The reverse mortgage industry is preparing for the annual meeting in San Diego
The National Association of Reverse Mortgage Lenders (NRMLA), the reverse mortgage industry’s leading trade association, is preparing to host its 2024 Annual Meeting and Expo on September 24-26 in San Diego.
The event is typically the largest and most comprehensive gathering for a wide variety of reverse mortgage lending professionals. Federal housing officials are also usually present to provide updates on the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) program.
For more information about this year’s programming and what’s planned for the event at the Hard Rock Hotel, HousingWire‘s Reverse Mortgage Daily (RMD) spoke with NRMLA President Steve Irwin.
Editor’s note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Chris Clow/HousingWire: What can you tell me about the approach to planning this year? You go for a location on the West Coast, while in recent years there have been more centrally located events in the continental US
Steve Irwin: We had to move the event due to certain calendar conflicts and scheduling issues, which also required us to look at an earlier time of year. We try to combine it as much as possible and last year we were more centrally located in the country. This year our team visited the Hard Rock Hotel in San Diego, and the weather in late September is usually very favorable, which is ideal for networking and bringing people together.
We took into account where our members are, our calendar, the weather and what else is happening around this time. We finally landed in San Diego, and we’re really excited about it. So far we have just over 350 registrants from 134 companies. Logistically, it doesn’t seem like people will have any problems getting there, and we’re looking forward to a strong few days in California.
Clow: When it comes to planning, is there a particular theme or topic that you felt was important for this year’s programming to provide value to attendees?
Irwin: With two and a half days to explore and discuss various topics, it became clear through our conversations with members and leadership that HECM for Procurement was an important area that we wanted to revisit and dive deeper into. Many of our members have had success with HECM for Purchase, and we will also look at changes in legislation and regulations: how those changes impact the purchasing landscape and what visitors can take away in terms of insights and tips.
Clow: What other topics do you think are important to members?
Irwin: Another area of focus was the assessment process. We’ve heard from our members that there is a need for better understanding in this area, so I look forward to that conversation with appraisal management companies.
In addition, loan officers have many questions about processing, underwriting, operations and services, which is an ongoing theme. We have decided to maintain an open dialogue, highlighting the most frequently asked questions to better inform initiators about what happens once an application has been transferred.
We have a packed agenda that covers the entire reverse mortgage lending ecosystem, but I really want to highlight the HECM sessions for purchasing and underwriting operations.
Clow: Once again, federal housing leaders will be at the event, with Julia Gordon giving a keynote speech, and this year there’s a little more focus on all things government. Will these officials address the political climate at all, or will their sessions remain focused on HECM policy?
Irwin: I don’t expect Commissioner Gordon to spend too much time on the election, and I don’t think the Deputy Assistant Secretary (DAS) will either. [David] Berenbaum will dwell on the politics of it all. However, I do know that Commissioner Gordon is always looking ahead. There are certainly moving parts at HUD and FHA regarding the HECM program, so I anticipate forward-looking conversations. I expect to hear from both the Commissioner and the DAS on matters they have initiated regarding the program.
Clow: NRMLA is also holding a business meeting for its own business during the event. Is there anything that participants should take into account this year?
Irwin: First of all, we moved it up a little bit on the schedule. Normally we conclude with our business meeting, but this year we integrate this into the first afternoon. During that time, attendees will vote on a new slate of directors for the board, and we are excited about both the returning directors and new nominees being presented to the membership.
Also, a number of personalities in the reverse mortgage field will be recognized with distinguished service awards, which I hope our attendees will be able to attend. Our Executive Committee Chairman Joe DeMarkey will present one award, and our Board Chairman Mike Kent will present another. But I won’t say who the recipients are.
Clow: Is there anything I didn’t ask you that you think our industry audience should keep in mind?
Irwin: We offer a program that is not only informative and stimulating, but also encourages conversation and discussion. My hope is that these discussions will not necessarily resolve themselves during the event, but will carry us into the first few quarters of 2025. As we explore various strategic imperatives for the association, we want to gather feedback from these sessions and have face-to-face conversations about the direction our members want to take as an association.
HousingWire/RMD will be at NRMLA Annual in San Diego. If you see us, come say hello!
