About Amanda

This author has not yet filled in any details.
So far Amanda has created 33 blog entries.

Elevating the Call Center Experience

By Jonnine Eras , SVP, Senior Tax Operations Manager It’s easy to judge call centers by the customer experience they are often associated with delivering — excessive wait times, bouncing callers to different agents or departments, the inability to resolve customer issues, and an impersonal customer experience, among other complaints. When you stop and [...]

Elevating the Call Center Experience2024-03-21T14:29:50-04:00

Managing Tax Payment Deadlines Requires Constant Vigilance

By Pat Hedges , SVP, Senior Tax Operations Manager When it comes to taxes, paying the right amount is important, but so is paying on time, as  anyone who’s missed a tax deadline and been hit with late fees and penalties can attest. Unlike income and business taxes that have well-known due dates for [...]

Managing Tax Payment Deadlines Requires Constant Vigilance2024-03-13T17:00:04-04:00

Timing Escrow Analyses to Minimize Confusion and Costs

By Jim McGurer, SVP Operations By law, servicers are required to conduct escrow analyses (EAs) on most first mortgage accounts every year. The timing of when these analyses are done and when the statements are sent to borrowers is left up to the servicer. While LERETA is able to accommodate any schedule, there are [...]

Timing Escrow Analyses to Minimize Confusion and Costs2024-03-06T15:18:43-05:00

Every month, we'll be spotlighting someone from the LERETA roster.   This month get to know Warren May, our Senior Data Conversion Programmer. Get to know Warren, below!  What is your role with LERETA? I help write programming maps that convert Agency / Jurisdiction data files [...]

2024-03-01T11:39:02-05:00

Every month, we'll be spotlighting someone from the LERETA roster.   This month let us introduce you to Sandra Clemens, our Tax Specialist III. Get to know Sandra, below!  What is your role with LERETA? I handle all processes for the Trust Oil and Gas portfolio, [...]

2024-02-23T10:33:59-05:00

New Survey Finds Significant Lack of Understanding of Mortgage Escrow Accounts and Raises Concerns Over Expected Increases

Nearly half of Respondents Say They Don't Understand How Escrow Accounts Work and Would be Unable to Pay if Their Monthly Mortgage Payment Increased by 25% Due to Rising Taxes and Insurance Rates POMONA, Calif., February 15, 2024 — A new survey from LERETA, a leading national provider of real [...]

New Survey Finds Significant Lack of Understanding of Mortgage Escrow Accounts and Raises Concerns Over Expected Increases2024-02-15T11:43:31-05:00

LERETA EXPANDS SALES ORGANIZATION

POMONA, Calif., January, 30  2024 — LERETA, a leading national provider of real estate tax and flood services for mortgage servicers, today announced that Morgan Klabenes and Stephanie Mohr have joined the company as SVP of Strategic Solutions and SVP of Strategic Sales, respectively. Klabenes brings more than 12 years in client services management [...]

LERETA EXPANDS SALES ORGANIZATION2024-01-29T19:21:35-05:00

Every month, we'll be spotlighting someone from the LERETA roster.   This month let us introduce you to Kim Doyel, our Key Client Success Manager. Get to know Kim, below!  What is your role with LERETA? I support Outsourced and Standard Tax clients by building relationships [...]

2024-01-15T19:50:21-05:00

Navigating the Unique Challenges of Managing Property Taxes for Manufactured Homes

By Alfred James, VP, Operations Manager -- Special Services, DTO Quality Auditing & DTO Non-Escrow Servicing When it comes to housing, America has two fairly large challenges. The first is a lack of inventory: depending on who you listen to, there is a need for somewhere between 3 and 5 million new homes. The [...]

Navigating the Unique Challenges of Managing Property Taxes for Manufactured Homes2023-12-14T15:24:46-05:00

Every month, we'll be spotlighting someone from the LERETA roster.   This month let us introduce you to Victoria Safranek, our Outsourcing Disbursement Lead. Get to know Victoria, below!  What is your role with LERETA? To sum it up, my team disburses current property taxes from [...]

