On the Move: 10 September 2015

NashvillePost

NAWRB recognizes Aerial Development’s Turner with Gershwin Award

The National Association of Women in Real Estate Business has honored Britnie Turner, founder and CEO of Nashville-based Aerial Development Group, with its 2015 Gershwin Award.

Turner was recognized Aug. 18 during the NAWRB gala awards and annual conference in Long Beach, California.”The Gershwin Award honors the woman who is writing a soundtrack for success while mentoring fellow members in an effort to foster and grow new talent,” according to a NAWRB release.

At 21, Turner founded Aerial Development Group, which bills itself as a “social venture real estate development company that revitalizes urban neighborhoods and supports orphans in Kenya.”
Continue reading

NAWRB Brings Women To The Forefront Of The Historic Diversity And Inclusion Movement

Press release Topper

IRVINE, CA – Last month, the National Association of Women in Real Estate Businesses (NAWRB) held its 2nd Annual Conference in Long Beach, CA seeking newfound ways of connecting resources and sharing best practices across women’s platforms while bringing women’s diversity and inclusion (D&I) to the forefront of the housing continuum. “As a leader through this exciting and historic D&I movement, our primary focus is bringing women to the forefront with accountability and results. Through our Diversity & Inclusion Leadership Council, we are championing all financial institutions, servicing companies, secondary mortgage

“As a leader through this exciting and historic D&I movement, our primary focus is bringing women to the forefront with accountability and results. Through our Diversity & Inclusion Leadership Council, we are championing all financial institutions, servicing companies, secondary mortgage markets and associated real estate services to increase their D&I efforts especially for women. As women don’t have geographical roots like their minority counterparts, we are spread thin across several platforms and are even skeptical of one another. As a collaborative community, women must support women in their respective industries and ultimately they will secure sustainable growth,” stated Desirée Patno, CEO of NAWRB. From the keynote opening remarks by the SBA’s Yvonne Lee, to the directors

From the keynote opening remarks by the SBA’s Yvonne Lee, to the directors for the Office of Minority and Women Inclusion (OMWI) at the CFPB, FDIC and FHFA, and a TRID update from the CFPB’s Laurie Maggiano, NAWRB unites leaders across several government agencies with the private sector to grow and support opportunities for women in housing.

Women’s inclusion in upper management is pivotal to the success of the D&I movement. Attendees gained valuable insight as over 82 percent of the speakers were women in executive roles. Rebecca Steele, a former Managing Director at JPMorgan Chase and SVP National Servicing Executive at Bank of America, spoke about her experience forging a path for women to climb the corporate ladder and emphasized the importance of women supporting women.

NAWRB Brings Women To The Forefront Of The Historic Diversity And Inclusion Movement

Home Sharing: Cut Costs and Gain Companionship

Screen shot 2015-09-01 at 10_48_45 AM

With the booming sharing economy, most people are familiar with popular home sharing sites such as Airbnb which offers temporary housing in widespread locations. But let’s take it to another level: permanent home sharing.

In this context, home sharing refers to the phenomenon of aging adults choosing to share their homes with similar people. Those that opt for this type of arrangement include widows, the recently divorced, single people, and others who simply want to cut their monthly costs as retirement nears. In many cases, retirees may choose to home share to save money and offer flexibility without having to worry about a mortgage.

Shared housing can appeal to multiple demographics, although it is prevalent among women. Statistics may help shed some light as to why.
Continue reading

FHFA OMWI Releases their First Strategic Plan

Screen Shot 2016-06-10 at 10.51.19 AMThe Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Office of Minority and Women Inclusion (OMWI) has released their strategic plan for FY 2016 – FY 2018. It outlines their commitment to making minority and women inclusion a fundamental part of the agency’s culture and delineates the ways the OMWI will champion diversity and inclusion standards defined in the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 and the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010.

The plan also describes OMWI’s part in implementing diversity and inclusion efforts (D&I) and equal employment initiatives for the FHFA, and D&I efforts at Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Home Loan Bank System.
Continue reading

Office(s) of Minority and Women Inclusion

Screen shot 2015-09-01 at 10_07_46 AM

Interagency Policy Statement Establishing Joint Standards for Assessing the Diversity Policies and Practices of Entities Regulated by the Agencies

After receiving more than 200 comments, and conferring with various regulated entities and professionals, six agencies issued a final statement establishing these standards in June 2015. Subdivided into five sections, each with detailed regulations, this interagency policy statement addresses the obstacles and barriers burdening minorities and women today.

