Housing Trends - NAWRB Magazine

VOL. 5 / ISSUE 4
Housing Trends
2017: The Year of
Women & Minorities
Page 24
The 3rd Annual
NAWRB Women’s
Diversity and Inclusion
Leadership Conference
Page 27
NAWRB Adds Tami Bonnell,
Min Alexander & Melanie
Gass to Diversity & Inclusion
Leadership Council
Page 46
sheCENTER(FOLD)
Rebecca Steele
CEO and President,
Sigma Associates, LLC
Page 36
EXIT Realty Becomes a
Strategic Partner
Page 47
Women Entrepreneurs: Alternative
Business Credit using Homeownership
Page 49
Why is Diversity Classification
Important for Real Estate Businesses?
Page 59

ecently, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban De-
velopment (HUD) awarded $56.5 million to 77 Native American
communities throughout the country to improve housing con-
ditions and stimulate community development for residents,
including funding construction projects and local jobs. The
grants are part of HUD’s Indian Community Development
Block Grant (ICDBG) Program, which supports a wide range
of community development and affordable housing activities.
“This investment will expand affordable housing and econom-
ic opportunities for families in Native American communities
across the country,” says HUD Principal Deputy Secretary for
Public and Indian Housing, Lourdes Castro Ramírez. “We are
proud to continue collaborating with tribal leaders to improve
housing conditions and to lift up neighborhoods with vital new
infrastructure and vibrant community spaces.”
The ICDBG program was established in 1977 to help Indian
tribes and Alaska Native villages meet their community de-
velopment needs. Federally recognized Indian tribes, bands,
groups or nations (including Alaska Indian, Aleuts and Eski-
mos), Alaska Native villages, and eligible tribal organizations
compete for this funding each year.
The goal of the program is to develop viable Indian and Alas-
ka Native communities, including neighborhoods with decent
housing, suitable living environments and economic opportu-
nities. Communities can use the grants to rehab or build new
housing; to buy land for housing; for infrastructure projects
such as roads, water and sewer facilities; and to spur econom-
ic development including jobs.
This year’s projects include building or fixing homes for many of
the awardees. Other uses include the All Mission Indian Hous-
ing Authority of the La Jolla Reservation in California using
$605,000 to provide the west side of its community with much
needed water. To address the effects of the ongoing drought
in California, the tribe has three water infrastructure improve-
ments planned. Near Auburn, Washington, the Muckleshoot
Housing Authority will use its $500,000 grant to improve 10
housing units, making them more energy-efficient and creating
three jobs in the process. Near the City of El Reno, Oklaho-
ma, the Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribe will use its $800,000 grant to
construct the Concho Head Start Center which will include five
classrooms and a large multi-purpose room to serve 57 low-in-
come children and their families with programming to address
their educational, emotional, social, cultural, health, nutritional
and psychological needs.
HUD administers seven programs that are specifically tar-
geted to American Indian, Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian
individuals and families, and federally recognized tribal gov-
ernments. HUD will provide $798 million in FY 2017 to fund
programs that support housing and development initiatives in
American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian commu-
nities. Through innovative programming, American Indian and
Alaska Native tribal governments have created sustainable
and community-driven solutions to their housing and commu-
nity development challenges.
For more information, visit www.hud.gov.
NAWRB MAGAZINE | 3

In 2007, the Great Recession hit the real estate mar-
ket. As a result, there were unprecedented increases
in foreclosures—approximately 8 million homes were
foreclosed—and short sales due to losses of income and
depreciation in the value of homes. The situation was
compounded by loans secured by real estate, for which
borrowers did not qualify. There were also questionable
loan products with adjustable rates, creating a situation
where borrowers could no longer afford their properties.
As a result, from 2007 to 2011, the real estate industry
dealt with short sales and the REO resale market.
In 2010, the “flipper market” was born. Due to low
priced short sales and REO resales, investors began
purchasing properties. Those investors renovated and
improved those properties and subsequently placed
them on the market. While the flippers assisted in the
recovery of the real estate market by driving prices up,
they also created a significant amount of litigation for
real estate professionals.
A flipper’s main objective in property investment is to
earn a profit. Therefore, when making improvements,
Latest Legal Issues
in Real Estate Trends
Latest Legal Issues
in Real Estate Trends
4 | NAWRB MAGAZINE
LEGAL ISSUES

many investors take shortcuts or do not utilize the
highest quality materials. Investors also know very little
about the properties they own.Therefore, disclosures are
not as complete as those prepared by homeowners who
are familiar with their homes, who have lived in them
for long periods of time. Many times, investors even
fail to obtain necessary permits for their improvements
and repairs. When buyers view flipper properties, the
properties are generally in aesthetically good condition.
Therefore, buyers are fooled into believing the property
is in good condition, even if it is only cosmetic.
The flipper market created a trend in which buyers would
move into homes and learn that the repairs were either
insignificant, improper or lacking in quality, constructed
with no permits or there were serious problems with the
property that were never disclosed.From 2012,when these
properties started closing, through the first part of 2016,
lawsuits against flippers constituted approximately 40 to 50
percent of the nondisclosure litigation in California.
Another fallout from the Great Recession was an in-
crease in rentals. People displaced by the foreclosure and
short sale markets could no longer qualify to purchase
properties. Therefore, they began renting. These home-
owners had to compete with millennials, a generation
with 11 million renters and responsible for 11 percent of
the growth in renter households in the past decade, and
the rental market saw formidable increases.
The rise of the rental market created newfound signif-
icant issues for real estate professionals. For example,
agents started dealing with tenants and leases where they
had not done so in the past. Tenants filed claims against
real estate agents arising out of the following: interfer-
ence with tenant’s rights; violation of rent control laws;
wrongful termination of leases; wrongful eviction; failure
to maintain property; and un-inhabitability claims.
The real estate market started
its recovery in approximately
2012. By 2014, there were
many areas where the mar-
ket had a complete reversal
and became a seller’s mar-
ket. This led to multiple
offer situations. Buyers then started writing non-con-
tingent offers to be competitive. Non-contingent
offers led to a wave of litigation by buyers claiming
that they were not properly advised on the risks of not
having inspections.
This year has brought a more normalized market. There
are very few short sales or REO sales; these sales are
only taking place in isolated areas where the economy
has not recovered and loan modification agreements are
not being renewed. The flip market is exhausting itself
and investor resales are becoming more limited. “Boo-
merang buyers,” who were displaced during the short
sale/REO market, are now recovering financially and
purchasing homes, which is decreasing the rental mar-
ket.The market seems to be more normalized with more
equality between buyers and sellers, which is creating
“A flipper’s main objective in property invest-
ment is to earn a profit. Therefore, when making
improvements, many investors take shortcuts or
do not utilize the highest quality materials.”
NAWRB MAGAZINE | 5
LEGAL ISSUES

more stability and less litigation. Unequal markets lead
to more claims.
Because of the more normalized market with equal bar-
gaining power between buyers and sellers, the parties
are negotiating inspections, repairs, extensions to escrow
and other terms. Buyers have opportunities to inspect
properties and are doing so, which is compounded by
the ability to ask for credits and repairs from sellers. As
a result, claims are decreasing and resulting litigation is
becoming more stable.
Shannon B. Jones, Partner,
Shannon B. Jones Law Group, Inc.
“This year has brought a more
normalized market...The flip
market is exhausting itself &
investor resales are becoming
more limited.”
6 | NAWRB MAGAZINE
LEGAL ISSUES

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Desirée Patno
Publisher/CEO
NAWRB Magazine’s Volume 5, Issue 4, Housing Trends,
presents the developments women entrepreneurs are
building in the housing ecosystem, delineating the con-
sequences of these progressions on their lives, careers and
industry. Achieving groundbreaking career success and
homeownership, the momentum with which women are
creating a better tomorrow is beginning to shine.
Our array of expert contributors provides an engaging in-
side look at women’s development in our industry. From
insightful strategies to increase women homeowners and
streamline business operations to the litigation side of
housing and doing business with the state of California,
NAWRB brings you trenchant, actionable information.
We have the privilege of featuring Rebecca Steele, CEO
and President of Sigma Associates, LLC, as this issue’s
she(CENTER)FOLD. Recently cleared with prejudice in
the 2008 housing crisis, Steele shares the personal story
of getting her life back after having her reputation and
career questioned. She now looks to the future with re-
newed energy and excitement. All professionals can learn
from Steele’s inside perspective.
Women are one of the most significant trends in housing.
The housing ecosystem is transforming by the day, and
adapting to these changes is essential to thrive among the
competition.Women are no exception to this rule; as they
continue succeeding, paving the way for coming gener-
ations of commanding entrepreneurs, a more balanced
business field will result.
NAWRB is a leading advocate and resource for the wom-
en’s movement in the housing ecosystem.Collaboration is
essential; get on board and make a difference!
Desirée.Patno@NAWRB.com
8 | NAWRB MAGAZINE

