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» VISIT US ONLINE @ DSNEWS.COM 103 ing anytime, anywhere access to an array of customer-specific information and functional- ity, LoanSphere Servicing Digital enhances the consumer's servicing experience and adds value on an ongoing basis, which results in higher retention rates." LoanSphere Servicing Digital provides customers with easy access to specific informa- tion about their mortgages, such as type of loan, interest rate, and estimated PMI drop date. It allows mortgage customers to make payments, view detailed payment history, and perform other self-service functions within the application. Customers can also explore various "what-if " scenarios, including options for building equity more quickly or the relative benefits of paying down or refinancing their loan. In addition, LoanSphere Servicing Digi- tal provides up-to-date and valuable neighbor- hood information, such as recent sales, local school data, and demographics, as well as transaction and lien history on the property. e white-labeled solution can be branded to match the servicer's brand identity and will be offered as both a native mobile app and responsive web design. By providing loan and home information to customers wherever they are, when they need it most, LoanSphere Servicing Digital helps servicers regularly engage customers with insightful, value-added information that enhances the borrower relationship and supports customers' financial well-being. HUD Approves Florida Disaster Plan ings should soon be looking sunnier in the Sunshine State, thanks to a just-approved $616 million U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) initiative to help Floridians rebound from Hurricane Irma. HUD Secretary Ben Carson gave the go-ahead to the disaster recovery plan, funded via the agency's Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program. e program mandates that grantees devise a "thoughtful recovery program in- formed by local residents." "As we move along the road to recovery, HUD will be right by Florida's side to help in any way we can to make the state whole again," Carson noted. e news came only days after HUD gave the greenlight to a similar recovery plan for Texas. For his part, Florida Gov. Rick Scott bal- lyhooed the announcement and said recovery efforts will remain in full swing until all of the affected regions within the state have bounced back. "We won't stop working until all of Florida's communities have fully recovered," he said. To hammer away at the region's manifold unmet needs, the state set its sights on a spate of housing and economic development recov- ery needs stemming from Hurricane Irma. It designed several programs in response. e Housing Repair Program ($273.3M) will rehab damaged residential units occupied by low- and moderate-income families. Two programs are aimed at affordable housing: e first, the Workforce Affordable Rental New Construction Program ($100M) will ease the creation of affordable rental housing through an alliance with the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity and the Florida Housing Finance Corporation by leveraging CDBG-DR funds with low- income housing tax credits. It will also employ CDBG-DR funds for zero-interest loans for smaller developments. e second is the Land Acquisition for Affordable Workforce Housing ($20M), which supplies financial backing for purchasing land for development into affordable housing, espe- cially in spots where the lack of developable ter- rain makes it hard to build properties that the local workforce can rent at an affordable rate. e Voluntary Home Buyout Program ($75M) helps bolster risk reduction through the voluntary purchase of residences in high flood- risk areas. To further slash flood risk and/ or serve as recreational space for the public, participating communities are encouraged to develop plans for reusing the acquired land. e Recovery Workforce Training Pro- gram ($20M) will buoy statewide workforce training with the goal of growing the skilled labor force needed to support long-term recov- ery, chiefly in the housing construction field. e Business Recovery Grant Program ($60M) provides help for eligible business owners seeking reimbursement for the cost of replacing equipment and inventory damaged by Irma. Lastly, the Business Assistance to new Floridians from Puerto Rico ($6M) gives business plan guidance, accounting services, licensing information, and other resources to help people acclimatize to the state's business environment. was the amount markets in the Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, and Miami areas were above their long- term pricing trend lines in the summer of 2018. Source: Southeast Florida Residential Real Estate Market Update, published by Florida Atlantic University in July 2018 STAT INSIGHT 14-16%

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