2023-12-14T15:07:44-05:00

LERETA’s Legislative Updates 2023 Q4

Legislative Updates By Staci Hardy, VP Internal Audit & QC Manager LERETA's compliance team regularly monitors and tracks statewide property tax legislation that impacts tax service for our customers. This quarter we are including details on introduced legislation and the progression of seven new bills that we are following. None of these will have [...]

LERETA’s Legislative Updates 2023 Q42023-12-07T16:26:56-05:00

LERETA Joins Operation Homefront to Give Back to our Military Heroes and Promote Home Ownership

In this season of celebrating the joy of giving, LERETA is proud to partner with Operation Homefront to give back to military families who’ve sacrificed so much to ensure our freedoms. The LERETA Tax Grants program provides homeownership assistance to military veterans with one-time grants that pay their annual property taxes. The initiative is [...]

LERETA Joins Operation Homefront to Give Back to our Military Heroes and Promote Home Ownership2023-12-06T15:02:05-05:00

Getting Ahead of the Coming Escrow “Shock Wave”(Part 2 of 2)

By Mike Whiting, SVP, Senior Tax Operations Manager    In part one of this two-part blog, my colleague, Jonnine Eras, examined some of the forces that are converging to create a perfect storm for borrowers with escrow accounts and their servicers. These trends include dramatic increases in homeowners and flood insurance [...]

Getting Ahead of the Coming Escrow “Shock Wave”(Part 2 of 2)2023-11-27T14:40:46-05:00

The Cheesehead Challenge: Unique Tax Collection Policies in Wisconsin

A Q&A with Douglas Dick, Vice President, Escrow Manager Q. Several years ago, you coined the term "The Cheesehead Challenge" in describing tax processing in Wisconsin? What is it about Wisconsin taxes that make them so complicated? Some things are just different in Wisconsin.  Take the Green Bay Packers, for example.  All other National Football [...]

The Cheesehead Challenge: Unique Tax Collection Policies in Wisconsin2023-11-16T12:13:31-05:00

Everything is Bigger in Texas – Including Tax Refunds

A Q&A with Aaron Anderson, Director of Business Development, American Property Guard, a LERETA Company Q. Aaron let’s start off with the basics. What is Senate Bill 2? This past August, Governor Greg Abbott of Texas signed legislation delivering the largest property tax rebate in Texas history due to a surplus in funding at [...]

Everything is Bigger in Texas – Including Tax Refunds2023-11-15T11:24:37-05:00

Every month, we'll be spotlighting someone from the LERETA roster. This month we're kicking it off with Heather Amick one of our Senior Client Success Managers. Get to know Heather, below!  What is your role with LERETA? I foster outstanding relationships with my clients and help them navigate the complexities [...]

2023-11-17T12:41:14-05:00

Tax Hikes: The Lull Before the Storm

By Jonnine Eras, Senior Vice President, Senior Tax Operations Manager   Tax assessments lag home price appreciation (HPA), but eventually they result in tax hikes, unpleasant surprises for homeowners and more work for servicers. Given the dramatic gains in HPA over the last two years, larger tax bills for many [...]

Tax Hikes: The Lull Before the Storm2022-08-31T18:05:14-04:00

Understanding What Can’t Be Reversed in a Reverse Mortgage

By Mike Whiting, Senior Vice President   As baby boomers age – with an increasing number saying they want to age at home – and home appreciation continues to bolster home equity values, experts predict a growing interest in reverse mortgages. According to a new Freddie Mac survey, 66% of [...]

Understanding What Can’t Be Reversed in a Reverse Mortgage2022-08-30T21:03:46-04:00

Flood Certifications: Striking the Right Balance Between Automation and Exception Handling

By Elly Leonida, FVP Operations Manager   Over the last decade, mortgage lenders have seen dramatic changes in how loans are approved, processed and closed with technology and automation improving speed, accuracy and the customer experience. The improvements have permeated all aspects of the mortgage life cycle, including the flood [...]

