Special Master, Superior Court of California, 2009-2010
Litigation consulting concerning:
Mortgages and real estate finance.
Real Estate industry standards and practices.
Lenders/Borrowers standards and practices.
Construction and construction defects
Plaintiff and Defense strategies concerning breach of contract and/or fraud.
Mortgage fraud litigation.
Credit underwriting (commercial & residential loans)
Brokers' malpractice issues; conflicts of interest
Title insurance coverage, exclusions and claims
Commission compensation issues
Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac credit score & automated underwriting issues.
EDUCATION
D. Med GTF (UCLA residency): Doctorate in Mediation Ethics
MBA Pepperdine University: Finance.
USAF Air University: Leadership & Management
T.Dipl Albert List College/Columbia University: History
HONORS
For excellence in community mediation:
California State Senate (2008)
Los Angeles City Attorney (2008)
MEMBER
Board of Arbitrators, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (Arbitrator No. A55740)
Board of Arbitrators, National Futures Association (Arbitrator No. 0412838)
Real Estate Mediation panel, Los Angeles County Superior Court
Southern California Mediation Association
American Bar Association (Litigation & ADR sections) Chair, Real Estate Experts Subcommittee
American Real Estate and Urban Economic Association
Kennedy Institute of Ethics, Georgetown University
Institute of Forensic Science and Public Policy - AJS
California Association of Realtors
Beverly Hills/Los Angeles Association of Realtors
CA DRE Broker License No. 827388
Freddie Mac Underwriter & Seller No. 121555
Pro Bono
Los Angeles City Attorney Dispute Resolution Program (Mediator)
First AME Church/UCLA legal clinic (1997-2004)
Board of Directors, American Youth Hostels-LA
Media
Interviews on CNN, FOX, AP, NPR, Newsweek, magazines and newspapers.
Publications
Editor:
Mortgage Litigation and Forensics (www.mortgageforensics.wordpress.com)
Mortgage issues in courts of law - fraudulent application, loan origination and underwriting.
Books
The Mortgage Applicants Bible (2000 edition. ISBN 0-595-09171-7)
Articles
Israel Shelanu/Shalom L.A. Real Estate advice column 1988-2007. Approx. 650 articles.
For Real Estate Today (National Association of Realtors publication):
Are ARM Borrowers Overpaying? Real Estate Today 9/92
Chart a Course to Smart Real Estate Investing Real Estate Today 9/93
For AOL OReilly Publishing Personal Finance Center Buying a Home series:
Buying a Home: Buy v. Rent Considerations 5/95
Buying a Home: Meet Your Realtor 5/95
Buying a Home: Financing Available 6/95
Buying a Home: Who Are The Lenders? 7/95
Buying a Home: Qualifying for the Loan 7/95
Buying a Home: Your Credit 8/95
Buying a Home: Appraisal Considerations 9/95
Shopping for Rates in a Fixed Market 1/96
For AllExperts.com (A New York Times Company):
Real Estate / Finance Q&A Articles 2004-Present. Approx. 200 articles.
Continuing Education Courses and Seminars
DRE No. Title
240-78 Legal Aspects of Real Estate
1161-90 Real Estate Finance
237-78 Real Estate Practices
1204-90 Escrows
234-78 Real Estate Appraisal
323-1016 Real Estate Agency Rules
323-1014 Contracts, Disclosures & Environmental Issues
323-1012 Ethics and Professional Conduct of R.E. Licensees
323-1013 Fair Housing
323-1015 Trust Funds
743-85 Real Estate Principles
1281-08 Ethics and Professional Conduct of R.E. Licensees II
384-42 Tax Planning for Real Estate
591-05 Consumer Protection in Real Estate Transactions
103-118 Proving Fraud Cases
323-1041 Disclosure Obligations in Real Estate Transactions
323-1034 Red Flags
323-1035 Survey of Real Estate Regulations
323-1042 The Listing Agreement and its Application to the Seller of Real Estate Property.