Real estate or otherwise, your product or service is ex-
cellence. If you are doing business right, you are selling
excellence to your customers. We all desire excellence;
with it your business will grow. Now you have reputation
and resources. Use your reputa-
tion and resources to impact the
world, locally and globally, both
as a community of people and as
a physical place.
Excellence
We can define excellence in many
ways, and I won’t get into the
details here, but I like to define
excellence as “the quality of be-
ing outstanding.” Your product or service should
stand out among the others. You want your product or
service to fulfill your customers’ needs, not convince
them of their need for your product or service. Your
relationship with them should be beyond transactional
to personal, and if you’ve got the best and most excel-
lent product, you’ve placed yourself in a great position
to build a huge, dedicated customer base.
The pursuit of excellence brings success to your com-
pany, because excellence can sell itself. Of course, there
are many smart strategies and intelligent marketing de-
cisions to be made to promote your excellence to the
fullest, but at the end of the day,
it’s easy to sell the best product
or service. You tell the truth. Ex-
cellence should be wrapped up in
the very DNA of the company, in
its product or service, culture, em-
ployees and message to the world.
In our media savvy world, market-
ing is one of the most important
aspects of a company. Yet we can-
not become dazed by this importance and overemphasize
the worth of our company as its message. In order to take
a beautiful picture, you must first have a beautiful sub-
ject. Your first priority must be the value and standard
of your product or service. We must offer excellence to
our customers. With that priority established, you can
package that excellence to the world. You don’t just have
a real estate company; you have a real estate and market-
"Excellence should be
wrapped up in the very
DN A of the company, in
its product or service, culture,
employees, and message
to the world."
NAWRB MAGAZINE | 9
EXCELLENCE WITH IMPACT

ing company. If you’ve spent any time in the marketing
space, you’ll know that the second step to great market-
ing is telling your story in an honest, compelling way,
providing real value and standing out. Excellence is the
key to doing that well.
Impact
Once you have established a standard of excellence in
your product or service, you will have a reputation and
resources. The usage of these is the most important re-
sponsibility a company or individual has. Simplified, you
have time, energy and finances—everything you need to
change the world. In the past it has been enough to sim-
ply invest these resources back into the company to at best
make a better product or sometimes simply to grow your
company’s reach or footprint. I believe we
as business leaders have a responsibility to
dedicate a portion of these resources to
impact the world. To me, we can look
at the world in two ways. Firstly it is
a community of people. Secondly it
is a physical place. We can even go
farther and think about the world
locally and globally.
These are broad statements that
could come off as “feel good”
sentiments, but the practical
application is powerful. I’ll
use Aerial as an example.
Locally, we participate in tree planting programs within
the neighborhoods that we develop. We ask the neigh-
borhood council members and presidents what they
need and work to get it for them—be it new sidewalks
or lights, whatever the need is; we invest in that commu-
nity’s needs. Other times we ask them what is working
best in their neighborhood so we can continue to in-
crease their sustainability in that manner. We become a
resource and advocate for the community, and in turn we
gain their respect. Our relationship with them goes from
transactional to personal, because we make the effort to
understand and work with them to elevate.
Regarding sustainability, we have a team dedicated to
researching the newest and most effective green building
supplies and implementing them as quickly as possible.
We are dedicated to saving energy and pursuing alter-
nate energy pathways whenever possible, and continue
to innovate in that space and look toward future possi-
bilities even when it’s not financially viable yet. We don’t
sell houses in a vacuum of time and space.The customer
and we both live in the same world, and we try to work
together to make it a better place.
There are what I call “Aligned Impacts”and “Lateral Im-
pacts” to be made when a company is generous with its
resources that come from an excellent product or service
sold in an excellent way. Many of the impact initiatives
I’ve spoken about can directly benefit the company. We
are investing resources and many times are gaining a
return, a growth in our reputation and brand. There is
nothing wrong with this when a company does it for
the right reasons—the benefits to the company should
be a bonus, not the directive. Lateral impacts are less
synergistic. They make less
“business sense,” but more
“human sense.”
Our lateral impacts are only
lateral in the business sense. In
the world and in my heart, they
are as aligned as they can be.When
I was 18 I went on a missions trip
and saw firsthand the horror of sex-
ual abuse that exists in the culture of
some countries. My young eyes were
opened to the fact that the basic needs
of others were not being met, and my
initial drive to start my company was to
contribute to the eradication of these issues. Our com-
pany now sponsors an orphan in Kenya in the name of
every person who buys a home from us. In our welcome
packets for our new homeowners we include products
made locally or globally that support initiatives such
as domestic abuse relief and U.S. veterans support, and
we let them see how their purchase helped change the
world a little bit at a time.
I believe that businesses have a responsibility to be a force
for good, and to use our excellence for maximum impact.
Have the courage to operate your business with the mind-
set of “Excellence with Impact,” and join the force for
good to see benefits not only personally but also in your
company, culture and the world around you.
Britnie Turner Keane is the Founder and
CEO of Aerial Development Group.
10 | NAWRB MAGAZINE
EXCELLENCE WITH IMPACT

yourLoanTrackerSM
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wellsfargo.com/loantracker
Information is accurate as of date of printing and is subject to change without notice.
Wells Fargo Home Mortgage is a division of Wells Fargo Bank, N. A. © 2015 Wells Fargo
Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. NMLSR ID 399801. AS2555279 Expires 11/2016

Proud winner of consecutive
APEX Awards for 2015 and 2016!
NAWRB STAFF & CONTRIBUTORS
NAWRB Magazine is a bi-monthly magazine featuring unique content, articles on
diversity and inclusion for women in the housing ecosystem, exclusive interviews with
industry professionals, business development tools, book reviews, feature stories and
more. All materials submitted to NAWRB Magazine are subject to editing if utilized.
The articles, content, and other information in this publication are for information
purposes only. Articles, content, and other information in this publication without
named authors are contributed by the publication’s staff, but do not necessarily
reflect the views or opinions of NAWRB. NAWRB assumes no liability or responsibility
for any inaccurate, delayed or incomplete information, nor for any actions taken in
reliance thereon.
949.559.9800 | Media@NAWRB.com
CONTRIBUTORS
Britnie Turner Keane
Ginger Wilcox
Kelle Nolan
Letisia Marquez
Michael Aguillio
Rebecca Steele
Shannon B. Jones
ADVERTISERS
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/NAWRB/NAWRB
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your gateway to the hottest
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Inclusion to the Forefront
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Order your Digital or
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Desirée Patno
Enterprises Inc.
EXIT Realty
Freddie Mac
Herbert H. Landy
Insurance Agency, Inc.
NAWRB
NMP Magazine
RISMedia
Wells Fargo
Home Mortgage
ROYAL STRATEGIC PARTNER
12 | NAWRB MAGAZINE
PUBLISHER/
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Desirée Patno
SENIOR GRAPHIC
DESIGNER
Kendall Roderick
CONTENT WRITER
Belester Benitez
PRODUCTION
ASSISTANTS
Jay Jones
Odysseus Jones

Coming in as the seventh most expensive city in which to buy
a home, according to Coldwell Banker’s Real Estate Home
Listing Report, San Francisco—where the average cost of a
4-bedroom, 2-bathroom house is $1,672,100 and the median
household income is $78,378—is home to a housing market
that has unabashedly driven out long-time residents and busi-
nesses with its skyrocketing property prices.
The inability of residents to remain in their homes, and entre-
preneurs to maintain their businesses, can be seen as a side
effect of booming costs, but it is entirely unfair to people who
don’t earn the kind of money to continue living in the city.
In an attempt to combat this vicious cycle, San Francisco city
officials focused on assisting low-income residents secure pref-
erences when applying for the new Willie B. Kennedy senior
housing complex. This week the Department of Housing and
Urban Development (HUD) announced it will allow an “anti-dis-
placement” preference for San Francisco residents currently
residing in neighborhoods experiencing swift gentrification.
Through this ruling, 40 percent of the new 98-unit development
will be set aside for seniors in the Western Addition, Bayview,
Russian Hill, Mission and South of Market neighborhoods.
“This is important progress in our efforts to halt the displace-
ment of residents at greatest risk of being forced out of the
city they know and love,” stated Mayor Edwin Lee. “This will
thwart the out-migration of African-American and Latino com-
munities who have been deeply impacted by the challenging
housing market.”
Like all successes, this one has two sides. First, it will prove a
great help to the residents that are chosen to live in the com-
plex, allowing them to remain in their city. On the other hand,
most of the residents being priced out of these neighborhoods
won’t be chosen as part of the 40 percent to live in the new
98-unit complex, and they will be forced to figure out their own
solution to gentrification—likely a move out of the city.
It is necessary that cities experiencing a rapid upsurge
in home prices across the U.S. make it a priority to help
keep long-term residents from being priced out of their
own homes by providing alterna-
tive solutions. This is not a simple
task. San Francisco experienced
a victory in this space.
Combatting Gentrification
City by the Bay
"...San Francisco — where
the average cost of a
4-bedroom, 2-bathroom
house is $1,672,100 & the
median household income
is $78,378..."

Contents:
Features
HUD Awards Over $56 Million for Development
Projects in 77 Tribal Communities
Latest Legal Issues in Real Estate Trends by Shannon B. Jones
The New Model for Business is Excellence with Impact
by Britnie Turner Keane
City by the Bay - Combatting Gentrification
Protect Your Small Business From Cyber Attacks
Doing Business with the State of California by Michael Aguillio
2017: The Year of Women & Minorities
The 3rd Annual NAWRB Women’s Diversity
and Inclusion Leadership Conference
Utilize Your Resources to Build a Winning Business Plan
sheCENTER(FOLD): Rebecca Steele
Expanding Your Business through Innovation
NAWRB Adds Tami Bonnell, Min Alexander and Melanie
Gass to Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Council
EXIT Realty Becomes a Strategic Partner
Women Entrepreneurs: Alternative Business
Credit using Homeownership
Attention All the Single Ladies: 5 Ways to
Help You Become a Homeowner by Ginger Wilcox
Personal Interview: Kelle Nolan
Recruiting and Retaining in Today’s World
Why is Diversity Classification Important for Real Estate Businesses?
SBA Releases New Research Findings on Diversity
Trends in Small Business Investing
Even When an Obese Person Loses Weight, Health
Problems Could Persist Due to Epigenetics by Letisia Marquez
Open Houses: Cookies Can’t Redeem a First Impression
Departments
Snapshot of Women
Homeowners
Recipes
Health: Golf
18
26
51
52
61
64
Showcasing Women ‘On the Move’
SWAN (Speak, Write, Attend, Network)
Books & Movies
X
3
4
9
13
16
20
24
27
34
36
44
46
47
49
54
57
58
59
62
65
70
36
4
9
14 | NAWRB MAGAZINE

Vol 5. Issue 4: HousingTrends
32
sheCENTER(FOLD)
Rebecca Steele
49
27
18
20
54
13
NAWRB MAGAZINE | 15
CEO and President,
Sigma Associates, LLC

