For the 51st episode of What the M, Kent and Steve have a "fireside chat" about the economy, current regulatory conditions… and whether you should use ChatGPT for your March Madness bracket! Listen on for up-to-the-moment updates about the default servicing industry. 

Steve Hladik is a Partner at Hladik, Onorato, and Federman, LLP. He received his undergraduate degree from Penn State University (Let’s Go State!), before going on to Widener University for law school, where he graduated with honors. Upon graduation, Steve went to work for the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, handling UDAP, FDCPA, RESPA, and TILA cases. Steve is licensed to practice law in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Colorado, New Mexico, and Michigan. 

Kent McPhail is the Founder and Senior Partner of McPhail Sanchez, LLC. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Southern Mississippi (To the Top!) and his JD from the University of Mississippi School of Law. Upon graduation, Kent worked as in-house counsel with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Mississippi. After settling in Mobile, Alabama, Kent practiced with a private creditor law firm for three years. This led him to open his own default servicing firm in 1994, which has been thriving ever since. Kent is licensed to practice law in Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, and Tennessee.   

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A huge thank you to our Season 3 sponsor, Black Dome Services. Black Dome Services is a next-generation property services provider, offering a comprehensive range of services tailored to the unique needs of their clients. From property inspections, preservation, maintenance, renovations and various other interior and exterior property related services, you have a trusted leader dedicated to delivering exceptional results and maximizing the value of your properties. For more information, please visit their website at www.blackdomeservices.com or email Vic Draper at [email protected]. 

The 50th episode of “What the M” features Walter Mullen and Michael Keaton from Onity Group, Inc.

This episode focuses on the changes taking place on a state and federal level within the default servicing industry, the record-high credit debt and auto loan defaults that Americans currently face, and the use of technology within the industry. We are extremely fortunate to have Walt and Michael as our guests this week, as they have an enormous amount of experience with, and insight into, the current state of the default servicing industry. 

Walt Mullen has over 25 years experience in the mortgage default and real estate related industries. He is the Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer of Onity Group, and is a member of their executive leadership team. Michael Keaton has over 30 years experience in the financial and default servicing industry and is the Senior Vice President of Sub-Servicing Business Development at Onity Group. 

Welcome to What the M, Walt and Michael! 

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A huge thank you to our Season 3 sponsor, Black Dome Services. Black Dome Services is a next-generation property services provider, offering a comprehensive range of services tailored to the unique needs of their clients. From property inspections, preservation, maintenance, renovations and various other interior and exterior property related services, you have a trusted leader dedicated to delivering exceptional results and maximizing the value of your properties. For more information, please visit their website at www.blackdomeservices.com or email Vic Draper at [email protected]. 

The 49th episode of “What the M” features the return of Michael Merritt, Senior Vice President of Customer Care and Default Mortgage Servicing at BOK Financial.

This time around on "What the M," Michael is here to share his thoughts on the topic of AI in the servicing industry. Michael is the Senior Vice President of Customer Care and Default Mortgage Servicing at BOK Financial. Michael attended Arizona State University, where he got his BA in Organizational Leadership (Go Sun Devils!)  He then received his MBA from Texas Tech and his Master’s Degree in Legal Studies from Texas A&M. Michael worked at Nationstar Mortgage and Goldman Sachs prior to moving to BOK. 

Having been in the mortgage servicing industry for over two decades and being an early adopter of AI, Michael has valuable insight to share on the use and the future of GEN-AI within the industry. 

Welcome BACK to What the M, Michael! 

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A huge thank you to our Season 3 sponsor, Black Dome Services. Black Dome Services is a next-generation property services provider, offering a comprehensive range of services tailored to the unique needs of their clients. From property inspections, preservation, maintenance, renovations and various other interior and exterior property related services, you have a trusted leader dedicated to delivering exceptional results and maximizing the value of your properties. For more information, please visit their website at www.blackdomeservices.com or email Vic Draper at [email protected]. 

The 48th episode of “What the M” features Dusten Hendrickson, Founder and CEO of Mailbox Money. 

Mailbox Money specializes in transforming real estate development through strategic land selection, wellness-focused design, and innovative project leadership. Dusten’s expertise extends to real estate syndication, working closely with partners to structure impactful, high-yield opportunities for investors. He is deeply committed to addressing the affordable housing crisis by developing sustainable, high-quality housing solutions that meet the needs of diverse communities. 

