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MortgagePoint » Your Trusted Source for Mortgage Banking and Servicing News 2 June 2024 F R O M T H E E D I T O R A LOOK INSIDE VRM L ongevity within the mortgage finance space is sometimes hard to come by. This month, MortgagePoint turns its focus to a company that has withstood the test of time and market fluctuation, and two-plus decades after launching, VRM Mortgage Services continues to fulfill its mission statement in providing high- quality outsourcing services for those in the industry to manage their REO assets. In "Good Service Is Sustainable," we speak with VRM President & CEO Keith Murray, and EVP & COO Dr. Cheryl Travis-Johnson, as the leadership team takes us on the company's journey from its beginnings just before the 2007-2008 financial crisis, through a time when REO inventories were abundant while the nation dealt with a rash of foreclosure inventory, bank failures, and overall economic uncertainty. Their story is one of perseverance, birthed by a tragic "moment of clarity." Through a period of tumult in the industry, Murray and Dr. Travis-Johnson built a team and demonstrated a willingness to adapt and survive, through the establishment of VRM University (VRMU) to train the next generation of mortgage professional, to the adoption of new technological solutions by embracing new artificial intelligence (AI) tools. See their story beginning on page 34 of this month's issue. In addition to VRM's journey, this month we feature an array of industry hot-button topics, including how enhancing payment processes with modern technology can enable greater speed, efficiency, and control of collections for lenders in "Simplifying the Digital Mortgage Payment Process," by Jeff Osheka of REPAY, on page 40. And as mortgage tech solutions continue to evolve, Joey McDuffee of Blue Sage Solutions details how the end result is not just the ability to better streamline operations, but to achieve optimal cohesion across a mortgage lender's entire operation in his article on page 44, "Bringing the Mortgage Journey Full Circle With Digital Technology." For a different angle on the impact of tech in the marketplace, Nate Den Herder, Founder and CEO of Ardley Technologies, sat down with MortgagePoint to detail how an investment in tech solutions today can pay dividends and open new doors for you and your clientele. While working through a down market is a challenge for all in the industry, in "How to Build Volume in Today's Market" on page 50, Henry Brandt of Planet Home Lending explains how to position yourself to help navigate through the complexities of a difficult market to turn you into a homebuyer's hero. You can find all of this and much more ahead in the pages of the June 2024 issue of MortgagePoint. And for your daily fix of the latest happenings in the mortgage finance space, please visit MortgagePoint.com as we bring you the news as it breaks. Thank you again for your continued support of our publication. David Wharton Editor-in-Chief Magazine EDITOR-IN-CHIEF David Wharton ART DIRECTOR Jason Stone MANAGING DIGITAL EDITOR Eric C. Peck REPORTERS Kyle G. Horst Demetria Lester MAGAZINE CONTRIBUTORS Henry Brandt David Doyle Joey McDuffee Jeff Osheka COPY EDITOR Brandy Scott ADVERTISING 214.525.6700 EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Daren Blomquist, VP of Market Economics, Auction.com Benjamin Gottheim, Director, Mortgage Servicing Policy, Freddie Mac Kevin Bowen, Head of Home Lending Product & Innovation, JPMorgan Chase & Co. Michael Keaton, SVP, Default Subservicing, Ocwen Jane Larkin, VP, Default Servicing, Colonial Savings Michael Merritt, SVP, Mortgage Default Servicing, BOK Financial Candace Russell, VP of Post-Sale Activities, Default Servicing, Carrington Mortgage Services, LLC Bryan Bolton, Chief Administrative Officer and SVP- Mortgage and Consumer Servicing, U.S. Bank Jacob Williamson, SVP Single-Family Collateral Risk Management, Fannie Mae Kim Yowell, EVP of Servicing, Fairway Independent Mortgage Servicing EXECUTIVE ADVISOR Michael S. Waldron CORPORATE OFFICERS PRESIDENT & CFO Jonathan Hughes ART DIRECTION Jordan Funderburk, Jason Stone No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. © 2024 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. MortgagePoint strongly encourages the use of qualified attorneys or other qualified experts with regard to the subject matter covered. MortgagePoint does not guarantee the accuracy of the information and is not liable for any damages, losses, or other detriment that may result from the use of these materials.