It’s that time again… for a new SEASON of What the M!

In the first 2 seasons of What the M, Kent and Steve were fortunate enough to interview an incredible roster of talented professionals about their insights and predictions for the default servicing industry. To kick off season 3, they have brought in two experts to talk about economics and housing trends: are home prices starting to decline? What are the current trends at foreclosure bidding sales? And the biggest question of all- how will the November 2024 election affect these trends?

Rick Sharga is one of the country’s most frequently-quoted sources on real estate, mortgage, and foreclosure trends. Rick is the CEO and President of the CJ Patrick Company, a company that specializes in market intelligence for companies in the real estate and mortgage industries. Rick has more than 30 years of experience in the real estate and mortgage industries, previously serving in executive roles for Realty Trac, Carrington Mortgage Holdings, Ten-X, and Auction.com. He is also a founding member of the Five Star Institute’s National Mortgage Servicing Association.

Daren Blomquist is the Vice President of Market Economics at Auction.com. Daren is a former Senior Vice President of Communications at ATTOM Data Solutions, where he reported on housing trends, cash and investor purchases, housing risks, default trends, and more. These reports have been cited by thousands of media outlets nationwide, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and USA TODAY. Daren also served as Executive Editor of the Housing News Report, which was named best newsletter by the National Association of Real Estate Editors in 2015 and 2016. In 2019, Daren transitioned to Auction.com, where he focuses on analyzing and forecasting complex macro and micro-economic data trends within the real estate market and industry.

Welcome BACK to What the M, Rick and Daren!

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A huge thank you to our Season 3 sponsor, Black Dome Services. Black Dome Services is a next-generation property services provider, offering a comprehensive range of services tailored to the unique needs of their clients. From property inspections, preservation, maintenance, renovations and various other interior and exterior property related services, you have a trusted leader dedicated to delivering exceptional results and maximizing the value of your properties. For more information, please visit their website at www.blackdomeservices.com or email Vic Draper at Victor.Draper@blackdomeservices.com.

Welcome to the season 2 finale of What the M!

This season, Kent and Steve have interviewed amazing, thoughtful, and brilliant guests. Each guest has been uniquely qualified to speak about different aspects of the default servicing industry, and has provided valuable information to What the M’s listeners. Each guest is unique, but they all have one thing in common: they all got to answer “The Last Question.”

At the end of each episode, Kent and Steve ask their guest: “If you could go back in time and talk with the 20-year-old version of yourself, what advice would you give that young man/woman?” The answers were so fascinating, funny, and unpredictable, that we decided there was no better way to close out the season than with a compilation of the collective wisdom of these responses!

We hope you enjoy this season finale of our second season of What the M as much as we did. Season 3 of What the M will air in September, so stay tuned!

If you are interested in appearing on What the M, or have an idea for an episode, you can contact us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

If you enjoy listening to What the M, please rate, review and subscribe, wherever you listen to podcasts!

It’s that time again… for a new episode of What the M! This week, Kent and Steve interview Jodi Gaines, Chief Executive Officer at Claims Recovery Financial Services (CRFS).

Jodi began her career as an insurance claims clerk at Anchor Mortgage Services in 1989, where she became enamored with the mortgage servicing industry. In 2002, she created CRFS- a company which has since grown to over 600 employees- at her kitchen table. In 2019, Jodi left CRFS to work on other initiatives, including joining the New York MBA and working her way through the ranks of the Executive Board up to President. She has since returned to her role at CRFS as Owner and CEO. CRFS is a vendor and service provider to servicers, sub-servicers, and investors within the mortgage industry. Among other services, CRFS partners with clients to help them recover funds they are owed from HUD from any property that has gone through loss mitigation or foreclosure.

Jodi’s 35-year history in the mortgage servicing industry makes her uniquely suited to explain the evolution of the claims process, from technology to the latest loss mitigation developments, and we are fortunate to have her on the show!

Welcome to What the M, Jodi!

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A huge thank you to our Season 2 sponsor, Guardian Asset Management -

Guardian Asset Management is THE one-stop shop for lenders, servicers, hedge funds, residential and commercial property investors, and government entities that need a full suite of property management solutions under one roof.

This week, we zigged instead of zagged! Typically, What the M does not focus episodes on state-specific issues; however, the current regulatory environment in New York merits a departure from our usual format.

In this episode, we address the current legislative impact on statutes of limitation, the overall foreclosure environment, pending legislation and its impact on the mortgage marketplace, and lastly the New York Mortgage Bankers Association’s role in addressing all of the above. We are fortunate to have two guests who are uniquely qualified to speak on these topics: Joe Culver, the Executive Director of the New York Mortgage Bankers Association, and Jeff Pinard, the current President of the New York Mortgage Bankers Association.

