Category Archives: Continuing Education

Continuing Education

MERS, the core concepts

Mike SkalkaMichael B. Skalka
Executive Vice President

MERS operates an electronic registry, the MERS® System, for tracking servicing rights and beneficial ownership interests in residential mortgage loans, and MERS® Commercial for the commercial mortgage‐backed securities (CMBS) and multifamily marketplace. This session will educate the agents about MERS, its uniqueness in the lending industry and to address many of the misunderstandings about MERS. We will discuss the business model, the corporate structure, the MERS System, the benefits to the lending and title insurance industries, the general litigation concerns as noted in the press, and various regulatory and legislative issues.”

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About the Presenter

In April 2012, Mike Skalka relocated to Virginia to join MERSCORP Holdings, Inc., parent company of Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc. (MERS), as Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer. He also serves as Corporate Secretary for MERSCORP Holdings and MERS.  MERSCORP Holdings, which operates an electronic registry of mortgage loan servicing rights and ownership on behalf of the lending industry, is presently addressing the challenging issues associated with foreclosures and mortgage record holding – areas in which Mr. Skalka’s background and knowledge is uniquely suited.

Mr. Skalka received his B.A. degree from C.W. Post College of Long Island University and his J.D. degree from Chicago-Kent College of Law. Upon graduation from law school, Mr. Skalka began his career in the title industry and then went on to private practice; subsequently, reentering the title industry years later.

Mr. Skalka joined Stewart Title in 1988 as the founding president of Stewart Title Insurance Company, domesticated in New York. Shortly thereafter, in the early 1990s, he helped establish Stewart’s operations in Canada and theUnited Kingdom, and then relocated from New York to Houston, in 1993, to serve as Executive Vice President and General Counsel of the Stewart Organization until 2005.

As Stewart continued to seek opportunities outside of the U.S., Mr. Skalka led those efforts by becoming Chairman of Stewart’s International Group in 2005. In 2007, he became the first person outside of the Morris and Stewart families to be appointed President and Managing Director of Global Underwriting Services of Stewart Title Guaranty Company, where he remains a member of its Board of Directors. Mr. Skalka had also helped to lead the National Title Services Division of Stewart since 2009.

With his more than 35 years in the title and real estate industries, Mr. Skalka has established himself as an admired member of the real estate community. He has had the honor to be appointed to the Board of Governors of the American Land Title Association®, as well as to serve upon its various committees; and, is a past President of the New York State Land Title Association.

In the spring of 2007, the Houston Chronicle published a feature article about Mr. Skalka and his international activities on behalf of the Stewart Organization.  He also has been quoted in Continental Airlines Magazine concerning the real estate market in Latin America.  Mr. Skalka has spoken before numerous bar association, land title asso
ciation, and related industry functions throughout the United States and England and has had articles published by the Bank Lending Institute, the New York Law Journal, the Practicing Law Institute and the National Register of Commercial Real Estate.

Continuing Education, Title Insurance Issues

Real Estate Settlement and Procedures Act

Estimated Length: 3 hours, 30 minutes
Cost: $75.00 (USD)
Credits: 4
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This course is a comprehensive discussion of the Real Estate Settlement and Procedures Act and the new regulations promulgated by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. A detail history of RESPA and other legislation that has led us to where we are today are included. The course covers servicing, escrow accounting, Notice of Error, Requeist for Informatin, Forced Placed Insurance, Loss Mitigation, Affiliated Business Arrangements, and Solicitation. It includes detailed sections on the new Loan Estimate and the new Closing Disclosure.

Expert

Vince DanziVince Danzi

Vincent G. Danzi graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor’s degree in History in 1995 and earned his law degree in 2000 from the State University of New York at Buffalo.  Prior to law school, he was a Licensure Investigator for the Texas State Board of Medical Examiners.  Since law school, he has worked in the title insurance and settlement services industry.  He serves as General Counsel for Equity Settlement Services, Inc., a national title and settlement services provider, which offers a wide range of services across a thirty-five state footprint.  Outside this role, his practice includes business legal representation, consulting, and serving in an of-counsel and outside expert capacity on RESPA and other compliance and title insurance issues.  In accord with his enduring devotion to computer programming, he is also a database application and user interface developer.  He lectures, writes, and otherwise contributes to the publications and seminars of such organizations as The New York State Land Title Association, the Title Appraisal Vendor Management Association, October Research, The New York State and Suffolk County Bar Associations, and is a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of October Research’s The Legal Description, the nation’s leading legislative and legal analysis newsletter for the title insurance and settlement services industry.  Mr. Danzi was a featured speaker at the 2011 National Settlement Services & Compliance Summit in Cleveland, Ohio, at which he spoke on best practices for the title insurance industry

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ALTA Best Practices, Continuing Education

PA ALTA Best Practices Pillar 2 Escrow Accounting course available in Pennsylvania

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This course is one in a series of Courses that discuss ALTA Best Practices. This one covers Pillar 2. The objective of the course is for the learner to complete the section of their policy and procedure manual for the pillars discussed in the course. Also, upon completion the learner will be confident that they will be able to pass an ALTA Best Practice audit for the pillars discussed in the course.

Pillar 2 is about Escrow Trust Accounting. Appropriate and effective escrow controls and staff training help title and settlement companies meet client and legal requirements for the safeguarding of client funds. These procedures help ensure accuracy and minimize the exposure to loss of client funds. Settlement companies may engage outside contractors to conduct segregation of trust accounting duties.

The course covers the 73 questions asked in the ALTA Pillar 2 Workbook so that the learner understands what is expected to be compliant. The course covers the Action Items report, Assessment Readiness, and Certification

Streamline Consulting has done the research and put together the content for the course. Streamline Consulting is a privately owned company that was formed in order to meet the personnel, technical and business needs of Title Insurance Companies. They are advocates for their clients in all aspects of the title insurance industry.

While the nature of the business is the same in all states, the nuances of each title company, even within the same city, can be very different. Streamline customizes every project and product for each title company, regardless of size, location or products and services provided to their customers.

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