Monthly Archives: February 2016

Women in Boardrooms: Ethical and Profitable

Posted on by nawrbBlogger
Blog_boardroom
10 Feb

There is no two ways about it, diversity in the workplace is essential. True equality—a basic tenet on which this country is built, second only to freedom—cannot be achieved until women receive equal representation and opportunity in our workforce.

After considering ethical responsibility, we must consider the pragmatic benefits of being inclusive to women and minorities. By limiting the participation of entire groups of people we are voluntarily denying the meaningful contributions they can make to our workforce, economy and country.  Continue reading →

Drones: An Exciting New Tool for Real Estate Professionals, and One Full of Risk

Posted on by nawrbBlogger
Blog_Landy
09 Feb

The Landy Insurance Agency is a NAWRB strategic partner and steadfast supporter of our mission to provide women and women-owned businesses the tools and awareness for growth and success. Dedicated to providing their clients with the utmost service, Landy is experienced in recognizing pertinent industry issues, developments and initiatives. One of the newest topics Landy is working to address is the use of drone technology in the real estate industry. Discover the ways in which drones are changing the industry and what you can do to protect your business when utilizing today’s latest technology.

Drone technology may be more than a fad but rather, an exciting new tool for many real estate professionals to survey, assess and show properties. Laws around drone use are still in developmental stages, if in existence at all. Similarly, drone usage in real estate is new and untested. What is clear is that real estate professionals can put themselves at risk through the use of drones, and the insurance industry has not yet formulated a cohesive response to coverage. Therefore, current policy coverages and exclusions will need to suffice until drone usage is more specifically addressed in E&O and General Liability policies. Continue reading →

Diversity and Inclusion in the Tech Industry and Beyond

Posted on by nawrbBlogger
Blog_DiversityFeb
05 Feb

Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) does not only mean employing people from different ethnic backgrounds, it also involves gender. According to a report from the Professional Diversity Network, women make up 41.5 percent of the entire national workforce and flourish in accounting and bookkeeping, legal services, education and health. Are there enough women in other sectors like technology and engineering?

Continue reading →

Cultivating a Flexible Work Culture

Posted on by nawrbBlogger
Blog_Flexwork
04 Feb

We live in a fast-paced world that is outgrowing the era of the 9 to 5 work day spent cooped up at a desk. Millennials, who are the debutants in the workforce, have a different perspective and desire flexible schedules with the liberty of working from anywhere. Is that too much to ask for, especially when technology affords this flexibility?

Continue reading →

The Enterprises Announce their Independent Dispute Resolution (IDR) Process

Posted on by nawrbBlogger
Blog_IDR
03 Feb

On Tuesday, February 2, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac introduced the Independent Dispute Resolution (IDR) process to help resolve mortgage repurchase related issues. Though the IDR does not annex the Enterprises’ authority over appeals, it allows lenders to approach an independent third-party entity with loan disputes that remain unresolved after undergoing an appeals process. The IDR is meant to ensure faster resolution of such loan breaches and avoid prolongation of the process.

Continue reading →

First Tennessee Bank Reaches Second Lending Settlement

Posted on by nawrbBlogger
Blog_knoxville
02 Feb

In June 2015, First Tennessee Bank reached a $212.5 million settlement for knowingly underwriting and originating mortgage loans not complying with Federal Housing Administration (FHA) lending requirements. First Tennessee Bank recognized that from January 2006 to October 2008 it originated and underwrote mortgage loans insured by the FHA which did not satisfy the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) underwriting requirements. Continue reading →

Home Ownership

Posted on by NAWRB
Vol5_issue1_WHomeownership_3200px
01 Feb

Featured in NAWRB Magazine (Vol 5: Issue 1)

The Future of our Communities Lies in our Mothers’ Hands

Posted on by nawrbBlogger
Blog_mothershands-2
01 Feb

The number of women rearing children by themselves in America has nearly tripled in the last 45 years, reaching a current estimate of 10 million single mothers in this country. The U.S. Census Bureau reports more than 1 in 4 families with children under the age of 18 are headed by a single parent and more than 3 out of 4 single parent families are headed by a female. Although women have made great economic strides in the last decade, studies show that they continue to be disproportionately impacted by poverty. Single mothers face serious economic challenges; they generally have lower incomes and higher living expenses for child care, healthcare and housing.  Continue reading →

Dottie Herman

Posted on by NAWRB
Screen Shot 2016-01-12 at 9_40_05 AM
01 Feb

President and CEO of Douglas Elliman Real Estate

Dottie HermanScreen Shot 2016-01-12 at 9_40_05 AM

A self-described Cinderella story, Dottie Herman’s path to creating the fourth largest real estate company in the country is replete with hard work and determination. The President and CEO of Douglas Elliman chronicles her journey to success in one of America’s most ruthless cities, from hosting her weekly radio show to taking a $75 million loan she had no way of paying back.

NAWRB: How did you get to where you are today, head of one of the largest real-estate companies in America?

Dottie Herman: About 15 years ago, I was running a 40-office company on Long Island and the Hamptons. I saw the evolution of public companies and thought, “I’m not going to be able to compete with that without a partner.” My attorney then introduced me to Howard M. Lorber, who became my partner. Within a year, we were offered a substantial amount of money for the company.

I told Howard I didn’t want to sell. He asked me, “Are you crazy?” I said, “No, I really feel we should expand into the City because there are no companies from Manhattan to Montauk and I feel strongly about creating that.” He looked at me and said, “Well, I think that’s nuts, but if you really want to do this, and you really want to put it all on the table and open up in the City, then I’ll go along with you.”
Continue reading →