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» VISIT US ONLINE @ DSNEWS.COM 99 have until a July 13 deadline to see if they meet the requirements to apply for the program. e city will also have first right of refusal to pur- chase the homes of homeowners in foreclosure before they end up going to auction. Foreclosed Properties Might Go Green 'Zombie homes,' abandoned properties stuck in a sort of foreclosure limbo and often falling into disrepair in the meantime, post challenges for many communities. Even once a property has been dragged out of that mire, that doesn't mean it's always just headed back onto the market. What happens when govern- ment entities complete a tax foreclosure on a property that isn't likely to be worth rehab- bing? According to officials in Michigan, the answer might just be "Help save the planet." As reported by Energy News Network (ENN), government officials in Michigan are considering a unique approach when it comes to disposing of tax-foreclosed properties ac- quired by a state land bank, many of which are described as "undesirable due to contamina- tion." So, what's the big idea for dealing with these seemingly unusable properties? Convert- ing them into solar farms. Calhoun County Treasurer Brian Wen- sauer, Chairman of the Land Bank Program, told ENN that "if there's blight or environ- mental issues, no one wants them and we get stuck with them." Converting those properties for renewable energy purposes could provide a green solution that causes very little disruption to the land, according to Josh Burgett, Director of Michi- gan Land Bank Fast Track Authority. Solar conversion isn't a workable solution for every property—ENN reports that Michi- gan officials have so far only identified 40 properties that look to be good candidates for renewable energy usage. For "contaminated" properties, however, much less cleanup would be required in order to convert them into solar farms than to make them ready for traditional reuse. When it comes to figuring out what to do with foreclosed properties that are contami- nated or blighted beyond the point where the private market has any interest in stepping in, Michigan's state land banks collaborate with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality to determine a course of action. Since 2003, Michigan's state land bank has "spent about $85 million on blight elimination and demolitions," Burgett told ENN. According to data from the industry group SolarPower Europe, the global solar market grew 29.3 percent in 2017. Although President Trump's imposition of tariffs on solar equip- ment have hampered growth recently, the industry still "saw growth accelerate in 25 of the 44 states the Solar Energy Industries Asso- ciation tracks," as reported by CNBC. MISSOURI Cornerstone Mortgage Earns Top Marks St. Louis-based independent mortgage lender Cornerstone Mortgage has been named a 2018 top workplace in Missouri by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. e division of Guild Mortgage was ranked eleventh in the midsize company category and featured among the top workplaces for the seventh consecutive year on this list. Cornerstone said it also earned the Ethics Award for receiving the highest score based on responses to the survey statement, "is company operates by strong values and ethics." Based on survey responses from more than 44,000 people, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch rec- ognized 150 employers as Top Workplaces for 2018. e winners range from small businesses to some of the region's biggest corporations and share several key characteristics, including effective leadership, strong values, clear direc- tion, and motivated workers. "Teamwork and employee satisfaction are extremely important to our culture of customer service, so we are proud to once again be rec- ognized as a Top Workplace," said Angi Ste- venson, President and CEO of Cornerstone. "e passion and dedication of our employees have helped us continue to grow as we provide an ever-expanding array of mortgage options to more homebuyers in the Midwest. eir THE LEADER IN DEFAULT SERVICING NEWS Help shape the next issue of DS News. Drop us a line at Editor@DSNews.com. » VISIT US ONLINE @ DSNEWS.COM 99 have until a July 13 deadline to see if they meet the requirements to apply for the program. e city will also have first right of refusal to pur- chase the homes of homeowners in foreclosure before they end up going to auction. Foreclosed Properties Might Go Green 'Zombie homes,' abandoned properties stuck in a sort of foreclosure limbo and often falling into disrepair in the meantime, post challenges for many communities. Even once a property has been dragged out of that mire, that doesn't mean it's always just headed back onto the market. What happens when govern- ment entities complete a tax foreclosure on a property that isn't likely to be worth rehab- bing? According to officials in Michigan, the answer might just be "Help save the planet." As reported by Energy News Network (ENN), government officials in Michigan are considering a unique approach when it comes to disposing of tax-foreclosed properties ac- quired by a state land bank, many of which are described as "undesirable due to contamina- tion." So, what's the big idea for dealing with these seemingly unusable properties? Convert- ing them into solar farms. Calhoun County Treasurer Brian Wen- sauer, Chairman of the Land Bank Program, told ENN that "if there's blight or environ- mental issues, no one wants them and we get stuck with them." Converting those properties for renewable energy purposes could provide a green solution that causes very little disruption to the land, according to Josh Burgett, Director of Michi- gan Land Bank Fast Track Authority. Solar conversion isn't a workable solution for every property—ENN reports that Michi- gan officials have so far only identified 40 properties that look to be good candidates for renewable energy usage. For "contaminated" properties, however, much less cleanup would be required in order to convert them into solar farms than to make them ready for traditional reuse. When it comes to figuring out what to do with foreclosed properties that are contami- nated or blighted beyond the point where the private market has any interest in stepping in, Michigan's state land banks collaborate with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality to determine a course of action. Since 2003, Michigan's state land bank has "spent about $85 million on blight elimination and demolitions," Burgett told ENN. According to data from the industry group SolarPower Europe, the global solar market grew 29.3 percent in 2017. Although President Trump's imposition of tariffs on solar equip- ment have hampered growth recently, the industry still "saw growth accelerate in 25 of the 44 states the Solar Energy Industries Asso- ciation tracks," as reported by CNBC. MISSOURI Cornerstone Mortgage Earns Top Marks St. Louis-based independent mortgage lender Cornerstone Mortgage has been named a 2018 top workplace in Missouri by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. e division of Guild Mortgage was ranked eleventh in the midsize company category and featured among the top workplaces for the seventh consecutive year on this list. Cornerstone said it also earned the Ethics Award for receiving the highest score based on responses to the survey statement, "is company operates by strong values and ethics." Based on survey responses from more than 44,000 people, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch rec- ognized 150 employers as Top Workplaces for 2018. e winners range from small businesses to some of the region's biggest corporations and share several key characteristics, including effective leadership, strong values, clear direc- tion, and motivated workers. "Teamwork and employee satisfaction are extremely important to our culture of customer service, so we are proud to once again be rec- ognized as a Top Workplace," said Angi Ste- venson, President and CEO of Cornerstone. "e passion and dedication of our employees have helped us continue to grow as we provide an ever-expanding array of mortgage options to more homebuyers in the Midwest. eir THE LEADER IN DEFAULT SERVICING NEWS Help shape the next issue of DS News. Drop us a line at Editor@DSNews.com. Illinois Halina Zdanowski HomesForSaleWillCounty.com I have the training, fi nances and fully understand the business model for REO properties. Two offi ce locations to serve you better! 708-790-3321 jkreoservices@gmail.com

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