DS News

2 Perseverance and Change Among the many challenges our industry has faced since the onset of COVID-19 in early 2020, one paramount factor has been the strategic disposition of resources. Companies within the default space, from servicers to vendors, have done their best to navigate the low-volume landscape, armed with the knowledge that, eventually, forbearance periods will end, foreclosure moratoria will lift, and the industry will lean forward to bring the wheels of that section of the housing market back up to speed. But from the start, those timelines have been uncertain, and it sometimes seem like every answer received about when things will get "back to normal" is accompanied by five more questions. Our cover story profile this month looks at how DIMONT, one of the largest providers of specialty insurance claims and loan administration services, along with one of the largest public adjusting companies in the U.S., has been navigating these challenging waters in the aftermath of a summer 2021 acquisition by Metro Public Adjustment, Inc. In this exclusive profile, we spoke with DIMONT CEO Steven McCaffrey, President Laura MacIntyre, and MPA's Director of Adjusting, Bill Underkoffler. Together, the three of them shed light on what led to the acquisition, how it has fundamentally changed and strengthened both companies, and what DIMONT is excited to bring to the table for its customers in 2022, with Underkoffler pulling back the curtain on some of the tools and techniques that have DIMONT better positioned than ever before to meet clients' needs. In our first contributed feature of the month, Angela Hurst, SVP at RES.NET and U.S. Real Estate Services, shares "Constant Preparedness in a Dangerous World." In this piece, Hurst asks, how can the mortgage servicing industry best balance pragmatic needs against a humane response to natural disasters? Next up, we're bringing you "e Storm After the Storm," by John omas of ATI Restoration. In this piece, omas dives into how property loss as a result of natural disasters impacts delinquency rates. Our third feature of the month comes from Laura N. Coughlin and T. Robert Finlay, attorneys for Wright, Finlay & Zak, LLP. In "Bankruptcy Discharge Does Not Accelerate Entire Debt," the pair explain a recent ruling where a borrower's bankruptcy discharge does not start the six-year statutory period for enforcing the entire debt. Finally, we close out the month with one of our "Quick Take" short features entitled "After Forbearance: A Return to Normalcy." In this feature, Jonathan MacKinnon, Hometap's VP of Product Strategy and Business Development, looks at the industry landscape and the challenges facing it. As he explains, in a time of struggle, helping your customers get their finances back on track after mortgage forbearance may create customers for life. Welcome to the February 2022 edition of DS News. David Wharton Editor-in-Chief VOL. 20 NO. 2 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF David Wharton EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR Jonathon Won MANAGING DIGITAL EDITOR Eric Peck REPORTER Kyle G. Horst, Demetria Lester MAGAZINE CONTRIBUTORS Laura N. Coughlin T. Robert Finlay Angela Hurst Jonathan MacKinnon John Thomas COPY EDITOR Brandy Scott ADVERTISING Sales: 214.525.6700 EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD John Dunnery, VP, Government Loan Servicing, Community Loan Servicing, LLC Benjamin Gottheim, Director, Mortgage Servicing Policy, Freddie Mac Michele Kryczkowski, SVP Operations, Distributed Retail, Planet Home Lending Alex McGillis, Senior Director, Product Development, The Answer, Quicken Loans Erik Schmitt, Managing Director, Origination Division, Chase Home Lending Douglas Whittemore, Head of Default Servicing, US Bank Jacob Williamson, VP Single-Family Collateral Risk Management, Fannie Mae Kim Yowell, EVP of Servicing, Fairway Independent Mortgage Servicing PRESIDENT & CFO Jonathan Hughes DESIGN Jordan Funderburk Jason Stone Jonathon Won No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. ©2021 Five Star Global, LLC—All Rights Reserved This publication is intended to provide accurate, authoritative, and detailed information in regard to the subject matter covered. All written materials are disseminated with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal advice or other professional services. Under no circumstance should the information contained herein be relied upon as legal advice as it is designed to be a source of information only. DS News strongly encourages the use of qualified attorneys or other qualified experts with regard to the subject matter covered. DS News does not guarantee the accuracy of the information, and is not liable for any damages, losses, or other detriments that may result from the use of these materials. Follow DSNewsDaily on From Our Desk

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