Agenda / May 10, 2011
8:00 AM – 9:00 AM: Registration and Exhibitor Hall
9:00 AM – 10:15 AM: Opening Plenary and Annual Meeting
Opening Plenary session featuring welcome from Secretary Raymond Skinner of the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development with information on foreclosure prevention efforts in Maryland. In addition, we’ll hear national, state and local updates on foreclosure and delinquency trend data from economist Andy Bauer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond Baltimore Branch.
Annual Meeting of the Maryland Housing Counselors Network for the election of Officers, review of the annual financial report and approval of budget of the organization. Please join us in welcoming our new and returning elected leadership.
10:15 AM – 10:30 AM AM Break
10:30 AM – 12:00 Noon Breakout Sessions – Track A
Management Session - Track A: The Impact of Foreclosure Intervention Counseling
In the continuing fight to prevent avoidable foreclosures, housing counseling makes a measurable impact, not only on whether a workout is achieved, but also on how sustainable that workout is. Hear from industry experts with data from the national to the local level on this important work going on in your community. Each victory in this fight benefits families and neighborhoods, as well as the economy.
Foreclosure Intervention Session – Track A: Efficiency in Case Management
A foreclosure intervention counselor’s time is a precious resource. In order to make the most of this valuable but limited resource, invest some of your time with housing counseling experts from Maryland who have innovatively adapted their case management techniques for today’s demanding housing environment. These foreclosure intervention counselors from agencies like yours are working to make the most of the limited time they have to coach clients to be a part of the process of working toward successful outcomes, use technology to their benefit, and work with groups effectively.
Presenters:
Kim Cowie, Home Partnership, Inc.
Donna Badgett Hurley, Housing Options & Planning Enterprises, Inc.
Chloe Williams, Druid Heights CDC
Pre-Purchase Session – Track A: “The Forgotten Market Segment”
When the foreclosure tsunami ebbs, and people feel confident enough to purchase homes again, what will mortgage availability look like for First Time Homebuyers. Update yourself on loan programs available from various lenders and the Department of Housing and Community Development, and what it takes for homebuyers to be ready to access them.
12:00 Noon – 1:30 PM: Lunch, Exhibitor Hall, and Networking
1:30 PM – 3:00 PM: Breakout Sessions – Track B
Management Session - Track B: Best Practices in Housing Counseling Program Efficiency
Join us for this special breakout session geared toward Executive Directors and supervisors of housing counselors. In these challenging economic times, organizations need time tested techniques and innovative models to make the most of the resources available. Hear from respected national housing counseling industry professional, Cora Fulmore on Increasing Production and Recovering Costs and Helping More Homeowners through Efficient Service Delivery.
Presenter:
Cora Fulmore, National Housing Counseling Trainer
Foreclosure Intervention Session – Track B: HOPE LoanPort® User Training
The HOPE LoanPort User Training will focus on three main topic areas. The first will be how to complete the registration process as efficiently as possible so each housing counseling agency can begin using HLP to assist distressed borrowers in their community. The second will be how to create, complete and send a new home retention application within HLP to a participating mortgage servicer. Lastly, each participant will understand how to effectively communicate with participating mortgage servicers through HLP using the status update control and messaging features.
Presenter:
Joseph Putney, HOPE LoanPort
Pre-Purchase Session – Track B: Information on Financial Literacy Training - Tips and Tools!
Linking successful housing with financial literacy education. This panel will explore recent legislative initiatives requiring formalized financial literacy in the schools, financial literacy best practices concepts and models with struggling families, and resources in MD that will further aid nonprofits organizations to assist struggling families.
Presenters:
Suzanne Curren, Andrews Federal Credit Union
Mary S. Clark, United Communities Against Poverty, Inc.
3:00 PM – 3:15 PM PM Break
3:15 PM – 4:45 PM: Breakout Sessions – Track C
Management Session - Track C: Sustaining Housing Counseling Non-Profits
The recent foreclosure crisis has reminded stakeholders of the importance of homeowner counseling both before and after purchasing a home. Despite this growing acceptance and understanding of how counseling can contribute to a stable housing market, private and government funding sources are cutting their budgets making it difficult for executive directors to maintain or grow their counseling programs. During this session, you will hear from leaders about how to access existing funding sources, ways of pooling resources to support counseling activities and innovative partnerships between the public and private sector.
Presenters:
Tim Adams, NeighborWorks
Tracy Evans, Fannie Mae
Anna Smith, Freddie Mac
Foreclosure Intervention Session 1 – Track C: Foreclosure Mediation
How is the new mediation process working? This panel will present the views of the homeowner’s attorney, the foreclosure attorney, the administrative law judge. It will also look at what changes are afoot.
Presenters:
Gretchen Reimert
Doyle Neimann (invited)
Bogman (invited)
Foreclosure Intervention Session 2 – Track C: HOPE LoanPort User Training
The HOPE LoanPort User Training will focus on three main topic areas. The first will be how to complete the registration process as efficiently as possible so each housing counseling agency can begin using HLP to assist distressed borrowers in their community. The second will be how to create, complete and send a new home retention application within HLP to a participating mortgage servicer. Lastly, each participant will understand how to effectively communicate with participating mortgage servicers through HLP using the status update control and messaging features.
Presenter:
Joseph Putney, HOPE LoanPort
Pre-Purchase Session – Track C: Sneak Peek at Freddie Macs CreditSmart Curriculum
Freddie Mac Credit Smart is a multilingual financial education curriculum. It is designed to help consumers build and maintain better credit, make sound financial decisions, and understand the steps to successful, long-term homeownership. Learn how to become a CreditSmart® certified instructor from nationally recognized housing industry professional, Cora Fulmore.
Presenter:
Cora Fulmore, National Housing Counseling Trainer