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86 FLORIDA OpenClose Implements LOS Platform for Federal Credit Union West Palm Beach, Florida-headquartered OpenClose, a multi-channel loan origina- tion system (LOS) and mortgage fintech provider, has announced that Ascend Federal Credit Union (Ascend) is leveraging its Len- derAssist LOS platform and DecisionAssist product and pricing engine (PPE). Open- Close's browser-based solution has delivered additional efficiencies and heightened service levels for the credit union's growing mort- gage lending division. Ascend engaged with OpenClose to pro- vide the credit union with a robust LOS that will simplify its mortgage processes, ensure compliance, improve efficiencies, maximize productivity, and reduce costs without the time and expense of implementing and maintaining a legacy system. LenderAssist is configured to support Ascend's specific business processes and automate the lending workflow from start to finish. e entire platform was implemented in less than 60 days. "Since implementing OpenClose, we have enhanced our overall mortgage lending process and ability to provide faster, better service to members looking for a home loan," said Don Gilliam, VP of Mortgage Lending at Ascend. OpenClose maintains the entire system for Ascend, avoiding the need to add internal staff and dramatically reducing total cost of ownership. DecisionAssist provides instant, accurate loan pricing and eligibility for Ascend's mortgage staff. OpenClose's team of mortgage specialists manage all guidelines and pricing on a daily basis for Ascend. In addition, as Ascend grows, LenderAssist is designed to flex and scale with the business, preventing expansion challenges. "Attaining a home loan can be an intimi- dating, complex experience for many con- sumers, but Ascend's focus on service and use of technology makes it very easy for members to do business with them," said JP Kelly, President of OpenClose. "LenderAssist and DecisionAssist have contributed to Ascend's already high service levels by helping add simplicity, transparency, and excellence in service to members." TENNESSEE Amazon HQ2: Which Markets Would Feel the Most Impact? Where will Amazon's second headquarters finally land? It's one of the biggest business questions in years, and it has generated many other questions. One of them is, which cities would see the feel the biggest impact on the local housing market from Amazon's HQ2? Zillow's money is on Nashville and Denver. e site said that if workers started punching in at HQ2 in Nashville a year from now, the pace of rental price increases would be double what they would be without Amazon coming to town. In other words, median rents, now a little over $1,500 a month, would rise by 2.4 percent. A close second is Denver, which Zillow said would see a 2.3 percent bump in rents that are currently around $2,000 a month, median. Los Angeles, Raleigh, and Pittsburgh could also see a nearly 2 percent uptick in rents. e prize, of course, is an estimated 50,000 new jobs in whichever city Amazon selects. "And with those new jobs will likely come new residents, which in turn will boost demand for housing and potentially push up housing costs, particularly rents," Zillow reported. Of the remaining 12 cities still in the run- ning for HQ2, only one—Indianapolis—would see no change in rents, according to Zillow's research. e only non-U.S. market under consideration, Toronto, would see a barely vis- ible 0.2 percent uptick in rents. e Northeast Corridor also looks to have little potential disruption in the rent because of HQ2. Phila- delphia and New York would each see median rent prices inch up less than 1 percent. e same is true for Atlanta and Washing- ton, D.C. (i.e., northern Virginia), which Zil- low in March dubbed the most likely Amazon HQ2 candidates. Were Amazon to open in a year, Zillow reported, rents would tick up about a half-percent in these metro areas. "Over the past decade, Amazon's growth from a startup bookseller into one of the nation's leading retailers has transformed its original hometown of Seattle," Zillow reported. e region has consistently ranked as one of the nation's hottest housing markets, though many forces beyond Amazon's growth have propelled the Seattle market in recent years." What that translates to for cities under consideration is that "all but two of the HQ2 finalist markets should expect a smaller impact on rents than Seattle has experienced," Zillow reported. Florida Minority Certified Business MIAMI-DADE & BROWARD COUNTIES 786-499-6994 www.REOPitStop.com Luis@ContinentalRealtors.com RESNET ID: 106089 | Equator ID: 272261 Luis F. Guzman Broker/Owner Orlando REO Professionals Ronald Gentile rjgentile62@gmail.com 407.247.0849 www.O-REO.net Serving the greater central Florida area. Let Orlando REO Professionals I, Inc., be your choice for property investments in the Florida region. We can help you reach your investment goals. We are a group of REO listing specialists, covering: Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Polk, Lake, and Volusia counties. 10-plus years experience. F L O R I D A ' S R E O S P E C I A L I S T S was the year-over-year jump in median home list prices as of April 1, 2018. Source: Realtor.com KNOW THIS 9.9%