PROTECTPROTECT
YOURSMALL BUSINESSSMALL BUSINESS
FROM CYBER
ATTACKSATTACKS
"...over 34,000 computer security inci-
dents occur every day – and 62 percent
of those incidents involve breaches of
small and medium-sized businesses."
With October and National Cybersecurity Awareness Month—
an annual campaign established by the Department of
Homeland Security (DHS) to raise awareness about and ed-
ucate the public and business owners on cybersecurity—in
the rearview mirror, it is vital to ensure that your business
is protected.
According to the Wall Street Journal, over 34,000 com-
puter security incidents occur every day – and 62 percent
of those incidents involve breaches of small and medium-
sized businesses.
In their annual study, 2015 Cost of Cyber Crime, the Ponemon
Institute demonstrates the incredibly debilitating impact of insuffi-
cient cybersecurity on small businesses.
2015 Cost of Cyber Crime Key Findings:
• The average cost of a single cyber attack on a U.S. com-
pany is $1.9 million
• Globally
- The average yearly cost of cybercrime has increased
by 1.9 percent since last year
- In 2010, the average time to resolve cyber attacks
was 14 days; in 2015 it’s 46 days
- The average number of successful cyber attacks
per company was 68 in 2012; in 2015 that figure in-
creased to 99
To combat these cyber intrusions, the report suggests
the following courses of action:
• Employ Data Encryption and Protection and Application
Security to minimize cyber attack damages
• Resolve attacks quickly with Security Information and
Event Management (SIEM)
• Use Security Governance Practices and an Intrusion
Prevention System to reduce attacks
• The study affirms companies utilizing proper security re-
sources have lower cybercrime costs than companies that
do not invest in appropriate cyber security. Reduce the
costs to your business by using the best resources and en-
suring your company is safe from cybercrime
The 30 million American small businesses are the backbone of
our country, and any threats to these enterprises also apply to
the economy. Eighty percent of small businesses have no em-
ployees and 91 percent of women-owned businesses employ
no one other than the owner; they are stretched extremely thin
and are therefore at risk of being predominantly unprepared to
withstand breaches in their systems.
Having secure systems is important for all businesses, in-
cluding small ones that may not feel at risk of cyber attacks
due to their small size. NAWRB is here working on a small
business sustainability care pack. As a small business owner,
you need to protect your business and situate yourself to nav-
igate future developments in stride. Visit www.NAWRB.com
for more information.
16 | NAWRB MAGAZINE

CALIFORNIA BUSINESS
The California state government spends ap-
proximately $10 billion annually on goods,
services and public works.
Do you own or work for a small business? Are
you interested in expanding your client base?
Perhaps you should look into the government
sector. The State of California does business with
numerous Small Businesses (SB) throughout the
state, buying products and services in IT, con-
struction, temporary labor and even pencils.
The state’s Department of General Services
(DGS) Procurement Division (PD) is the
central purchasing authority for all state
departments, agencies, institutions, com-
munity colleges, technical institutes and
city or local boards of education.
Certification:
Why get certified with the state? Califor-
nia state government requires state agencies to
award at least 25 percent of their annual contracting
dollars to certified SBs and at least 3 percent to certified
Disabled Veteran Business Enterprises (DVBE).
The state may also give a 5 percent bid preference to certi-
fied SBs and may offer up to a 5 percent incentive to DVBEs
in the formal bidding process. As a California certified SB and/
or DVBE, your business is added to the DGS database, which
state agencies and all our resource partners use to find SBs and
DVBEs. With these certifications you are also eligible, under the
Prompt Payment Act, for higher interest penalties for late undis-
puted invoice payments.
All California state agencies and departments may use a streamlined procure-
ment process known as the SB/DVBE Option by contracting directly
with a California-certified SB or DVBE for goods, services
and information technology goods and services
valued from $5,000.01 to $249,999.99 (up
to $281,000 for public works contracts)
after obtaining price quotes from at
least two SBs or two DVBEs.
The State of California estab-
lished the Small Business (SB)
and Disabled Veteran Busi-
WITH THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA
DOING
BUSINESS

CALIFORNIA BUSINESS
NAWRB MAGAZINE | 21
ness Enterprise (DVBE) Certification Programs to increase
business opportunities for the SB and DVBE community.
The programs help SBs and DVBEs participate on a more
level playing field when competing for state contracts. Our
goal is to ensure all California businesses have access to
state opportunities.
The SB and DVBE supplier community are important not
only to state agencies, but also to our 60-plus reciprocity
partners, local government, municipalities and large busi-
nesses looking for subcontractors. Along with their own
preference programs/certifications, they also honor the
state’s SB and or DVBE certification.
If you are considering certification, listed below is the certi-
fication criterion for SBs and or DVBE owners.
For Small Businesses:
Be independently owned and operated.
Cannot be dominant in the field of operation.
Principal office located in California.
Owners or officers legally reside in California.
100 or fewer employees.
Annual gross receipts average $14 million or less
over the previous three tax years.
For Disabled Veteran Business Enterprises:
At least 51 percent owned by one or more
disabled veterans.
Daily business operations must be managed and con-
trolled by one or more disabled veterans. The disabled
veteran(s) who manages and controls the business is
not required to be the owner(s).
Home office must be located in the United States and
cannot be a branch or subsidiary of a foreign corpora-
tion, foreign firm, or other foreign-based business.
How can you apply for certification? If your business meets
the eligibility requirements for state certification, register
your business and submit your application today by visiting
our new Cal eProcure website at the following link: www.
caleprocure.dgs.ca.gov.
For more SB/DVBE information, go to: www.dgs.ca.gov/
pd/getcertified or for SB/DVBE certification assistance, call
(916) 375-4940 Monday through Friday (except state holi-
days) from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Bidding Opportunities:
Cal eProcure allows bidders to upload bids/proposals in re-
sponse to online solicitations. You can also track bid progress,
learn about pre-bid events and access contract award and
other relevant information. There is no fee for you to regis-
ter, receive email or fax notifications, download or respond
to the state of California’s bid solicitations on Cal eProcure.
Small businesses can also access the California State Contracts
Register, a central information source for state contracting
opportunities.This system gives businesses access to bidding
and contracting resources, as well as their certification pro-
file, in one location.
DGS also serves as business manager for the state of Cal-
ifornia. We help to better serve the public by providing a
variety of services to state agencies through procurement
and acquisition solutions, real estate management and de-
sign, environmentally friendly transportation, professional
printing, design and Web services, administrative hearings,
legal services, building standards, oversight of structural
safety, fire/life safety and accessibility for the design and
construction of K-12 public schools and community colleges
and funding for school construction.
What's New?:
Getting the help you need to do business with the state of
California just got easier.The DGS/PD, in partnership with
the California Department of Technology, released a brand
new tool to put small businesses in touch with the resourc-
es they need. The mobile application can be downloaded by
both iOS and Android users at the following link: http://
apps.cta.ca.gov/EMC/SBDVBE.
With the tip of their fingers, business owners can access in-
formation on outreach events happening across the state that
provide education on the state certification process and busi-
"TheStateofCaliforniadoesbusinesswithnumerousSmall
Businesses(SB)throughoutthestate,buyingproductsandservices
inIT,construction,temporarylaborandevenpencils.""”
“

CALIFORNIA BUSINESS
22 | NAWRB MAGAZINE
ness opportunities. You will also have access to a list of
upcoming events, workshops and training opportunities
by region, mapping directions to the events nearest your
location and event contact and registration information.
For more information on the mobile application, contact
the DGS Procurement Division’s Communication &
Outreach Section by sending an email to advocate@dgs.
ca.gov. Visit the following link for information on up-
coming outreach events: http://tinyurl.com/np52g9m.
Resources:
The Office of Small Business & Disabled Veteran Busi-
ness Enterprise Services (OSDS) Communications &
Outreach section assists SBs and DVBEs by partici-
pating in outreach events, providing resource guidance
and supporting the businesses through advocacy.To find
upcoming events coming to you, visit: http://www.doc-
uments.dgs.ca.gov/pd/events/SBDVBEevents.pdf
Although information about your state-certified small
business will be included in databases that are accessed
by state purchasing officials, your business must still
market its products or services. You find advocates from
state agencies to learn of pending solicitation at http://
www.dgs.ca.gov/pd/advocate and what state agencies
buy and the dollar amount of the contracts at http://
www.dgs.ca.gov/pd/Programs/caleprocure/SCPRS-
Data.aspx. State government information and services
can be found using the California Online Directory at
www.cold.ca.gov.
For Small Business and Disabled Veteran Business En-
terprise certification program related inquiries: Office of
Small Business & Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise
Services (OSDS) OSDSHelp@dgs.ca.gov, (916) 375-
4940. For state procurement related inquiries: Department
of General Services (DGS), Procurement Division cust-
serv@dgs.ca.gov, (800) 559-5529.
Michael Aguillio
SB/DVBE Liaison
SmallbusinessescanalsoaccesstheCaliforniaStateContractsRegister,
acentralinformationsourceforstatecontractingopportunities.
Thissystemgivesbusinessesaccesstobiddingandcontractingresources...”
“
Procurement Division, Certification & Outreach
State of California, Department of General Services

Diversity of People.
Diversity of Thought.
Bring your fresh perspectives, innovative ideas
and different approaches to Freddie Mac.
We rely on a diverse array of suppliers to
help us make home possible for millions of
America’s families.
Register Today!
Fill out our Supplier Profile Questionnaire at
FreddieMac.com/suppliers

The housing ecosystem is evolving and we are witnessing
circumstances to be more favorable for underrepresented
groups than previously.Will 2017 continue this progression?
While low mortgage rates are undermined by high home
prices,buying in southern metros is at times over 50 per-
cent cheaper than renting, according to Trulia. Buyers in
the West, where high rents often remain preferable to
the rising home prices, face a tougher task.
Agents must recognize these conditions and the fact that
international investment in U.S.real estate is expected to
continue. In the first half of this year, Asian investors
have invested $4.02 billion in New York real estate and
$1.4 billion in San Francisco property alone, the top two
most desired American destinations for their capital.
In 2015, the homeownership rate of female householders
in 1-person households was 24.56 percent higher than the
homeownership rate of male householders in the same
category, according to Census Bureau data on nation-
al household demographics. The desire to own a home
coupled with professional advancements make women a
formidable source of purchasing power; in fields like civil
engineering, women increased 977 percent from 1970 to
2010, and the percentage of married couples where the
woman earns at least $30,000 more than the man rose
three percent between 2000 and 2015.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, from 2014 to
2015, Hispanic poverty level declined from 23.6 to
21.4 percent, and the median annual income of His-
panic-origin households rose 6.1 percent,from $42,540
to $45,148. Similarly, the poverty level of Black house-
holds decreased to 24.1 percent from 26.2, and their
median annual income increased 4.1 percent, from
$35,439 to $36,898. As their income rises, minorities
will progress out of poverty and their presence among
homebuyers will grow.
In addition to their personal advancements, women
and minority homebuyers will be assisted by govern-
ment policies in 2017.
Recently, the Federal Housing Finance Agency
(FHFA) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
(NPRM) on proposed amendments to its Minority
and Women Inclusion regulations. Among proposed
XXXX XXXXXXX
24 | NAWRB MAGAZINE
“In the ﬁrst half of this year, Asian
investors have invested $4.02 billion
in New York real estate & $1.4 billion
in San Francisco property alone;
the top two most desired American
destinations for their capital.”

