mPower: Addressing Workplace Disruptors

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For the first time at a NAWRB Conference, mPower (Mortgage Banker’s Association Promoting Opportunities for Women to Extend their Reach) presented a panel, kicking off our Year of Women with style and substance.

NAWRB President and CEO, Desirée Patno introduced MBA COO and Founder of mPower Marcia Davies noting “This is the first time we have had a collective group of women and men from all different industries and this panel is the first time we have had MBA be a part of us.”

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Beyond Abuse: Finding Our Voice on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day

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It started with a phone call from Capital One Financial Corporation on January 14th, 2016. “Ms. Patno, are you the sole owner of Desiree Patno Enterprises, Inc.?”

That simple call was how I found out that my husband’s accountant had been dispersing my unsigned business checks illegally, with some going into her personal accounts and several others paying her bills directly.

I was (and still am) angry that not only my trust was betrayed, but after years of hard work and developing a reputation as a successful businesswoman in the housing and real estate sector, I was, to put it quite simply, duped.

How could this happen to me? And if this could happen to me, in my mid-fifties, plugged into and engaged fully in my businesses, what happens to women older than me, with fewer resources at their fingertips and perhaps cognitive issues?

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CFPB Names Kirsten Sutton Mork Chief of Staff

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced today that Kirsten Sutton Mork has been appointed as its new Chief of Staff. Sutton Mork previously served as Staff Director of the House Financial Services Committee, and has worked on Capitol Hill through the financial crisis and subsequent legislative response.

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Acting Director Mulvaney Announces CFPB Review

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Acting Director Mick Mulvaney recently announced a call for evidence and upcoming Requests for Information (RFIs) regarding the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). This public review is meant to ensure that the agency is sufficiently meeting its statutory obligations to protect consumers.

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mpowering you MBA’s Summit for Women in Real Estate Finance

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Nothing says inspiring like 340 women in the real estate finance industry joining together at mPowering You! On October 21st in Denver, Colorado, the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) presented mPowering You, an event that will go down in history for this powerful and great organization. “It has never happened at the MBA in our 104-year history,” stated Marcia Davies, COO of MBA. “It’s time to be empowered.”

The conversations and ideas generated within this space fostered networking and powerful narratives, and assisted in the creation of decisive branding and career advancements. Featuring sessions like Know and Grow Your Value and Gender and Generations: Driving New Forms of Leadership, the summit strengthened and showcased the value and power of women.

Attendees heard from successful women in the industry, including Mika Brzezinski, New York Times Best-Selling Author and Co-Host of MSNBC’s Morning Joe, and Ruth Sherman, Executive Speech Coach & Celebrity Media Trainer, who shared the importance of women knowing their value, mastering their message, owning each moment and unleashing their potential.
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U.S. Home Prices Continue to Climb

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U.S. home prices continued to increase in the third quarter of 2017 by 1.4 percent, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s (FHFA) House Price Index (HPI). The index, which is calculated with home prices from mortgages sold to and guaranteed by Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, depicts a 6.5 percent uptick from the third quarter of 2016 to the third quarter of 2017.

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FHFA Announces Increased Loan Limits for Freddie and Fannie in 2018

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The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) has announced that it will increase the conforming loan limits for mortgages that can be sold to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in 2018. The 2018 maximum conforming loan limit for single-family homes will be $453,100, up from $424,100 in 2017.

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House Passes Bill Helping Entrepreneurs Raise Capital from Friends and Family

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The House of Representatives has passed legislation making it easier for entrepreneurs to access capital from their friends and family. With the Micro Offering Safe Harbor Act, private businesses would be able to seek community-based financing of up to $500,000 a year for the purpose of hiring new workers and expanding their business.

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