Welcome to What the M, Joe and Jeff!

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A huge thank you to our Season 2 sponsor, Guardian Asset Management -

Guardian Asset Management is THE one-stop shop for lenders, servicers, hedge funds, residential and commercial property investors, and government entities that need a full suite of property management solutions under one roof.

It’s that time again… for a new episode of What the M! This week, Kent and Steve interview Steve Paton, CEO of Universal Component Lender Services (UCLS).

Steve has a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration and Finance from Sacramento State University. He has held senior leadership positions at JP Morgan Chase, Marix Servicing, Carrington Mortgage Services, and SingleSource Property Solutions. He then founded Distinguished Mortgage Services before moving to his current position as Chief Executive Officer of UCLS.

Steve’s 30+ years in the default servicing industry has given him invaluable insight into the complexity and gravity of servicers’ responsibilities, and he is graciously sharing that insight with us today.

Welcome to What the M, Steve!

You can listen to What the M at the link below, or wherever you listen to podcasts!

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A huge thank you to our Season 2 sponsor, Guardian Asset Management - Guardian Asset Management is THE one-stop shop for lenders, servicers, hedge funds, residential and commercial property investors, and government entities that need a full suite of property management solutions under one roof.

It’s that time again… for a new episode of What the M! This week, Kent and Steve interview Cesar Hernandez, CEO of Agility 360.

Cesar received his Bachelor of Science from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, and has now been in the mortgage and default servicing industry for nearly three decades. He began his career as an Asset Manager at Goldman Sachs. He then became the Chief Administrative Officer and Board Member at Wingspan Portfolio Advisors, where his functions and responsibilities included corporate development, client management, vendor management, compliance, operational efficiency, and corporate financial planning and forecasting. Cesar also has extensive experience deploying and managing large outsourcing relationships in the banking, real estate, energy, healthcare, and technology industries. Since founding Agility 360, Cesar has served as its Chief Executive Officer for the past ten years.

Cesar’s 28-year history in the default servicing industry has given him invaluable insight into the past, present, and future of mortgage-related finance, and he is graciously sharing that insight with us today.

Welcome to What the M, Cesar!

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A huge thank you to our Season 2 sponsor, Guardian Asset Management -

Guardian Asset Management is *the* one-stop shop for lenders, servicers, hedge funds, residential and commercial property investors, and government entities that need a full suite of property management solutions under one roof.

It’s that time again… for a new episode of What the M! This week, Kent and Steve interview Courtney Thompson, Executive Vice President and Head of Servicing at CMG Financial.

Courtney has a BA from Western Michigan University and a JD from Michigan State University. She began her career at Maddin Hauser Roth & Heller, PC. She has been in the mortgage and default servicing industry for over 19 years and was the SVP of Servicing at Flagstar Bank and the Chief Product Officer at Sagent. She then founded Consigliera, a consulting firm for default servicers.

A true innovator and self-confessed “participator,” Courtney is committed to developing large-scale strategies for the entire servicing industry. She believes strongly that a consumer-first strategy and transparency in the default mortgage servicing industry benefit investors, servicers, and consumers.

Courtney’s vision for the default servicing industry is a true breath of fresh air, and her interview is a must-listen!

Welcome to What the M, Courtney!

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A huge thank you to our Season 2 sponsor, Guardian Asset Management -

Guardian Asset Management is *the* one-stop shop for lenders, servicers, hedge funds, residential and commercial property investors, and government entities that need a full suite of property management solutions under one roof.

It’s that time again… for a new episode of What the M! This week, Kent and Steve interview Renardo “Rick” Hicks from Eckert Seamans, LLC.

Rick received his BA in Government from Hamilton College, his JD from Northeastern University, his LLM from Temple University. Rick also holds honorary Doctorate degrees from Allen University, Central Pennsylvania College, Morris Brown College, and Turner Theological Seminary.

Prior to joining Eckert Seamans, Rick served as Chief Counsel at the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, a role in which he served as advisory and enforcement legal counsel involving gas, electric, telephone and water utilities in state and federal courts and agencies. He also managed the Commission’s Law Bureau, with additional responsibility for drafting policies, procedures and regulations from concept to implementation. Rick previously served the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as the Executive Deputy Attorney General and Director of the Public Protection Division within the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General.

Rick’s extensive experience within the arena of consumer protection and consumer advocacy makes him uniquely suited to discuss this week’s show topic, consumer protection laws and their enforcement at the state and federal level.

Welcome to What the M, Rick!