2017: WOMEN & MINORITIES
NAWRB MAGAZINE | 25
changes, the amendments would:
• Encourage the regulated entities to expand con-
tracting opportunities for minorities, women,
and individuals with disabilities through
subcontracting arrangements;
• Require the regulated entities to amend
their policies on equal opportunity in
employment and contracting by add-
ing sexual orientation, gender identity,
and status as a parent to the list of
protected classifications
In October, Richard Cordray, Di-
rector of the Consumer Financial
Protection Bureau (CFPB), stated
that redlining would be a priority
for the bureau in the coming year.
By focusing on redlining, the bureau
is demonstrating that discriminatory
practices remain a large issue and it
behooves the housing ecosystem to
eradicate them and allow consumers to
exercise their buying power.
Despite high home prices, 2017 is expected to observe
noteworthy buying activity from several groups. Under-
represented groups will receive the attention and help
of impending government policies, which will create a
clearer path to homeownership.
A growing market of capable buyers will help strengthen
the housing ecosystem and economy. These buyers are
looking for the help of experienced professionals. Will
you be ready for the buyers of 2017?

Cucumber Lemonade
∙ 3 pounds fresh tomatoes
∙ 1 small garlic clove, minced
∙2Tbsp.freshlemonjuiceorredwinevinegar
∙ 1 tsp. coarse salt
∙ ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
∙ 1 pound dried capellini or angel
hair spaghetti
∙ ½ cup chopped fresh basil
∙To serve: grated ricotta salata or Parmigia
no-Reggiano and olive oil
Halve one pound of tomatoes crosswise, and
rub the cut sides against the large holes of
a box grater into a large bowl. Discard skins.
Core and chop the other two pounds of
tomatoes and add to the grated tomato bowl.
Add garlic, lemon juice or vinegar, salt, sugar
and pepper to bowl. Let marinate at room
temperature for at least 10 minutes or until
ready to use. Cook pasta in salted boiling
water and toss with fresh sauce and basil.
Serve lukewarm or at room temperature with
a drizzle of olive oil and freshly grated cheese
on top.
Angel Hair Pasta with
Raw Tomato Sauce
∙ One pound cucumber,peeled or
unpeeled,cut into large pieces
∙ One cup of lemon juice
∙ 1/3 cup of granulated sugar
∙ 2 cups of cold water
Blend cucumber in a blender or food pro-
cessor until it is pureed. Puree it as much as
possible. Pour blended cucumber through a
strainer with a cheesecloth or coffee filter into
a pitcher, making sure to gently stir the juice.
Add lemon juice and sugar to the cucumber
juice. Stir mixture well and let sit in the refrig-
erator for 15 minutes. Stir and shake pitcher
to dissolve the rest of the granulated sugar.
Taste lemonade and add sugar and lemon
juice as desired. Serve chilled over ice, with or
without a touch of seltzer on top, and garnish
with a cucumber slice.
∙ 1 clove garlic, halved
∙ 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
∙ 1/3 cup fresh orange juice
∙ Salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
∙ Leaves from 2 bunches arugula
∙ 4 navel oranges, peel & pith removed,
sliced crosswise
∙ 1 large bulb fennel, halved & thinly sliced
∙ ½ cup pitted oil-curred black olives
Rub a large salad bowl several times with the
cut surface of the garlic clove; discard garlic.
In a bowl, whisk the oil, orange juice, and salt
and pepper.
Add the argula to the bowl and toss with
the dressing; transfer the arugula to chilled
serving dishes.Add the oranges, fennel,
and olives to the bowl with the dressing;
gently toss them to coat lightly with dressing
and arrange over the arugula on the plates.
Sprinkle with additional salt and pepper and
serve immediately.
Orange, Olive, &
Fennel Salad
WHAT WOMEN WANT RECIPE

The 3rd Annual NAWRB Women’s Diversity & Inclusion
Leadership Conference took place at the Hilton of Orange
in Costa Mesa, California, on August 30th-31st, 2016.
The women's synergy of connecting both professionally
and personally in the housing ecosystem was infectious.
“The conference provided excellent opportunities for
networking with other women in the industry,” stated
Sharon Bartlett, Principal Consultant and Owner of
Sharon Bartlett Consulting. “All sessions were very in-
formative. More importantly, I can apply what I learned
immediately to my business.”
NAWRB had the incredible honor of showcasing a Real
Estate Custom Office 365 Training Workshop to help at-
tendees in their daily lives by Melanie Gass, Sr. Partner
Channel Marketing Manager SMB&D, US SMB Busi-
ness Development, Microsoft Corp. Women-owned
businesses face a difficult path, with 91 percent of them
NAWRB MAGAZINE | 27

employing only the owner, and their suc-
cess through these barriers and
limitations means that much
more. Gass guided attendees
through streamlining their op-
erations and maximizing their
performance for success.Wom-
en entrepreneurs are here to
create change. Who better to
deliver the power of women?
In other very focused sessions,
attendees learned about obtain-
ing contracts for their businesses
and the usefulness of wom-
en-owned business certification.
The latter was addressed in Break-
out Business Certifications, Access to Capital,
in which experts Karla V. Gonzalez, MBA
Business (Bilingual) Consultant, Procurement/
Contracting Specialist, Inland Empire Small Business
Development Center (SBDC),Sylvia Gutierrez,Econom-
ic Development Specialist, Small Business Administration
(SBA) and Irma Delgado-Trikas, President and CEO of
Arista NationalTitle provided direct resources to capitalize
on their business platforms.
Aside from promoting the success of women and mi-
nority-owned businesses, other discussions focused on
how we can promote women's homeownership and en-
courage the growth of women entrepreneurs. During
Women’s Homeownership Initiative, Charlette Williams,
Vendor Relationships and Performance Management
Unit Manager of Freddie Mac; Jennifer Fisher, Man-
aging Director and Region Sales Manager with Union
Bank in South Orange County; Sandra M. Speed, Re-
gional Diverse Segments Manager, Region 11-Southern
California, Wells Fargo Home Mortgage; and Helen
O'Sullivan, Sr. Vice President, Programs and Admin-
istration at NeighborWorks Orange County shared
personal stories emphasizing the importance of making
decisions that create options for oneself,as well as helping
others do the same.
Michelle Ruiz, President and CEO of Ruiz Strategies
and Desirée Patno, led Women’s Future Development, a
discussion addressing the efforts that could be made, at
the local and global level, to increase support for women's
growth in executive positions.
Toni Moss, CEO of AmeriCatalyst LLC, provided
a commanding opening keynote speech detailing her
journey as a globalization expert. “As a kid, whenever I
was standing around my mother would say, ‘Why don’t
you make yourself useful as well as ornamental?’” Moss
began. “So I hope that you will all find the next hour
useful as I stand here ornamental.” I think we speak for
everyone in attendance when we say we did.
Relating housing finance to a volcano, Moss explained
that just like when looking for the volcanic source of
an explosion, in housing finance you need to take a step
back and look at the bigger picture in order to under-
stand how we got there and where we are headed.
She discussed her beginning in globalization as she
worried about European banks’ decision to change their
funds in order to get easier access to money. “I became
very concerned about the over-leverage that was occur-
ring in housing and mortgage markets in particular, and
their trajectory. And I began to wonder what the nega-
tive outcome of this might be.”
Moss detailed the introduction of the Euro and the ef-
fects of globalization in recent years, from the collapse
of the Greek economy to the first-ever negative interest
rates in 13 Western countries. One of the most interest-
ing topics she addressed was the effect of climate change
on real estate.
Investors are buying luxury real estate sight unseen in
areas that may be entirely uninhabitable in the near
future. About expensive condominiums current-
ly being built on Florida’s coast which have
already been sold, Moss articulated, “In
2025, said scientists, this exact area will
be one inch underwater. Nine years
away. This is a result of the con-
tinental ice shelf breaking off
last year, which nobody ex-
pected to happen until
2050. Everything is
accelerated. Not
to mention it
28 | NAWRB MAGAZINE
NAWRB DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