This episode focuses on the critical issue of the nation’s housing shortage, and what steps and initiatives can and are being undertaken to overcome this shortage. Dusten’s expertise in creating innovative solutions for affordable housing makes him the perfect guest to discuss this topic, and we are grateful to him for sharing his insight with us and our listeners today. 

Welcome to What the M, Dusten!  

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A huge thank you to our Season 3 sponsor, Black Dome Services. Black Dome Services is a next-generation property services provider, offering a comprehensive range of services tailored to the unique needs of their clients. From property inspections, preservation, maintenance, renovations and various other interior and exterior property related services, you have a trusted leader dedicated to delivering exceptional results and maximizing the value of your properties. For more information, please visit their website at www.blackdomeservices.com or email Vic Draper at [email protected].

The 47th episode of “What the M” features Ty Miller, Managing Director at Annaly Capital Management. 

Ty graduated from Missouri State University (Go Bears!) with a BS in Psychology and Management. He has held executive leadership roles in operations management, sales leadership, and default administration. Before going to work for Annaly Capital, he spent more than a decade as Vice President of Servicer Performance and Relationship Management at Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC). 

Ty’s 28-year history in the mortgage default servicing industry has given him invaluable insights into the industry, which we are very grateful he is sharing with us and our listeners! 

In addition to working for the world’s largest real estate investment trust, Ty also has a huge heart. Ty and his wife Judy own a rescue farm where they take in and care for sick or injured animals including horses, donkeys, goats, and cows. There, the animals are treated, taken care of, and loved as they live out their lives in peace as Ty and Judy’s pets.

Welcome to What the M, Ty!   

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A huge thank you to our Season 3 sponsor, Black Dome Services. Black Dome Services is a next-generation property services provider, offering a comprehensive range of services tailored to the unique needs of their clients. From property inspections, preservation, maintenance, renovations and various other interior and exterior property related services, you have a trusted leader dedicated to delivering exceptional results and maximizing the value of your properties. For more information, please visit their website at www.blackdomeservices.com or email Vic Draper at [email protected]. 

The 46th episode of “What the M” features Kent McPhail and Stephen Hladik with a year-end wrap up of 2024. 

Check it out to find out what happened (and didn't happen!) in the default servicing industry in 2024, and what Kent and Steve predict is next to come in 2025! 

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A huge thank you to our Season 3 sponsor, Black Dome Services. Black Dome Services is a next-generation property services provider, offering a comprehensive range of services tailored to the unique needs of their clients. From property inspections, preservation, maintenance, renovations and various other interior and exterior property related services, you have a trusted leader dedicated to delivering exceptional results and maximizing the value of your properties. For more information, please visit their website at www.blackdomeservices.com or email Vic Draper at [email protected]. 

The 45th episode of “What the M” features  Matt Watson, President of LegalFee Consultants, LLC and Jenny Lee, Senior Consultant for LegalFee Consultants, LLC. 

Today’s episode is about a challenge many law firms face daily: the managing of their invoicing processes, hidden costs of inefficiencies in those processes, and how their companies seek to unlock revenue for firms through smarter billing practices. 

Both Matt and Jenny have been in the mortgage servicing industry for more than 20 years and have worked in all aspects of the business, from loan production to law firms to servicers. Their experience in the industry has made them experts in the field of legal billing processes, and we are fortunate to be able to share their expertise with our listeners! 

Welcome to What the M, Matt & Jenny! 

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A huge thank you to our Season 3 sponsor, Black Dome Services. Black Dome Services is a next-generation property services provider, offering a comprehensive range of services tailored to the unique needs of their clients. From property inspections, preservation, maintenance, renovations and various other interior and exterior property related services, you have a trusted leader dedicated to delivering exceptional results and maximizing the value of your properties. For more information, please visit their website at www.blackdomeservices.com or email Vic Draper at [email protected]. 

The 44th episode of “What the M” features Matt Reilly, Business Development Specialist at Stonecrest Financial.

Matt received his Bachelor of Science in Architecture. He moved into the mortgage industry working with Empire Mortgage, Inc. Since 2009, he has been with Stonecrest Financial, where he works in an alternative investment group and asset management, focused on real estate lending and distressed acquisition funds. He is the head of the loan acquisition group and currently sources deals for their lending group. 