Screen Shot 2016-06-10 at 10.55.20 AM

I. Introduction 
Section 342(b)(2)(C) of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (Dodd-Frank Act) requires the Directors of the Offices of Minority and Women Inclusion (OMWI) to develop standards for assessing the diversity policies and practices of the entities regulated by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, National Credit Union Administration, Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection, and Securities and Exchange Commission (Agencies). To promote consistency, the Agencies worked together to develop joint standards (Standards) for assessing diversity policies and practices. This Interagency Policy Statement (Policy Statement) announces those Standards. 

This document is a general statement of policy under the Administrative Procedure Act, 5 U.S.C. 553. It does not create new legal obligations. Use of the Standards by a regulated entity is voluntary. The Agencies will not use their examination or supervisory processes in connection with these Standards.
Continue reading

Mature Women Gain Inspiration and Self-Confidence Dressing for Success

Screen shot 2015-09-01 at 11_32_30 AM

Women age 40 and above should dress for success in the mornings to be confident and inspired to do their best work. What women wear has a huge affect on their psyche. Donning polished clothing not only tells the world that you are self-assured and capable, it allows you to embody those characteristics.

A study performed by Adam D. Galinsky, professor at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management,  tested 58 undergraduates, splitting them into two groups, we’ll call them Group A and Group B. Group A was told to wear white lab coats they believed belonged to doctors. Group B was directed to wear street clothes. When taking an exam, Group A was more attentive and careful, making half as many mistakes as Group B. Dr. Galinsky infers that clothes greatly affect our minds and bodies.“Clothes invade the body and brain, putting the wearer into a different psychological state,” said Dr. Galinsky.
Continue reading

China: Powerful Force in Global Real Estate

Screen shot 2015-08-18 at 4_40_00 PM

Soaring granite peaks hovering over the clouds. Glittering urban skylines with taxis weaving through bustling crowds. And let’s not forget about the vibrant hillsides in warm autumnal shades of red and orange, a result of mineral deposits and oxidization. These are some of the diverse characteristics of China, the third largest country in the world with virtually every landscape imaginable throughout its provinces.

Named the world’s largest economy, China continues to grow and attracts millions of tourists each year. Although tourism has been steady in China, fewer foreigners are choosing China as their permanent home. A study conducted by UniGroup Relocation—a global relocation company helping families move for over 60 years—revealed that the amount of people moving out of China in 2014 has increased by twice as much when compared to those moving into the country. 

Continue reading

Maria Contreras-Sweet

Screen shot 2015-08-18 at 10_46_47 AM

The 24th Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)

Maria Contreras-SweetScreen shot 2015-08-18 at 10_46_47 AM

From founding ProAmérica Bank to her appointment by President Obama as the 24th. Administrator of the SBA, Maria Contreras-Sweet has made incredible strides in her career. She divulges to NAWRB her personal role models, journey to the SBA, and what she’s doing to champion for small businesses.  

NAWRB: You have an extensive background working in government with your first introduction as a secretary for the Speaker of the California State Assembly. Was it a long-time goal of yours to work in government?

Maria Contreras-Sweet: I always believed in public service but my career path took me into business. My time in government has been some of the most rewarding work of my life. Before I started my own bank, I spent five years running a large government agency back in California that had jurisdiction over Business, Transportation and Housing. When I say “large” – we had 44,000 employees, 14 departments and a $14 billion budget. We were able to do a lot of important things, such as creating the Department of Managed Health Care and its Office of Patient Advocate, passing a $2.1 billion bond for affordable housing, and initiating construction on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge – one of the largest infrastructure projects.
Continue reading

How Mother Nature is Changing our Industry

Screen Shot 2016-06-10 at 11.22.15 AM

If you look back on the last decade, a lot has been written about global warming and how Earth is shifting. With flooding occurring in some parts of the country and droughts in others, it is a crucial time to remain attune to earth’s changes. Regardless of your beliefs on global warming, an increasing amount of areas, including entire states, are being affected by the wrath of Mother Nature. 

Recently, the state of Texas experienced downpours that reached 15 feet over the normal water level. This caused major flooding to the point that travel was prohibited in some areas, schools were shut down and obtaining basic necessities became troublesome. Natural disasters such as these are by no means a new occurrence, yet they are creating a bigger and more complex problem within the housing industry.
Continue reading

Leading Atlanta Attorney Diedra Sorohan Wins NAWRB’s Disney Award

PRN

Screen Shot 2016-06-27 at 2.43.42 PMDULUTH, Ga., Aug. 10, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — O’Kelley & Sorohan, LLC, a full-service law firm specializing in residential real estate closings, announces that Managing Partner Diedra Sorohan recently received the Disney Award from the National Association of Women in Real Estate Businesses (NAWRB). The Disney is awarded to a woman who is a visionary, according to the NAWRB. “She sees past existing limitations and strives to build a new tomorrow,” the association said.
Continue reading