could be nine degrees hotter and hurricanes one heck
of a lot more powerful.”
It’s important to consider all aspects of a property be-
fore purchasing,
and climate change, it seems, will only play an increasing
role in the future of real estate. Moss explained the im-
portance of buying cautiously while demonstrating the
irresponsibility with which some developers and buyers
proceed in our turbulent industry. She did assure attend-
ees,“My point about doing this session is not only to talk
about the negative, but also point out there will be cities
that benefit from climate change migration. Absolutely
there will be.”
In our powerful Office of Minority & Women Inclusion
(OMWI) Updates, Sharron P.A. Levine, Director of
OMWI, Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA)
and Melodee Brooks, Sr. Deputy Director of OMWI,
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) shared
the latest diversity and inclusion (D&I) developments
at their agencies and how the future of equality in the
housing ecosystem looks.
Accountability was appropriately an important topic of
discussion. Melodee Brooks expressed the FDIC’s ac-
countability and emphasized that the agency is committed
to diversity and helping women-owned businesses.She un-
derlined that they are truly measured by their success.
“Just recently we published in the Federal Register, in
fact, on August 24th, a proposed template for our finan-
cial institutions to use in conducting their assessments,”
stated Brooks. “They can start presenting their assess-
ments to us and we can begin publicizing the leading
practices, scope of their spend and employment of their
entity. That’s a huge thing for us.”
Similarly, the FHFA works diligently to help regulat-
ed entities understand the importance of diversity and
inclusion. “I view my job as working to change the
hearts and minds of people,” Levine stated. “Diversity
and inclusion can be a very emotional thing for peo-
ple, depending with whom you speak it can even mean
affirmative action. It is diversity and inclusion. What I
have spent a good portion of the last two years doing is
speaking to our regulated entities, to the president and
CEOs, boards of directors. In essence, to let them know
what diversity and inclusion really means.To emphasize
to them the importance of having D&I be integrated
into their business. It’s not just a one-off activity, it is
something equally as important as a business strategy.”
To our attendees, above all, Melodee Brooks and Shar-
ron P.A. Levine stressed communication.“Help us get to
know you,” said Brooks. If these agencies aren’t familiar
with your company or services, they cannot work with
you or invite you to bid on contracts. The outreach and
procurement arena is a two-way street. In conclusion our
expert speakers encouraged business owners to market
their business to government agencies, verify the appli-
cable NAICS codes being offered to them and register
their business on FedBizOpps.gov.
Jay Inouye, Director, Vendor & Diversity Management,
Strategic Sourcing & Procurement, Office of Chief Ad-
ministrator, Freddie Mac and Roxanne Wilson, Supplier
Diversity Manager, Fannie Mae concentrated on suppli-
er diversity, detailing vendor relation and procurement
NAWRB MAGAZINE | 29

contract opportunities that are emerging for women in
our GSEs & Servicing Supplier Diversity Update.
Both Inouye and Wilson expressed their appreciation
for FHFA regulations and highlighted the help it is
providing through its emphasis on D&I, from the pro-
curement space to their investment in capital markets.
Inouye added that the presence of D&I on scorecards is
filling a crucial role in helping drive accountability and
the importance of registering your business with Fan-
nie Mae and Freddie Mac was accentuated throughout
the session. Wilson explained that despite there being
no (inventory) available in some areas, registering your
business is necessary and will ensure you’re at the top of
the list when opportunities do emerge.
Our flagship NAWRB Diversity & Inclusion Leader-
ship Council (NDILC) Luncheon featured council
members sharing their professional and per-
sonal stories with attendees. There was no
shortage of honesty and value. The respect
in the room was present as Min Alexan-
der, Senior Vice President of Real Estate
Services, Altisource, expressed that she
hasn’t felt she’s arrived yet, that she’s
still growing. Alexander assured
attendees that every professional
has their own career path, and
you need to carve out your
own. The room erupted into
understanding laughter when Alexander stated,“My pas-
sion is to make wealth for myself and then to help others.”
Cheryl Travis-Johnson, EVP and COO, VRM Mortgage
Services, chronicled her start in real estate and desire to
be an attorney. She took a different career path when
she witnessed the potential of becoming a C-suite ex-
ecutive and decided to earn her MBA. A strong piece of
advice during the conversation, Johnson stated,“You have
to always attach yourself to your ideas. Once I started to
do that my career started to grow.”
Melanie Gass, spoke about her career beginnings and the
tremendous work she is doing. “I can’t even tell you the
amount of convincing I had to do internally with my vi-
sion and how we wanted to participate from Microsoft’s
perspective,” Gass said about Microsoft’s involvement in
the SBA’s Small Business Week.“There were a remarkable
amount of hurdles I had to cross with our organization
to get them to think this big and this broadly.”The most
professionals Microsoft had ever reached during Small
Business Week was 60 million. Under Gass’s leadership,
it rose to 167 million in the 2016 installment of the event.
For her groundbreaking work, she was awarded the sec-
ond-highest Microsoft honor, the Microsoft Circle of
Excellence: Gold Club Award.
Vanessa Montanez, VP, Mortgage Business Develop-
ment Manager, East West Bank, experienced her first
gender-based barrier when she was working in mortgage
lending and saw the opportunity to go into management.
“The person who interviewed me was a white male, over
55.I was very young at the time; this was my first man-
agement interview. He said that the person who was
qualified would get the position and that it would
be a white male.I was floored and so upset.”What
did she do? Montanez applied at a competitor
and earned a management position. She em-
phasized the need to believe in yourself even
when others don’t and move forward.
Amy Brandt-Schumacher, President
Originations & Corporate Tech-
nology, New Penn Financial, told
a story about an encounter that
took place a few years ago when
she was at a different compa-
ny. Her superior asked her to cut additional funds out of
the budget; when she inquired about the strategy he asked,
"why do you need to know that?" As she explained that the
strategy had a significant effect on her approach to cutting
the funds he told her not to get emotional.
“You would think maybe that happens when you’re 25 or
unproven,” Schumacher explained. “At this point in my
career, to have someone say that to me is outlandish. It
reminds you that you forget this is out there. It’s still out
there at every level. It exists. There’s not a whole heck of
a lot you can do except when you see it smack right back.
We have to be confident and push back when we see
those things. We can’t be cowed by the ridiculous views
of other people.”
As the NDILC Luncheon was coming to an end, talk
30 | NAWRB MAGAZINE

shifted from professional experience to a more personal
subject matter that is equally pertinent to the success
of career-driven women and minorities: self-confidence.
Each woman on stage held the microphone in her
hand and spoke of the “aha!” moment in which confi-
dence was not something she sought but something she
owned. Melanie Gass, said that her moment was when
a peer told her, “You need to tiara up!” Wearing a ti-
ara, which Gass admitted she literally wore for a time,
has metaphorical significance: your tiara is what makes
you unique, an imprint that allows others to recognize
you instantly. For Gass, her tiara slowly morphed from
something she wore physically to something she wore
internally. Her tiara became her personality, drive, expe-
rience and success. She was the tiara that no one missed.
Like Gass’s story, each one was unique and ingrained it-
self in the minds and hearts of every person in the room.
However, we must remember that confidence is not a fin-
ish line one reaches; self-confidence is a lifelong journey.
Toni Moss, was incredibly honest about her confidence
being an on-going process. Moss shared how her personal
journey has created in her a perfectionism that motivates
her to always work hard to prove herself, to herself
more than anyone else. An attendee had a heartwarm-
ing message for Moss: from hearing Moss’s inspirational
keynotespeechearlierintheconference,sheviewedMossas
undeniably intelligent and beaming with confidence.Mo-
ments like this remind us that others see things in us that
we may fail to recognize ourselves. Moss, just like every
other woman professional on that stage, showed hum-
bling authenticity, a key ingredient Vanessa Montanez,
linked to confidence. Montanez emphasized that to be
confident you must “be true to yourself.”
Energized by the synergy and power of our NDILC
council members, attendees were prepared for the day’s
penultimate session, Contracting & Teaming Agreements.
April Cooper, Founder & CEO, Alpine Companies,
described her process writing proposals to the Depart-
ment of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as
part of the SBA’s 8(a) Program. After being declined
several times and having to appeal decisions, a process
that took months of work and even time away from her
family, Alpine Companies won a HUD contract worth

300 properties a month. Cooper exemplified that not
only are there opportunities available for women-owned
small businesses, but it’s possible to capitalize on even
the big ones through hard work and dedication.
“We are really trying to get small businesses involved in
state government, primarily because all of you who have
businesses in this state are the backbone of the state
economy,” stated Michael Aguillio, SB/DVBE Liaison,
Procurement Division,Certification and Outreach,State
of California, Department of General Services. “With
you thriving and doing well, the economy of the state
of California does well. We fight very hard to make sure
that you’re involved.” Aguillio also advised attendees to
obtain all of the certifications for which they qualify, in
order to increase the number of opportunities available
to their businesses. He went on to cover business ave-
nues from the state of California, including the exciting
High-Speed Rail currently under construction.
Small Business Sustainability finished our incredible
sessions with Esther Morales, Executive Director, Na-
tional Women’s Business Council (NWBC); Judy Y.
Chiang, Senior Litigation Attorney, Kimball, Tirey &
ST. John LLP; Debbie De Grote, Founder & President,
Excelleum Coaching & Consulting; and moderator
Desirée Patno.
From Morales’s advice on working with federal officials
to help drive policy change to Chiang’s emphasis on
the importance of preventative care like insurance and
sound legal advice for your business, the panel delivered
the power of small businesses and their potential.
De Grote underscored the importance of collaboration,
both within your company and with other businesses,
for growth and success. She reminded attendees to in-
vest in building their business, learn about their field and
build their network. Fitting advice for a ballroom full
of professionals who spent the day learning the keys to
success from the housing ecosystem’s leading experts.
In its own right,this session provided unique diverse collab-
oration. The path to change starts with a trade association
having a vision, passing the baton to a real estate attor-
ney for the oversight, running the feedback through
a real estate coaching portal and presenting the
results to the advisors for the President,
Congress and SBA. Now that's powerful!
We brought the house down with our Roaring Twen-
ty Awards Gala featuring birth decade-themed attire as we
honored our amazing winners for their hard work, passion
and dedication to the housing ecosystem.
The camaraderie and laughter from seeing everyone dressed
in their beautiful outfits coupled with our Women's Snap-
shot modeling to make this a night we didn’t want to end.
As we danced to great music from the Sam Sorensen Band
we were reminded of the power of women’s collaboration,
and we remembered the reason we all came together in the
first place, to support each other and leverage our unique
and meaningful spirits in the housing ecosystem.
Here’s to our supporters, sponsors and attendees of the
3rd Annual NAWRB Women’s Diversity and Inclusion
Leadership Conference! We’ll see you next year!
32 | NAWRB MAGAZINE