Matt is well-versed in dealing with hard-to-manage assets, and has a proven track record of obtaining positive results for investors. He is the perfect guest to ask about secondary markets, how they work, and how assets are managed. He, Kent and Steve, also  discuss how interest rates are affecting loan originations, and how smaller asset investors can be very creative in resolving non performing loans and issues relating to them.

Welcome to What the M, Matt! 

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A huge thank you to our Season 3 sponsor, Black Dome Services. Black Dome Services is a next-generation property services provider, offering a comprehensive range of services tailored to the unique needs of their clients. From property inspections, preservation, maintenance, renovations and various other interior and exterior property related services, you have a trusted leader dedicated to delivering exceptional results and maximizing the value of your properties. For more information, please visit their website at www.blackdomeservices.com or email Vic Draper at [email protected]. 

The 43rd episode of “What the M” features James "Jim" Lee, President and CEO of Susquehanna Polling & Research, Inc. and Owner of the Bartlett Group.   

Susquehanna Polling and Research (SP&R) is a nationally recognized survey, research, and polling firm headquartered in Pennsylvania. Founded in 2000, SP&R includes a team of research associates with more than 50 years of combined experience, including telephone agents, focus group recruiters and other consultants. SP&R specializes in a full range of research services for businesses and state agencies, national and state trade associations, hospitals and health systems, candidates for public office and media outlets. The firm conducts polling in more than thirty states. 

SP&R’s publicly released polling has been quoted in numerous national platforms including FOX News, MSNBC, CNN, the Rush Limbaugh radio program, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times and USA Today. SP&R was profiled by CBS’s Inside Edition on two separate episodes for its unmatched accuracy in the 2020 battleground polling. The nationally- acclaimed polling aggregator Real Clear Politics (www.realclearpolitics.com) rated SP&R the #1 most accurate polling firm in the nation for its accuracy in the 2020 presidential election in multiple states.

Jim’s extensive experience makes him the perfect guest for Kent and Steve to ask about the November 5, 2024 election, specifically how polling is trending in battleground states, what we learned about polling from the 2016 election, and much more. We are thrilled to have him on the show! 

Welcome to What the M, Jim! 

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A huge thank you to our Season 3 sponsor, Black Dome Services. Black Dome Services is a next-generation property services provider, offering a comprehensive range of services tailored to the unique needs of their clients. From property inspections, preservation, maintenance, renovations and various other interior and exterior property related services, you have a trusted leader dedicated to delivering exceptional results and maximizing the value of your properties. For more information, please visit their website at www.blackdomeservices.com or email Vic Draper at [email protected]. 

The 42nd episode of “What the M” features Gary Seitz, Chapter 7 Panel Trustee in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. 

Gary graduated with his J.D. from the University of Iowa College of Law in 1986. While obtaining his law degree, he studied at the Shanghai Law Research Institute in the Peoples Republic of China and the Betham House Faculty of Laws of the University of London. Gary then obtained his Master’s Degree in Admiralty and Maritime Law from Tulane University. 

Gary has extensive experience in the handling of bankruptcy matters. In 1999, he was appointed by the United States Trustee (U.S. Department of Justice) to the Panel of Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Trustees in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. He has also served as Trustee in Chapter 7 and Chapter 11 cases in New Jersey and Delaware. From 2006 to 2013, he chaired the Bankruptcy and Business Finance Practice Group in the Philadelphia and Wilmington offices of Rawle & Henderson LLP. In 2013, he established the Philadelphia office of Gellert Seitz Busenkell & Brown LLC, where he remains today. 

Gary’s decades of experience in the industry make him the perfect guest to discuss the role of Trustees in bankruptcy cases, legal issues the industry is currently facing, and much more. We are thrilled to welcome him to the show. 

Welcome to What the M, Gary!   

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A huge thank you to our Season 3 sponsor, Black Dome Services. Black Dome Services is a next-generation property services provider, offering a comprehensive range of services tailored to the unique needs of their clients. From property inspections, preservation, maintenance, renovations and various other interior and exterior property related services, you have a trusted leader dedicated to delivering exceptional results and maximizing the value of your properties. For more information, please visit their website at www.blackdomeservices.com or email Vic Draper at [email protected].