The 54th episode of What the M features Rick Sharga, CEO and President of the CJ Patrick Company, and Daren Blomquist, Vice President of Market Economics at Auction.com.

It’s that time again… for a new SEASON of What the M! 

Over the first three seasons of What the M, Kent and Steve have been fortunate enough to interview an incredible roster of talented professionals about their insights and predictions for the default servicing industry. To kick off Season 4, they have brought in two experts to talk about economic trends from the past year, analyze the labor market and unemployment rates, and explore the impact of federal policies on the housing market. The conversation also delves into consumer behavior, investor sentiment, and the challenges posed by rising homeownership costs. As they look ahead, the guests share their predictions for the mortgage market and offer advice for navigating the complexities of the economy.

Rick Sharga is one of the country’s most frequently-quoted sources on real estate, mortgage, and foreclosure trends. Rick is the CEO and President of the CJ Patrick Company, a company that specializes in market intelligence for companies in the real estate and mortgage industries. Rick has more than 30 years of experience in the real estate and mortgage industries, previously serving in executive roles for Realty Trac, Carrington Mortgage Holdings, Ten-X, and Auction.com. He is also a founding member of the Five Star Institute’s National Mortgage Servicing Association. 

Daren Blomquist is the Vice President of Market Economics at Auction.com. Daren is a former Senior Vice President of Communications at ATTOM Data Solutions, where he reported on housing trends, cash and investor purchases, housing risks, default trends, and more. These reports have been cited by thousands of media outlets nationwide, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and USA TODAY. Daren also served as Executive Editor of the Housing News Report, which was named best newsletter by the National Association of Real Estate Editors in 2015 and 2016. In 2019, Daren transitioned to Auction.com, where he focuses on analyzing and forecasting complex macro and micro-economic data trends within the real estate market and industry. 

Welcome BACK to What the M, Rick and Daren! 

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A huge thank you to our Season 4 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]. 

Welcome to the season 3 finale of What the M! 

This season, Kent and Steve have interviewed amazing, thoughtful, and brilliant guests. Each guest has been uniquely qualified to speak about different aspects of the default servicing industry, and has provided valuable information to What the M’s listeners. Each guest is unique, but they all have one thing in common: they all got to answer “The Last Question.” 

At the end of each episode, Kent and Steve ask their guest: “If you could go back in time and talk with the 20-year-old version of yourself, what advice would you give that young man/woman?” The answers were so fascinating, funny, and unpredictable, that we decided there was no better way to close out the season than with a compilation of the collective wisdom of these responses!  

We hope you enjoy this season finale of our second season of What the M as much as we did. Season 4 of What the M will air in September, so stay tuned!  

If you are interested in appearing on What the M, or have an idea for an episode, you can contact us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. 

The 52nd episode of What the M features Gina Gallutia, Executive Membership Director of the Five Star Institute, and David Mulkay, Director of Legal League. Gina and David are long-time friends of the podcast and stopped by to discuss the benefits of Five Star and Legal League, trends in the default servicing industry, and upcoming industry events. With their extensive experience in- and knowledge of- the default industry, Gina and David have seen it all and have extremely valuable insights to share. We are fortunate to have them as our guests today! 

Welcome to What the M, Gina and David!

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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]. 

This week, Kent and Steve interview Gina Daya, Executive Membership Director of Five Star Institute, and David Mulkey, Director of The Legal League. Gina and David stopped by to discuss the benefits of Five Star and The Legal League, trends in the default servicing industry, and exciting upcoming industry events. With their extensive experience in- and knowledge of- the default industry, Gina and David have seen it all and they have a ton of knowledge to share. We are fortunate to have them as our guests today! 

Welcome to What the M, Gina and David!

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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]. 

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].