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From marketing to your
audience, recruiting effectively
and leveraging technology, there
are several crucial facets to creating a
successful business, not the least of which
is utilizing the resources at your disposal to
grow business accomplishments.
As a real estate professional, you have to think outside
the box in order to thrive in the competitive housing eco-
system. One of these innovative ideas is working with the
government. As a real estate professional dealing with
properties in your community and county, you may not
think you are suited or qualified to work with the govern-
ment, but you may be.
From selling Department of Housing and Urban De-
velopment (HUD) homes to becoming an approved
corporate vendor,the opportunities for real estate profes-
sionals are wide-ranging. Property management alone,
an area in which most real estate agents are experienced,
makes you a valuable candidate for these government
agencies that often require help from businesses to take
care of their wealth of properties from acquisition, dis-
position, build out and facility maintenance.
How can you seize these business avenues? Preparation,
knowledge, experience, superior service and with the help
of the government itself.
One of your resources is the
Small Business Administration
(SBA) and their extended family of
free services to create or enhance your
business to best service your clients. From
writing a winning business plan to assisting
your company in the federal arena, the SBA can
prove a valuable partner on your road to success.
The SBA’s SCORE is a national mentor network com-
prised of over 11,000 entrepreneurs, executives and
business leaders who volunteer their time to mentor
America’s small business owners. In SCORE, small
businesses have the opportunity to receive advice direct-
ly from business owners with decades of experience who
understand their struggle first-hand.
The mission of the SBA’s Small Business Development
Centers (SBDC) is “to build, sustain, and grow small busi-
nesses; promote small business development; and enhance
local economies by creating businesses and fulfilling its
mission of creating jobs.”
There are over 900 SBDC locations across the U.S. that
offer free one-on-one expert business counseling and low-
cost training by experienced small business professionals.
In a nationwide evaluation study, 80 percent of program
participants responded that the SBDC’s business assis-
tance was worthwhile.
BUSINESS
PLAN
to Build a Winning
Utilize Your Resources
34 | NAWRB MAGAZINE
BUSINESS RESOURCES

Equally important to capitalizing with the tools at your disposal is doing
the work.All the help and guidance in the world won’t be enough for your
business if you do not prepare for success.
Make sure you have a strong business
foundation from the start:
• A product or service
• A target market or audience
• Clear objectives
• A budget
• Drive and determination
If you do not have the work ethic or groundwork for your business,
the resources won’t have the power to make you an overnight success. If
you have what it takes to become a successful entrepreneur, and all you
need is a small boost or helping hand, your resources have the potential of
being pivotal in your development as a prosperous businessperson.
The
SBA’s
SCORE
is a national
mentor network
comprised of over 11,000
entrepreneurs, executives &
business leaders who
volunteertheirtime
to mentor America’s
small business
owners.
BUSINESS RESOURCES

Rebecca Steele, an incredible courageous woman and mother, reveals her valuable lessons as a senior
executive woman leader. From playing junior Olympics basketball to her excitement in advancing women’s
inclusion, Steele shares her unique journey and what the future holds for her life and career.
REBECCA STEELE
NAWRB: What have been the
proudest moments in your life,
professionally and personally?
Rebecca Steele: Well, I have a
lot of proud moments. I’ve had a
lot of ups and downs in my ca-
reer,but mostly ups.My proudest
moments are when I could build
successful organizations and was
given the opportunity to lead,
motivate and execute. A perfect
example was the challenge to
build, grow and integrate Coun-
trywide and Bank of America’s retail sales platforms. That
was huge!
We did it in under 12 months. We fully integrated ev-
ery sales site, corresponding sales documentation and the
leadership team.We focused on the culture and realigned
the management team to work in a effective manner.That
was a fast paced assignment. We completed the integra-
tion quickly and fully executed through a high level of
collaboration, exceptional communication, and by focus-
ing on the business and metrics management. It was a
challenging but fulfilling outcome.
I think one of my proudest personal moments was com-
pleting college during my early career. I worked and paid
my own way through college. I earned my MBA at night
while working during the day and focused on what was go-
ing to make me a successful businesswoman in the future.I
knew it was going to be really hard to get there,but I never
gave up. I was determined and I succeeded.
This was my introduction to independent decision-mak-
ing and my proof that I could
set goals and accomplish them.
Getting through that first five
or six years and being success-
ful showed me I have what it
takes. I knew if I tackled other
big challenges or opportunities
in the same way, the sky was
the limit. I am really proud of
this, personally.
I have had such a great op-
portunity to lead and show
other women and diverse
groups how to be success-
ful and network. Being a
role model has brought me
a great deal of satisfaction.
To this day, people will call me and say,“Hey, look, I have
this situation with my boss,” or they’ll have a commu-
nication question or concern. I feel satisfied that I can
help and give them advice.They often come back and say,
“You know what, that advice was really helpful,”or,“I got
that job and I really appreciate how you coached me.” As
important as helping homeowners, doing a great job and
being a great leader for businesses is helping other people
reach their goals and objectives, and feeling like I really
made a difference.
NAWRB: Who has inspired you most throughout your life?
Rebecca Steele: Picking one person is really hard because
I have a lot of role models. The truth be told, here is what
I have secretly done with role models. I study people, such
as the bosses that I work for, people that I work with and
anyone I look up to. I always find things they do well and
Interview by Desirée Patno
CEO and President of Sigma Associates, LLC
“...when I was found
liable in my court
case. That was the
day that pretty much
changed everything.”
NAWRB MAGAZINE | 37

things that don’t align with me. I’ve taken several strengths
from many people to help build my success.
There have been people I have worked with who made
me think, “This is how you build a team. This is how you
inspire and motivate people.” That’s the art of running a
business. The technical side comes from people who aren’t
good at running businesses but are great at solving prob-
lems,getting the data together and analyzing
it.Over the past 20 years,I have observed all
these types of people and thought,“How do
you pull that all together?”
I’m a big believer that it is not just about be-
ing smart or being a subject matter expert in what you’re
managing. It’s about the art in leadership, networking,
communicating and overcoming political situations.When
you start to combine these things,you’re perfecting the bal-
ance it takes to be successful.
NAWRB: What if you had to pick one person?
Rebecca Steele: I have to say my father influenced me
the most in the decision to get a great education. He was a
chemical engineer at DuPont for almost his whole career.
He worked really hard and put himself through school.
His parents died when he was very young in high school.
He was very independent and hardworking,worked for ev-
erything he ever had. I think I learned a lot of discipline
from him that motivated me to reach higher, be better, set
my goals really high, work towards them and not give up.
My dad’s name is Floyd and he lives with my mom in Ty-
ler,Texas.To this day he is so smart, always spending time
thinking and reading. He’s led a great life and had a good
career. I hope I can do the same.
It’s harder to narrow down in my professional life. I real-
ly respect Sam Cooper, who I worked for during my first
round at Chase. He was at JPMorgan Chase his whole
career. He started out in a think tank and was super inno-
vative and creative. Sam has the funniest personality in the
world, and he could crack a joke better than anyone in an
intense situation and sort of calm people down.
On the flipside, he was really smart and I loved to watch
him. He could work a room and get people to say yes. He
was very talented,and even though he’s retired from Chase
he’s still as funny as ever. People who know Sam and have
worked with him laugh every time I mention his name.
He could make the tough decisions in the business’s best
interest. He was very ethical and moral, and had really
high standards for himself and everyone around him. I
really appreciated that. Some people would ask, “How do
we get around that?” He would say, “This is what we’re
doing, this is how it’s going to be, and by the way, here
is how we’re going to run that.” He took the tough deci-
sion-making out of it for us and led us through some very
difficult situations.To this day, I think I still have a lot of
work to do in that space.
NAWRB: Congratulations on being cleared with prejudice
in the 2008 financial crisis. What is the most important
lesson you learned from this process?
Rebecca Steele: That the truth is hard. It takes patience
and stamina to fight for yourself, for your reputation and
for the truth.You cannot give up on that.One of the things
I learned is it doesn’t matter the toll,personally and profes-
sionally, it is so very important to be true to your integrity
and ethics. At the end of the day, that’s what you have.You
have yourself.
Regarding reputation, you can make bad decisions where
you don’t fight for yourself, but you have to dig deep be-
cause 20 years later all you have is the truth and memories.
Rebuilding your reputation is really hard.
I felt that as hard as it was going to be to stand up and fight,
there was never a question of whether or not I was going
“I love to travel &
I like to just pick
up & go.”
Rebecca traveling with her
daughter and her friend in Paris.
SHECENTER(FOLD): REBECCA STEELE
38 | NAWRB MAGAZINE

to do it. People ask me what I regret and wish I had done
differently. I have to tell you that there’s not one day when
I question myself because I knew the truth and I embraced
it. If you can put that positive energy toward finding the
truth and fighting for it,the negativity goes away over time.
You must have a lot of stamina, patience, and you must be
able to face the consequences of your decisions.
I made my decision and stood by it. I fought hard and
know it was the right thing for me to do. It might not be
the right thing for everyone,but it was the right thing to do
for my family and me.
NAWRB: Having proved your innocence, what is next for
Rebecca Steele? What are you looking forward to most
now that the case is over?
Rebecca Steele: It’s continuing to challenge myself,
stretch myself in building and leading businesses that make
a difference.I want to be a part of huge innovation,wheth-
er that’s for the mortgage industry, a different
industry,housing in America,or helping wom-
en grow and learn. I think I will be involved in
all of these areas. I want to make a difference.
What I am looking forward to the most? I
think it’s being able to represent our indus-
try and women with my head held high, and
people respecting me as well as me respecting
myself for being successful in a very challenging
situation. Also, knowing I can take my energy
now and put it toward more productive uses,
rather than always thinking in the back of my
head,“I have to continue fighting this.”
Mental energy, I’ve found, gives you a lot of
push and creativity. I feel 10 years younger now
that this weight has been lifted and I can really
contribute. I’m excited about this and working
with really great people, building great teams
and being successful together.
NAWRB: You have had a very successful career
as an executive woman leader. What are some
pending professional goals you hope to achieve? Where do
you see yourself 10 years from now?
Rebecca Steele: It’s a whole new career for me.If I think
about it I took a step back, but it wasn’t really a step back.
It was a change for me and now by embracing change I can
control the outcome. It’s sort of a blessing. I have created
new skills for myself that include taking on new and unfa-
miliar territory and leading through a successful outcome.
When you work for big banks for years you get comfort-
able, and I tend to lose a little energy. I now have a lot of
my energy back; I have my creativity and a lot of options.
It’s so cool and I’m excited. It almost feels like the start of
a new career.
In 10 years, I see myself successfully managing a startup
and helping other women be successful. Also, continuing
to be excited about change, our industry and the oppor-
tunities. The fact that I can pull a lot of energy from my
“I earned my MBA at night while working during the day
& focused on what was going to make me a successful
businesswoman in the future. I knew it was going to be
really hard to get there, but I never gave up.”
NAWRB MAGAZINE | 39

