The Nationwide Reverse Mortgage Lenders Affiliation (NRMLA), the reverse mortgage trade’s main commerce affiliation, is getting ready to host its 2024 Annual Assembly and Expo on Sept. 24-26 in San Diego.
The occasion is usually the most important, most expansive assembly for all kinds of reverse mortgage professionals. It additionally usually options federal housing officers to supply updates on the Dwelling Fairness Conversion Mortgage (HECM) program.
To study extra about this yr’s programming and what’s on deck for the occasion on the Arduous Rock Lodge, HousingWire’s Reverse Mortgage Each day (RMD) sat down with NRMLA President Steve Irwin.
Editor’s word: This interview has been edited for size and readability.
Chris Clow/HousingWire: What are you able to inform me concerning the strategy to planning this yr? You’re going with a West Coast location, whereas latest years have had extra centrally positioned occasions inside the continental U.S.
Steve Irwin: We needed to transfer the occasion as a result of sure calendar conflicts and scheduling points, which additionally required us to take a look at an earlier time of yr. We attempt to combine it up as a lot as doable, and we had been extra centrally situated within the nation final yr. This yr, our workforce visited the Arduous Rock Lodge in San Diego, and the climate in late September is usually actually favorable, which is right for networking and getting folks collectively.
We took into consideration the place our members are, our calendar, the climate and what else is going on round this time. Finally, we landed on San Diego, and we’re actually enthusiastic about it. Thus far, now we have simply over 350 registrants from 134 corporations. Logistically, it looks like folks aren’t having bother getting there, and we’re wanting ahead to a robust few days in California.
Clow: On the subject of planning, is there a selected theme or matter you felt was vital for the programming to handle this yr to supply worth for attendees?
Irwin: With two and a half days to discover and talk about varied subjects, it turned clear by way of our discussions with members and management that HECM for Buy was a key space we needed to revisit and dive deeper into. Lots of our members have been discovering success with HECM for Buy, and we’ll additionally have a look at modifications in guidelines and rules — how do these modifications affect the acquisition panorama, and what attendees can take away when it comes to insights and ideas.
Clow: What different subjects would you say have significance for members?
Irwin: One other space of focus has been the appraisal course of. We’ve heard from our members concerning the want for higher understanding on this space, so I’m wanting ahead to that dialogue with appraisal administration corporations.
Moreover, mortgage officers have plenty of questions on processing, underwriting, operations and servicing, which is a continuous theme. We’ve determined to have an open dialogue, highlighting essentially the most often requested questions to raised educate originators on what occurs as soon as an software is handed off.
We’ve acquired a full agenda masking the complete ecosystem of reverse mortgage lending, however I actually need to spotlight the HECM for Buy and underwriting operations classes.
Clow: As soon as once more, federal housing leaders shall be in attendance on the occasion with Julia Gordon offering a keynote speech, and there’s slightly extra depth on something authorities associated this yr. Will these officers handle the political local weather in any respect, or will their classes stay targeted on HECM coverage?
Irwin: I don’t count on Commissioner Gordon to spend an excessive amount of time specializing in the election, nor do I believe Deputy Assistant Secretary (DAS) [David] Berenbaum will dwell on the politics of all of it. Nevertheless, I do know that Commissioner Gordon is at all times ahead wanting. There are actually transferring elements at HUD and FHA concerning the HECM program, so I’m anticipating forward-looking conversations. I count on to listen to each from the commissioner and the DAS about issues they’ve in movement associated to this system.
Clow: NRMLA additionally conducts a enterprise assembly for its personal affairs through the occasion. Is there something attendees ought to remember about that this yr?
Irwin: To begin with, we’ve moved it up the schedule a bit. Usually, we might shut out with our enterprise assembly, however this yr we’re embedding it into the primary afternoon. Throughout that point, attendees will vote on a brand new slate of administrators for the board, and we’re enthusiastic about each the returning administrators and the brand new nominees being introduced to the membership.
Additionally, a few personalities within the reverse mortgage area shall be acknowledged with distinguished service awards, which I hope our attendees shall be current for. The chair of our government committee, Joe DeMarkey, shall be presenting one award, and the chair of our board, Mike Kent, will current one other. However I’m not telling you who the recipients are.
Clow: Is there something I haven’t requested you about that you simply suppose our trade viewers ought to remember?
Irwin: We’re providing a program that isn’t solely informative and stimulating but in addition encourages dialog and dialogue. My hope is that these discussions received’t essentially resolve themselves through the occasion however will carry us into the primary few quarters of 2025. As we discover completely different strategic imperatives for the affiliation, we’re trying to collect suggestions from these classes and have face-to-face conversations concerning the route our membership needs to take the affiliation.
HousingWire/RMD shall be in attendance at NRMLA Annual in San Diego. When you see us, come up and say howdy!