Flood Certifications: Striking the Right Balance Between Automation and Exception Handling2022-08-30T21:04:01-04:00

LERETA’s Legislative Updates 2022 Q2

Legislative Updates By Staci Hardy, VP Internal Audit & QC Manager LERETA's compliance team regularly monitors and tracks statewide property tax legislation that impacts tax service for our customers. This quarter we are including details on introduced legislation and the progression of seven new bills that we are following. None of these will have any [...]

LERETA’s Legislative Updates 2022 Q22022-08-30T21:04:29-04:00

Total Tax Solutions® 101: A Conversation with LERETA’s Susan Portnoy

  Most servicers understand the benefits of a standard tax service as well as a fully outsourced solution. But many are less familiar with LERETA’s Total Tax Solutions® (TTS®), which can give servicers even greater insight and control over their tax process. To bridge this gap, we recently interviewed Susan [...]

Total Tax Solutions® 101: A Conversation with LERETA’s Susan Portnoy2022-08-30T21:04:40-04:00

Simplementation – The Smart Approach to Change Tax Servicers

By Tiffany Keohane, & Jonnine Eras We often hear that our clients postpone bringing on new vendors because they’re uncomfortable with the implementation process. They would rather put up with inefficiencies, look the other way on broken systems, or accept a lower grade service than disrupt the process. The idea [...]

Simplementation – The Smart Approach to Change Tax Servicers2022-09-16T18:10:25-04:00

LERETA Technology Recognized by HousingWire
HousingWire

It’s nice to be recognized and it’s especially rewarding when that recognition comes from one of the industry’s leading news sources: HousingWire, which just named us a 2022 HW Tech100 Mortgage winner. In announcing the award, HW Media Editor in Chief Sarah Wheeler said: “As the only program in the industry that highlights tech [...]

LERETA Technology Recognized by HousingWire
HousingWire
2022-08-31T19:22:47-04:00

LERETA’s Legislative Updates 2022 Q1

Legislative Updates By Staci Hardy, VP Internal Audit & QC Manager LERETA's compliance team regularly monitors and tracks statewide property tax legislation that impacts tax service for our customers. This quarter we are including details on introduced legislation and the progression of seven new bills that we are following. None of these will have any [...]

LERETA’s Legislative Updates 2022 Q12022-08-30T21:05:16-04:00

Higher Tax Bills Are Coming (Will Your Operations Be Ready?)

By Jim McGurer,  Senior Vice President, Operations For the past few years, real estate prices (and home appreciation) have been on a tear. In 2020, the average U.S. home price increased by 10.2%, and this year it’s up again at an average increase of 18.5% year over year. But sooner or later, depending on [...]

Higher Tax Bills Are Coming (Will Your Operations Be Ready?)2022-08-30T20:55:59-04:00

The Highest Customer Satisfaction Starts with “Empathetic Engagement”

By Kim Doyel, Senior Client Executive During my 19 years in mortgage servicing, I’ve experienced everything you can imagine good (and not so good) when it comes to managing taxes on both in-house or on an outsourced basis. And I’ve been able to learn what it takes to make those relationships successful. Tax servicing [...]

The Highest Customer Satisfaction Starts with “Empathetic Engagement”2022-08-30T21:05:29-04:00

LERETA’s Legislative Updates 2021 Q3

Legislative Updates By Staci Hardy, VP Internal Audit & QC Manager LERETA's compliance team regularly monitors and tracks statewide property tax legislation that impacts tax service for our customers. This quarter we are including details on introduced legislation and the progression of seven new bills that we are following. None of these will have any [...]

LERETA’s Legislative Updates 2021 Q32022-09-16T18:12:23-04:00

Why LERETA Celebrates “Early” Christmas on December 17th

By Michael Whiting, Senior Vice President, Dallas Tax Operations Every year, in-house tax groups and tax service companies grind well into the holiday season with late shifts and weekend hours to get all applicable taxes paid before the dreaded December 31 deadline. But last year, and again this year, that won’t be the case [...]

Why LERETA Celebrates “Early” Christmas on December 17th2022-08-30T21:03:12-04:00
Go to Top