“Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no help at all.” -- Dale Carnegie, Author and Lecturer, 1888-1955

“Nothing limits achievement like small thinking; nothing expands possibilities like unleashed imagination.”
- William Arthur Ward, Writer, 1921-1994

Hello, Members, Colleagues & Associates! OCEA takes on Washington! From May 17 through May 20, five of your OCEA Directors will put on “new hats” and travel to Bellevue, WA, to act as Delegates and Alternate Delegates to the American Escrow Association’s 37th Annual Business Meeting and Educational Conference, representing our membership to elect our national leaders for 2017/2018. Compared to most other states, California closes a huge volume of real estate transactions each year. Accordingly, we need a solid presence both on the state level and in Washington, D.C. to represent our interests! Our own Sammy Simpson, CSEO is running for AEA Treasurer, and two other CEA Directors are also running for office. Go Sammy, Rosanna Medeiros and Donna Inman! We’re very proud of each of you!

If you are already a paid active member of OCEA, we thank you! If you are still thinking about it, it’s never too late -- please join up soon. There is strength in numbers. Our state and national legislative advocates review and watch literally hundreds of bills in each legislative session, keeping an eye out for those that would impact Escrow. A portion of your annual dues goes toward sending those advocates to Sacramento and Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., in hopes of avoiding the passage of legislation which would unduly and unnecessarily burden each of us on our desks - which we have done successfully on many occasions over the years. Please visit our website at www.o-c-e-a.org to retrieve an application today! Support your profession and make sure your voice is heard.

Please mark your calendars and plan to attend OCEA’s next General Membership dinner meeting, to be held Wednesday, June 21, 2017. We believe you’ll want to invite your favorite Loan Officers to come along to this one!

The topic? Is Ordering Hazard Insurance Creating a Hazard For YOU? Nothing is as certain as change, right? We’re seeing more and more Lenders taking on the responsibility of ordering homeowners’ insurance, often without confirming such details as vesting and effective dates with Escrow beforehand. Why is that, and if the policy is incorrect, what happens and who’s responsible? What duties might Escrow have in the case of a transaction that cancels after insurance is ordered - particularly on a refinance? If Lenders, Insurance Agents and Escrow gain a better understanding of each other’s processes and needs, our collaborations should proceed more smoothly. That’s our goal!

We’re honored to have snagged two experts to speak to us on the subject, and big thanks to Debbi Faber for making that happen! A beloved fixture in the insurance arena in South OC for many years, Greg Lerum of Lerum Insurance Agency will be on the panel, joined by Kirklyn Smith, Director of Operations at EOI Direct, who is flying ALL THE WAY FROM IDAHO, especially to be with us. (Yes, really!) What does THAT tell you? (It tells me that they welcome this dialogue.) Please think of questions you’d like to ask these gentlemen, and email them to us at OCEA before the meeting. We look forward to another engaging conversation on improving our working relationships!

Meeting details and the registration form will follow shortly - be on the lookout for an email on your desk, phone, iPad or other device, and please share it with your coworkers, favorite Loan Officers and anyone else you think would benefit from the information and the networking opportunity. (And one more thing: don’t underestimate the lure of Chef’s Surprise Escrow Chicken!)

See you on June 21st!

All the best,
Debi Peters, CEO, CSEO, OCEA 2017 President