AWARDS
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation announced the East Baltimore Historic II Project as the recipient of the inaugural ACHP/HUD Secretary’s Award for Excellence in Historic Preservation. The award recognizes developers, organizations and agencies for their success in advancing the goals of historic preservation, while at the same time providing affordable housing and/or expanded economic opportunities for low- and moderate-income families and individuals.
TRF Development Partners’ renovation of the East Baltimore Historic II community combines historic preservation, community development and affordable housing within a stressed and disinvested housing market. The project transformed an entire neighborhood block, spurring additional rehabilitation activity nearby.
MILESTONES
Caliber Home Loans closed their 10,000th VA purchase loan in early August. Loan Consultant Lisa Kelly, in Caliber’s Sevierville, Tennessee, branch had the honors of originating the milestone loan for the company.
New American Funding’s Riverside, California, branch recently participated in the Habitat for Humanity Over the Edge fundraising event for Veterans. All donations went toward empowering veterans and their families by surrounding them with supportive services and giving them the opportunity to purchase a safe and affordable home or make their current home safe by upgrading or renovating it.
More than 280 employees and senior managers from Guild Mortgage recently spent a day renovating a primary school and engaging with local students in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. Company employees, including CEO Mary Ann McGarry and chief operating officer Terry Schmidt, volunteered their time to paint the school’s classroom walls, doors and perimeter fence, while making numerous other enhancements to the facility. Guild teams planted trees in the garden and assembled a swing set on the playground. In addition, Guild gave each of the 30 children in the school a new backpack.
The 2017 Ellie Mae Classic was recently held at the TPC Stonebrae Country Club in Hayward, California. The Web.com tour event, which ran from July 31 to August 6, benefited the Warriors Community Foundation, an organization that supports education and youth development for low-income students in the San Francisco Bay area. Martin Piller shot a final round 6-under-64 to take home the tournament trophy.
LAUNCHES
WFG National Title Insurance Company has successfully completed an integration of multiple WFG e-services with the Settlement Management Solutions TitleExpress platform.
According to Gene Rebadow, WFG’s executive vice president, agency, eastern division, the integration will unite the SMS’ production platform with WFG’s e-CPL and e-Jacket services.
“TitleExpress is one of the most utilized title production systems for independent agents nationwide,” said Rebadow. “This integration will help WFG’s agents further streamline their processes and eliminate unnecessary time and the cost of obtaining Closing Protection Letters, Insured Closing Letters and Policy Jackets.”
Movement Mortgage CEO and NFL tight end Casey Crawford announced he is launching Movement Bank, a process that began in June 2016 when Crawford became the majority shareholder in First State Bank in Danville, Virginia. The bank will be owned and operated independently of Movement Mortgage. Crawford will serve on Movement Bank’s board and the day-to-day operations will be executed by the bank’s management team and staff.
The default services law firm of Clarfield, Okon & Salomone has merged with another default servicing firm, McCabe, Weisberg & Conway. The merger transforms the company into an eight-state, women-owned default services law firm with a footprint stretching from New York to Florida. The combined firm will operate under the McCabe, Weisberg & Conway brand. The firm’s headquarters will remain in Philadelphia and MWC will employ nearly 600 full-time attorneys and staff nationally.
