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» VISIT US ONLINE @ DSNEWS.COM 93 Roger Beane, CEO of LRES, discussed a few pinnacles from last year. "LRES achieved many highlights in 2016 with our additional service offerings, growing skilled execu- tive team, improved internal processes, and another successful acquisition," he said. "2016 was also the year LRES celebrated its 15-year anniversary, and we look forward to many more anniversaries better serving the real es- tate industry through enhanced offerings and quality customer service." PathSoftware and MGIC Integrate to Streamline Mortgage Origination CalyxSoftware announced in January that its mortgage loan origination software, PathSoftware, is integrating with Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Corporation (MGIC). is integration allows for two-way com- munication and secure data exchange between PathSoftware and MGIC. PathSoftware customers can now obtain MGIC rate quotes and order mortgage insurance without leaving their loan files. e integration also auto- populates the appropriate mortgage insurance premium fields back into the loan files without leaving Path, decreasing data entry time and increasing accuracy. Margaret Crowley, VP of Marketing and Customer Experience at MGIC, elaborated on the benefits of the integration. "Our inte- gration with CalyxSoftware addresses the growing demand for automation in the loan origination process," she said. "is partner- ship further illustrates our commitment to providing best-in-class customer experiences." Doug Mitchell, Director of Sales and Sup- port at PathSoftware, expressed his approval of the integration and is looking forward to the future. "PathSoftware was designed to simplify and streamline the mortgage origina- tion process, and tight integrations with our partners further this goal," he said. "We're proud to partner with MGIC, the nation's first private mortgage insurer, to make it easier than ever for joint clients to order MI and help first-time borrowers get into homes." WASHINGTON Redfin's Road from Broker to Lender Seattle-based brokerage Redfin surprised the mortgage world in January, announcing it will begin offering home loans as early as later this year. Redfin CEO Glenn Kelman said they want to offer customers a wholly digital home- buying experience from the very beginning of the process to closing. "Redfin Mortgage will put the customer first through a combination of technology and personal service," Kelman said. "is approach to mortgage is the same that has made us suc- cessful serving more than 75,000 customers buying and selling homes. We'll meet customers through digital channels to lower customer- acquisition costs. We'll hire our own mortgage advisers with incentives that reward service, not just sales, so customers get advice they can trust. We'll track every aspect of the closing in a single system used by mortgage advisers, real estate agents, title experts, and the customer, so everyone works together on an on-time closing." e mortgage side of the Redfin operation will be run out of a new Dallas-based office led by Jason Bateman, the former Executive VP of Mortgage Operations at BBVA Compass. Ali Kramer, Senior Manager of Public Relations at Redfin, said their brokerage is operating at such a sufficient scale that it made sense to move into mortgages. "e Redfin mission has always been to redefine real estate in the consumer's favor," Kramer said. "Offer- ing home loans is a next step in that mission." She said Redfin is "building a compre- hensive compliance function and leveraging industry leading technology" to make sure they follow all laws and regulations and avoid conflicts of interest between the brokerage and mortgage sides. "According to the federal Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA), Real- tors, lenders, and settlement agents are forbid- den from paying each other for business," Kramer said. "We have no intention to require any customers to use our services, and we do not compensate anyone for referrals to other divisions. Moreover, Redfin's business model is to give commission to our agents, and now lenders, based on customer satisfaction, and any incentives beyond that would go against our company values." Kramer said Redfin's advocacy for custom- ers, technological advantage, and focus on value will set Redfin Mortgage apart from its competitors. "Technology will create efficiency, efficiency will create value, which will be passed along in low prices," she said. "Value will also come from the fact that we don't have to pay to attract our customers since we are already serving people who use our Redfin brokerage business." Kramer said at launch, Redfin Mortgage will only serve Redfin brokerage customers. WYOMING Wyoming Fighting Increasing Foreclosures Many Wyoming homeowners continue to struggle with making their mortgage pay- ments as unemployment numbers remain high. e staff at Wyoming Housing Network tracked a recent jump in foreclosures over four months covering the last few months of 2016 and into 2017. According to data sent to KCWY 13, there were 134 foreclosures in progress across the state at the end of January. Early this year, the Wyoming Housing Network kicked off a two-year collaboration with the Wyoming attorney general's office to provide homeowners with resources, hous- ing counselors, and some tools to combat foreclosure. "ere are different things they (home- owners) can do if they can't repay and they don't have the ability to maintain the home; then we can help them with their credit and everything and see if we can figure out another situation for them," said Beth Skidmore, Wyoming Housing Network Foreclosure Counselor. Danielle Gaither, Wyoming Housing Network Communications Specialist, urged homeowners to come in as soon as they realize they are in trouble. "e sooner they can get in the better," she said. "Get help; contact help immediately because the sooner you can get in the more likely your lender or somebody will work with you." Utah Robyn Moody SALT LAKE REO RealtyONE Group Signature Sales Agent/Owner Robyn@SaltLakeREO.com 801-566-8288 Office | 801-859-2539 Mobile www.SaltLakeREO.com

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