Industry Partners Conference

The 2012 Industry Partners Conference (IPC) was held September 19, 2012 at the Chaparral Suites in Scottsdale.  The Arizona Association of REALTORS®, Arizona Mortgage Lenders Association and the Arizona State Escrow Association proudly sponsor this annual event.  This year’s theme,  “Reviving the American Dream,” offered attendees an opportunity to participate with a panel of experts.

The morning session began with the keynote speaker, 2012 AAR President Holly Mabery, addressing legal issues, the changing landscape of consumer needs and setting appropriate expectations.  Holly’s passion resonated as she discussed the improvement of Arizona’s real estate climate, the national marketplace and the pending impact of government regulations.

“Mastering The Legal Pitfalls” was the topic for the first panel, which consisted of Michelle Lind, Don Hagen, Patty Shaw, Matt Sagar and Holly Mabery. The moderator, Sherry Olsen, led the panel of experts in a discussion about writing offers and presenting them, preparing the client for the transaction and navigating the closing process. The experts discussed multiple offers and how to use various AAR forms to increase success.

Following the panel, “Banking Now on Better Times to Come – Tips to Managing a Lease Purchase” was the scenario offered for round-table discussion.  The objective was to clearly define the differences between a lease purchase and lease option. Rick Mack outlined the differences and clarified what components are necessary  to effectively create a lease purchase transaction. Rick also discussed the various risks involved in this type of transaction. Karen Greenhow discussed escrow and title issues involved in lease purchases transactions. Sherry Olsen then summarized a lender’s perspective for the potential borrower in a lease purchase transaction. Moderator Leslie Barnes directed questions to the panel during the Q&A period.

Luncheon speaker Sindy Ready gave a presentation on “Raising the Bar” with an often humorous look into working with clients and doing the right thing when servicing their needs. Sindy is an active REALTOR® with RE/MAX Excalibur in Scottsdale and the 2012 National Financial Secretary for the Women’s Council of REALTORS®.

The “Wonderful World of the Investor” began the afternoon session. Following round-table discussion of the scenario, Rick Mack, Karen Greenhow, Holly Mabery and Sherry Olsen continued in their role as expert panelists. The scenario was comprised of various challenges in the buyer and seller transaction, as well as ethical dilemmas for REALTORS®, and the role of escrow, title and lenders in an investor transaction.

Sherry Olsen  moderated  the expert panel for “Tomorrow’s Lending Environment” with Ron Duranti, Robert Oglesby and Bill Rogers.  Discussion centered around specialty or “niche” loan products currently available to suit clients who don’t fit into “traditional” mortgage programs.  Many loans were described as “Band-Aid” products, offering the client an opportunity to purchase now and refinance into a more traditional program at a later time.

The final presentation of the day was the much anticipated short sale panel moderated by Pat Baldwin and featuring  Jeff Caicco, Tracy King, Reginald Givens and Dax Watson.  Discussion centered around arms-length affidavits, 30-90 day flips, and MLS marketing – disclosures.  Questions  from the audience related to the wording in various arms-length affidavits, banks working closer together when a client has a first and second lien on the property, and disclosing through the MLS system pertinent facts related to a property in short sale or foreclosure.

Immediately following the conference, the Arizona Women’s Council of REALTORS® (WCR) sponsored a cocktail party to raise funds for the Karen Franz Scholarship Fund.  The scholarship fund is utilized statewide to support professional develop for WCR members.

The take away?  For an entire day, the attendee had  access to expertise, from  attorneys, escrow and title company participants, bank and mortgage specialists, and REALTORS® statewide, all of whom came prepared to educate, inform and share issues pertinent to today’s real estate environment.

Thank you to the expert panelists who served throughout the day:

Michelle Lind, AAR’s General Counsel and Assistant CEO; Don Hagen, AVP, Real Estate Lending; Patty Shaw, Vice President/Escrow Operations Manager, Old Republic Title; Matt Sagar, Regional Underwriting Counsel, First American Title Insurance Company;  Holly Mabery, AAR President; Rick Mack, Attorney with Mack, Drucker and Watson Law Firm and lead attorney for the Arizona Association of REALTORS® Legal Hotline;  Karen Greenhow, Area Manager/Maricopa County Escrow Administrator, Pioneer Title; Ron Duranti, President, Peoples Mortgage; Robert Oglesby, President, Appraisal Tek; Bill Rogers, Homeowners Financial Group;  Jeff Caicco, Senior Vice President, Citi Bank; Tracy King, Short Sale Manager, Wells Fargo Bank; Reginald Givens, Fair Housing Specialist, Arizona Department of Housing; Dax Watson, Attorney with Mack, Drucker and Watson Law Firm

Thank you to the moderators for guiding the discussion:

Sherry Olsen, Licensed Professional Mortgage Originator, Wallick & Volk; Pat Baldwin, Senior Vice President, Fidelity National Title; Leslie Barnes, Branch Manager, Certified Senior Escrow Officer and Certified Escrow Instructor

Thank you to the lunch presenter for sharing her insights:

Sindy Ready, RE/MAX Excalibur Realty

Thank you to the vendors for their ongoing support:

CWGB&S, Driggs Title Agency, Chicago Title Agency, Professional Escrow Resources, Fidelity Home Warranty, Document Preparation , Old Republic Title Agency, Cherry Creek Mortgage Company, Women’s Council of REALTORS®, Meracord, Pioneer Title Agency, Fidelity National Title Agency, Security Title Agency, Great American Title Agency, U.S. Title Agency, Real Property Management Titanium, Appraisal Tek, First American Title, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Peoples Mortgage Company, Eastmark, Academy Mortgage

Thank you to the three sponsors of the annual Industry Partners Conference:

Arizona Association of REALTORS®, Arizona Mortgage Lenders Association, and Arizona State Escrow Association

And finally, a special thank you to all who served on the IPC committee and worked tireless to make this event so worthwhile:

Leslie Barnes, 2012 Chair,ASEA; Heather Wyant, ASEA; Beck Schmidt, ASEA; Pat Baldwin, ASEA; Barb Freestone, AAR; Sam Takach, AAR; Laura Kovacs, AAR; Jan Steward, AAR; Debbi Hill, AMLA; Sherry Olsen, AMLA

Tags: , ,