extensive experience in large and small companies, but also
with the dynamics of leadership, courage and patience is
incredible. To me, that brings a lot of power to the table
that I’m excited to share.
NAWRB: Do you have any hobbies? What is your favorite
way to spend your time when you’re outside of work?
Rebecca Steele: I like to work out. My latest workout is
spinning and cycling. I have just become addicted to spin-
ning and think it’s a great exercise. I’ve met a lot of cool
people and it’s been really fun for me.
I like to cook, I really do. I also like to drink and study
wine. If you ask my friends they’ll say,“Oh, she goes to ev-
ery restaurant in Philadelphia.” I’m always trying different
foods and wines. I’m a total foodie. I love Asian fusion and
places with tapas. My plans on my bucket list are to travel.
I love to travel and I like to just pick up and go.
NAWRB: What is the most trenchant piece of advice you
can give to other executive C-suite women in the compet-
itive workplace?
Rebecca Steele: I would say be true to yourself. Challenge
and surround yourself with people you trust. If you don’t
have a couple of people with whom you can really discuss
challenges and opportunities, honestly it’s really hard to
change, adapt and grow. You really have to open up with
people.You must be honest with yourself first and then you
must be able to open up to some confidants that you can
really trust.
The other thing which I think is just as important is don’t
think you have to do it by yourself. Surrounding yourself
with people, giving people credit and pulling them up
makes both parties and the teamwork more successful.It is
not about you; try to take yourself out as the focal point.It’s
about helping influence others to be successful.
I found that I was really bad at that, at letting go and
understanding how to use and build teams.That’s one of
the things I still work on. It not only makes you a better
and more balanced person, it helps you gain a following
and people who will be friends for life, individuals who
you admire and admire you equally. It’s such an import-
ant dynamic to have. I think a lot of women, like me
when I was starting out, struggle with this. I’ve learned
to be more grounded and help people around me be-
come more successful.
NAWRB: What excites you most about your work as CEO
and President, Sigma Associates, LLC?
Rebecca Steele: I get to manage projects that are really
creative. We are doing special work that is helping special
causes. We get to pick not only the work we do, but also
with whom we work, and that’s just such a fantastic thing
that doesn’t happen a lot.
NAWRB: Why is it necessary for women
to support one another? Do you think that
gender-based barriers are still prevalent in
today’s workplace?
Rebecca Steele: It’s essential that women support other
women.There are not enough women working in manage-
ment and C-levels in our industry. I find it challenging,
even though I’ve done it for many years,to work with large
groups of men. There are a ton of women who are smart,
capable, and have the desire to move up, but they feel they
don’t understand the path or don’t have the confidence.
Companies are actually losing out on them.
If you think about it,half of the mortgage industry is wom-
en. Women are in operations, sales, and the lower level. I
feel that as you go up, there are less and less women. It was
like this 10 or 15 years ago and it’s still the same today. It
may be a little bit better but not a lot. I feel that the busi-
nesses are losing out and women are losing opportunities
to be dynamic growth leaders and make a difference for
themselves,their careers and the companies in our industry.
We have a long way to go and I feel like in the past 10 years
Rebecca with her daughter and son.
“I am a big dreamer.
I’ve always had these
big goals for myself.”
40 | NAWRB MAGAZINE

we’ve stood still in some ways. I feel
that it’s unacceptable. It is not okay.
A big turn off for me is when women
don’t support other women. All of us have had help, assis-
tance and mentoring. Whether it was a man or a woman
helping us move forward and be successful. Giving back
and paying it forward is just something that you do,and we
should do it collectively.That means carving out time from
your busy schedule to do these things. We must give back;
it should be an obligation.
NAWRB: You lived in New York for a few years during
your time at JPMorgan Chase. What do you miss the
most about The Big Apple? What do you miss the least?
Rebecca Steele: I miss walking home from work the
most.I had this great walk from 70 Park Avenue up to the
Upper East Side. I loved that walk. Every day I would de-
compress. My gym was on the way so I would stop there
and then walk home. I love the city, walking, the people.
It was just a really great time.
The least fun thing was the rush on Fridays to get home
because I would go back to New Jersey on Fridays and
Saturdays. I don’t miss the rush to the train station or
the heat in August. When I was in the city during the
week I had a place on the Upper East Side. That was
such a fabulous time.
NAWRB: When you were a teenager, what did you want
to be when you grew up? Do you still have a passion for
that field?
Rebecca Steele: The truth of the matter is I wanted to
be a biomedical engineer. I wanted to create artificial limbs
and blood and I was just fascinated by that, which is really
what led me into chemical engineering.
I like to read the news about what’s new and innovative,
whether it’s pharmaceuticals or biotechnology; I’m fas-
cinated by how far we’ve come. Technology like artificial
hearts,limbs and fingers changes peoples’lives.That’s really
what I wanted to do with biomedical engineering, things
that no one else could ever do to make peoples’lives better.
I think it’s about quality of life.
My daughter has Type 1 diabetes and I’m a
big fundraiser and donor. Last year I host-
ed the national leaders and doctors doing
research worldwide for juvenile diabetes at
my house.
They’re doing some really interesting research so I’ve turned
my focus toward understanding it. There will be cures for
diseases that are just not curable today, whether it’s cancer,
Type 1 diabetes or others. It’s so important and fascinating
to me. Mostly, I’m interested in making sure we can do the
research, understanding how they’re using the money and
spending their time coming up with cures.
NAWRB: What is something most people don’t know
about you that they would be surprised to find out?
Rebecca Steele: I learned how to shoot a gun when I was
six years old. I lived in Texas. We had guns and we learned
how to shoot when we were really young. I haven’t done it
in forever but I could probably pick it up again. To me it
wasn’t strange; it was just what we did. Some people say,
“That’s really weird!”
The other thing people don’t know about me is I played
junior Olympics basketball for the state of West Virginia.
I had a ton of letters in high school and was really athletic.
I loved that experience because it taught me a lot about
people, myself and that environment.
Maybe it’s surprising to people that for the longest time
in my career early on I never really looked at my paycheck
“It’s essential that
women support
other women.”
NAWRB MAGAZINE | 41

and I didn’t care about it. I just worked the work to suc-
ceed. When I was running the sales force I never set goals
around compensation, ever. I think that would probably
surprise some people.
The other thing I would say is I am a big dreamer. I’ve
always had these big goals for myself. I’d tell my friends
and they would think I was nuts. I would tell them I didn’t
know how, but it was possible. I’ve always had this atti-
tude that I can do anything from a really young age.I never
said no to things.I challenged myself in every single aspect,
whether it was school, sports or anything.
I did try just about anything.Even in college,I played soft-
ball and volleyball,and then I decided I was going to go out
for the crew team. I was rowing crew in Philadelphia and I
did that for three years. I didn’t even know how to row, but
I figured it out and got good at it.I used to wake up at 4:30
in the morning and run to the boathouse. It was cold. By
the time I got to my 8 o’clock class my hands were frozen.
I had trouble holding a pencil. It was intense, challenging
and an amazing experience.
NAWRB: We all experience pivotal moments that go on
to change the course of our lives. Can you pinpoint one of
these moments in your life? Did it seem significant at the
time, or did you realize it’s meaning afterwards?
Rebecca Steele: I would say when I was found liable in
my court case.That was the day that pretty much changed
everything. It was scary.
I knew it was significant and that it would be in the media.
I didn’t know the repercussions it would carry, in the short
term especially. I had no idea how I was going to make it
through. I felt I had lost control. One thing that’s really
difficult and stressful with situations like that is not a lot of
people come to you. More people go away from you than
come to you to help.
I found there were some key women and others who came
forward and had been through very similar situations.They
were able to help and talk to me about it. It helped me
through the decision-making of what was coming in the
next week, month and year.There were a couple of women
in particular that I felt I needed to make it through.
This has taught me that I need to help other people through
these type of situations.I can help! You might think,“Well,
they’ve got lots of friends, they’ve got lots of family,” but
when somebody goes through a unique situation like this
it’s so stressful and unknown.
I feel that my situation was almost a blessing in disguise. I
mean,it was really hard to go through but you have to look
at the opportunities that came out of it.I feel I’ve become a
better person and mother. I think I’ve learned an awful lot
that I can now bring to the table.
NAWRB: Is there anything you would like to tell our read-
ers or touch on that we have not addressed?
Rebecca Steele: I’d like to thank Desirée Patno, NAW-
RB CEO and President,for believing in me and giving me
such a great opportunity to lead the Diversity and Inclu-
sion Leadership Council.It’s such a great group of people.I
feel that hasn’t just helped me in my recovery mode,but it’s
also given me a lot more confidence. I’m excited about the
moment, helping and mentoring more women and work-
ing toward the objective that we set in the diversity and
inclusion council meetings.
I’m looking forward to the next year,the growth and results
with excitement. I want to thank you for that.
Rebecca with her sisters.
42 | NAWRB MAGAZINE

