.
 
The November event was held at Carrabba's Italian Grill and had 67 individuals in attendance.  There was a panel discussion about the Important Changes Impacting FHA Residential Appraisals.  The MBA and FAMP of Jacksonville were proud to present a panel of experts to discuss the immediate changes to FHA appraisals. Our guest speakers were Valerie Williams, Director of Processing & Underwriting, Atlanta Homeownership Center. Our FHA Appraisal Panel includes: Al Yeargin, Appraiser, InHouse USA, Anthony Megas, Appraiser, Florida Evaluations, and Keith Howard, Appraiser, Keith Howard Appraisals Inc.

The Holiday & Christmas Party was an evening event held Tuesday, December 8th at the Jacksonville Golf & Country Club that had 62 attendees. The FAMP has been raising money for 30 years to help Children at Wolfson's Children's Hospital via the Santa Brigade.  The Band, Jay Garret and The Last Resort, played for the attendees while every enjoyed a very nice meal with dancing and socializing. A special thanks to the sponsors: Michelle Glass, Property Sciences, Mainsail Capital, Angel Oak, Guaranty Trust, United Wholesale Mortgage, Franklin American, Flowery Land Development JMB Estate Acquisitions, and BEAT Construction.

Unfortunately the scheduled MBA of Jacksonville January Bowling MPAC fundraiser was canceled due to the unexpected closure of Latitude 360. The event will be rescheduled later in the spring.
MBA of South Florida
Submitted by Doug Leever, President, MBA of South Florida
 Holtz Children's Hospital's Santa Claus retires after more than three decades


Click the link to take you online to the Miami Herald, where it says it all except our own personal THANK YOU to a long time MBA of Florida and MBA of South Florida member, Don Rosenthal. These are the important things in life that people are involved with and our wonderful members are not exception. All over Florida there is a wealth of caring and support in the local communities. Get involved.
Gulf Coast MBA
Submitted by Mary Lou Bear, President, Gulf Coast MBA
MBA of Tampa Bay
Submitted by Francine Villa, President, MBA of Tampa Bay
The Tampa Bay chapter is proud to say we ended 2015 and started 2016 on a positive inspiring path. Kim Dickey with First American Title and her inspiring "Defining moments & Differentiating Yourself" helped us end 2015. And Nathaniel Bittman with Security National Mtg Co. and his Emotional Intelligence in the work place brought us into 2016.
 
In between we celebrated our 2nd annual Toys Drive event we co-host with our local FAMP Gulf Coast Chapter. We had a great turn out and received more toys than expected. The Children's Home in Tampa was so grateful.
 
Upcoming events are going to be just as exciting. Radian is bringing back their popular Self Employed Training for our February luncheon along with a morning class to analyze Fannie's Mae changes to the 1084 form.
 
Friday April 8th, 2016 you will find us golfing at our Annual Golf Tournament at the Eagles in Tampa Fl. The golf ball launcher is back and should be fun all. If you will be in our area please let me know, we'd love to have you come join us!
 
Our MPAC and Events and Planning committees are busy with fun and new places for our members to enjoy this year. 
MBA of Tampa Bay
Children's Home Auction
As a follow-up to the 31st Annual Children's Home Auction held on November 5th at the Glazer Children's Museum. The chapter was pleased to present a $15,000 check to The Children's Home. Another fantastic job! 
Eastern Secondary Market Conference with Exhibits
February 23-26, 2016
Hyatt Regency Orlando
9801 International Dr. Orlando, FL 32819 407-284-1234
Eastern Secondary Market Conference with Exhibits

Links to All Information
Exhibitor Information Brochure-Five Spots Left

Download the Exhibitor Registration Form Here 

Exhibitor Company Listings Registered and the Floor Plan Assignments
(This link shows you the complete information on the exhibitors registered and the floor plan as of today. This will sell out so if you plan to exhibit register now.)

Access the Final Speaker Bio

List of Companies with City and State
(This document link shows the companies signed up with their city and state. There are several companies with more than one attendee from a city/state but we are just listing the one for space purposes. We will be over 200 attendees this year.)
 

Confirmed as our Opening Keynote Speaker on Thursday!

Bill Emerson, Chairman, MBA, Washington, DC and

Chief Executive Officer of Quicken Loans, Inc
Bill Emerson Bio Here

Confirmed as our Economic Update Speaker! 
Doug Duncan, PhD., Senior Vice President, Chief Economist 
Doug Duncan Bio Here

Sneak Peek of Something NEW for You:
Friday we usually just have our Board meeting but this year we are sending you off with an awesome way to elevate your life. So remember to RSVP when you register to attend this program on Friday. There will be a continental breakfast ready for you at 8 AM prior to this program.

9 -10 AM-Meditation for Better Performance, Emily Fletcher, Ziva
Meditation is the single most powerful stress relieving tool there is. Ziva will help you do less and accomplish more by giving you a self-sufficient meditation practice to take with you for life. Reducing the amount of stress in your body will help you perform at the top of your game in every area - from the boardroom to the bedroom.

Emily Fletcher is the founder of Ziva Meditation and the creator of zivaMIND, the world's first online meditation training. She's a leading expert in the field who has helped over 1,000 people become self-sufficient meditators.

Emily discovered this practice during her 10 year career on Broadway which included roles in "Chicago", "The Producers" and "A Chorus Line". She experienced its immense physical and mental benefits during a high s tress time in her career. Transformed by her practice, she traveled to Rishikesh, India to begin her years of training to become a teacher.
With her high-performance background and intensive meditation training, Emily helps successful individuals integrate meditation with their fast-paced, modern lives. Emily has spoken at Harvard Business School, Summit Series, Awesomeness Fest and The Omega Institute.

Innovative companies like Google, Coca-Cola, Barclays Bank, Viacom, Relativity Media and sweetgreen have all invited her to up-level company performance through meditation. Ziva was recently featured on the front page of New York Times' Style Section and in ELLE Magazine. Emily was named one of the top 100 Women to Watch in Wellness by MindBodyGreen.
  
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More on the Way (this is as of 2-4-2016)


Newsletter Submission Deadlines
and Distribution Dates
April 1 Distribution Date for Spring News
(Submission Deadline is March 25th)

Email to mbaf@mbaf.org 
Since 1952, the Mortgage Bankers Association of Florida (MBAF) has integrated the state's diverse real estate finance industry into a unified service organization. The MBAF is committed to promoting sound and ethical business practices in the mortgage banking industry; providing a powerful and responsible presence in Florida's legislative arena; educating its members in the most up-to-date practices and methods, so members can grow and mature in their careers; serving as a forum for communication and social interaction among peers; and adapting to change in a mercurial business environment, in order to help mortgage bankers succeed in that environment.
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