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44 | NAWRB MAGAZINE
BUSINESS INNOVATION
Every entrepreneur knows age-old business advice—
study your market, build relationships, know your com-
petition, find a mentor, have a business plan—as well they
should; it’s decisive advice that works. But what can you
do when you have invested in these proven strategies for
years, built your business on them, and suddenly plateau?
Business strategists and other successful entrepreneurs
can provide sage words, but you know your business best.
If you’re employing a technique you innovated, you can
beautifully separate yourself from the competition.
In a blog post last year, Gary Vaynerchuk, “serial” entre-
preneur, investor and public speaker stated, “Your 2016
plan should be to start paying attention to the white
space; where are things not happening yet that you think
could be huge?”
This is the mindset needed to take your business to
places it has never been; where are the empty spaces,
the opportunities, in which your business can become
a pioneer? How can you expand your book of business
through innovation?
For example, if you’re a real estate agent looking to do
business with the abundance of international buyers in-
vesting in U.S. real estate, how do you advertise your
business and gain access? If you are a luxury agent you
have connections and can gain clients through word of
mouth, but what if you don’t handle luxury real estate?
After all, not all foreign buyers are ultra-high net worth
(UHNW) individuals searching for million-dollar prop-
erties; many are simply looking for a stable market in
which to invest and safeguard their wealth.
“Your 2016 plan should be to start pay-
ing attention to the white space; where
are things not happening yet that you
think could be huge?”
-Gary Vaynerchuk

NAWRB MAGAZINE | 45
You need to be able to communicate across borders.
Consider an industry conference about exporting and
importing; why would an event like this interest you?
A conference for exporters and importers would be filled
with entrepreneurs from around the world conducting
business across the country. These professionals—due to
their frequent visits to the U.S.—could be looking for
properties in which to invest their money, and may even
be searching for homes to purchase and utilize while they
are in the States.
Conferences of this nature will also have country repre-
sentatives, describing business trends in their country and
the kinds of businesses they’re looking for. As a real es-
tate agent looking to expand your business overseas, there
are valuable connections and information to gain from
attending. Is there a market overseas that contains ac-
tive American buyers? Expanding your business to these
countries would make you a valuable resource to these
buyers seeking the familiarity of an American company.
Companies handling exporting and importing may also
provide relocation services and seek experienced real es-
tate agents for their clients. These are just some of the
opportunities that can arise from pursuing business off
the beaten path.
Similarly,going to an international industry event would
allow you to meet and extend your business to interna-
tional buyers. You can learn how they are buying, where
they are buying, and what kinds of properties they are
looking for. This is how you can obtain leads and re-
ferrals; word of mouth travels fast, and helping one
international client find a great property could propel
you to an expanded book of business.
It may seem counterintuitive, but attending a conference
that isn’t necessarily about real estate can prove pivotal in
helping you find real estate opportunities.
Through the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, inter-
national entrepreneurs can obtain citizenship by doing
business in and providing jobs within the U.S. Interna-
tional investment in American real estate is rampant,
and housing trends are significantly impacted by the
movement of these international entrepreneurs and buy-
ers into the country. By advertising your business to this
market of clients, you can expand your book of business
and decisively remain abreast of the latest trends in their
buying activity.
Are they buying luxury estates,middle-market residences,
homes to utilize as rental properties? Whatever the case
may be, you will be the first to know new trends.
As with any market—millennials, women, baby boomers,
international buyers—there are opportunities and trends
that are constantly changing the landscape. Innovate your
business and carve out a new path if you want to thrive by
taking your company to the next level.
BUSINESS INNOVATION

46 | NAWRB MAGAZINE
The National Association of Women in Real Estate Busi-
nesses (NAWRB) is proud to announce their newest
Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Council (NDILC)
members Min Alexander, Senior Vice President of Real
Estate Services, Altisource; Tami Bonnell, CEO, EXIT
Realty Corp. International; and Melanie Gass, Senior
Partner Channel Marketing Manager SMB&D, US
SMB Business Development, Microsoft.
As part of the NDILC, Alexander, Bonnell and Gass will
advance the Council’s mission of raising the number of
C-suite women, growing women’s employment at all levels
and increasing diverse spend in the housing ecosystem.The
NDILC is dedicated to bringing women’s diversity and in-
clusion to the forefront with accountability and results.
NAWRB CEO and Founder, Desirée Patno, stated, “We
are honored to add their extensive leadership and diversity
experience to our council under the leadership of Chair-
woman Rebecca Steele.”
Steele added, “Constant support of our diversity and in-
clusion goals is needed, and everyday actions can make a
difference. Make inclusion a habit!”
Having advocated for the Office of Minority and Women
Inclusion (OMWI) since their inception in 2010, NAW-
RB travels across the country advocating for women in the
housing ecosystem including at the recent White House
United State of Women Summit.
NAWRB Adds Three Great Women Leaders to
Diversity & Inclusion Leadership Council

Four fundamental categories taking the mystery out of being certified.
• Access to contracting opportunities specifically for
Women-Owned Businesses
• Connection to professional community of women and
women business owners
• Highlights your technical expertise and experience
while providing exposure to the industry and validating
your business
• Certified businesses can tap into a multitude of public
and private sector contracts and support client initiatives
1. Application available online at NAWRB.com
2. Submit completed hard copy application with support-
ing documentation, sworn affidavit and application
processing fee in a 3-ring binder
3. Review of application packet by certification staff
4. Follow up with applicant to obtain any additional
materials necessary
5. Committee and Board Review
6. Certification can take up to 45 days upon
complete application
NAWRB is the only third-party, industry-specific certifier
of Women-Owned Business (WOB) and Minority Wom-
en-Owned Business (MWOB) certifications specializing
in the housing ecosystem.
• The business must be 51 percent or more women-owned,
controlled, operated and managed
• The women business owner must be a U.S. citizen or
legal resident alien
• Technical expertise in the housing ecosystem
4.Why Certify with NAWRB:
3. Process of Certification:
2. Requirements for Certification:
1. Benefits of being certified:
Take advantage of the benefits of being
certified as aWomen-Owned Business today.
To obtain your application:
visit www.NAWRB.com
Third-party Women-Owned Business Certification
Specializing in the Housing EcosystemNAWRB
certification@NAWRB.com800.337.3996

It’s undeniable that women entrepreneurs hold tremen-
dous potential for success and the American economy.
Entrepreneurial women are starting over 1,100 business-
es a day and women-owned businesses have increased
27.5 percent from just 2007 to 2012, currently number-
ing at 10 million, according to the Census Bureau.
However, this tremendous growth is eclipsed by the
dire conditions with which women-owned busi-
nesses are faced. Here are two stark truths: 91
percent of women-owned businesses have no
employees other than the owner and 88 per-
cent of women-owned firms do not surpass
the $100,000 revenue threshold.
The high majority of women-owned
businesses are small businesses, and the
U.S. Small Business Administration
(SBA) Office of Advocacy reveals that
of businesses started in 2014, a mere 9
percent survived until 2015. Compound-
ed by the fact that women receive only
16 percent of conventional small business
loans, 4.4 percent of the total dollar value
of all small business loans, according to a
2014 Senate Committee report, this makes it
extremely difficult for women entrepreneurs to
make their businesses successes.
Access to capital is a serious issue for women-owned
businesses. The National Women’s Business Council
(NWBC) reports:
• Women start businesses with half as much capital as
men ($75,000 vs. $135,000)
• Women receive .1 percent of venture capital financing
• Only 5.5 percent of women-owned businesses uti-
lize business loans from banks to begin or acquire
their business
• 55.5 percent of women-owned businesses are launched
through the use of personal savings
Pervasive gender imbalances like these severely hinder
the capabilities of women entrepreneurs.By raising wom-
en’s access to capital,women become increasingly equipped
to enter the business arena with security and succeed.
NAWRB MAGAZINE | 49
ALTERNATIVE BUSINESS CREDIT

Women’s progress has extensive effects and its ripples
are evident in all generations, from college students to
seasoned professionals. Women are advancing in their
fields, increasing their wealth and simultaneously raising
their capability to become homeowners.
The significance of homeownership cannot be overstated.
Owning a home means achieving the American dream
and having a place to call your own; it builds wealth and
secures your professional progress. For women, who face
an imbalanced professional field and work hard for less
money, becoming a homeowner is powerful.
How can we level the playing field for
women entrepreneurs?
Women must be able to utilize personal successes prof-
itably in the business arena. In situations when they are
denied loans, women entrepreneurs should be able to
leverage achievements, like their status as homeowners
and wealth, to obtain much needed business loans.
It’s all a cycle.The professional arena needs to be balanced
so women are given equal opportunity to succeed. With
success, women will be able to lead better lives through
accomplishments such as homeownership, which will in
turn beneficially poise women for business success.
But what happens when successful
women don’t appear to be so on paper?
We have seen how lack of accountability has caused a
downturn on the housing market, but little has been said
about the effect the recession had on financing for small
businesses. With the impact of losing home equity, and
in a high number of cases the home entirely, small busi-
ness owners were devastatingly impacted.
Damaged credit has left hopeful homebuyers with bad
FICO scores and business owners incapable of obtaining
loans. Even though women are able to afford a home or
repay a business loan,systematic roadblocks prevent them
from being recognized as reliable consumers.
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) re-
ports that in 2013, 7.7 percent of American households
(17 million adults) were unbanked and 20 percent (51
million adults) were underbanked. This amounts to al-
most 70 million Americans who do not have full access
to credit.
“We have millions of potential homebuyers, car buyers,
and just plain consumers who do not qualify for financ-
ing or even credit cards because they don’t fit within
traditional credit definitions,” stated Rick Sharga, exec-
utive vice president at Auction.com, about an alternative
credit scoring system being developed by FICO.
“Many of these individuals are perfectly good credit
risks and have good incomes, but until this point they’ve
been unable to get the benefit of their prompt payments
and prudent financial management,” Sharga continued.
“There’s an unfairness to this, which can be reduced
with the use of alternative credit scoring, and today’s
Big Data solutions make the data needed to create this
scoring readily available.”
A change needs to be made to inflexible, inaccurate
practices used to determine if a person is qualified for
a mortgage or loan. The significant limitations to which
capable consumers are being subjected are unjust.
Homebuyers and professionals should not be held back
from experiencing important life transitions simply be-
cause an antiquated system determines their credit score
is not good enough.
Over the decades there have been many creative fi-
nancing techniques, especially for residential purchases.
Innovation in lending is needed now more than ever.
Women must be given an equal chance to succeed,
personally and professionally. Homeownership and pro-
fessional success go hand in hand; when a score on a
sheet of paper prevents women from achieving either,
alternative methods should allow them to leverage one
in order to achieve the other.
50 | NAWRB MAGAZINE
ALTERNATIVE BUSINESS CREDIT

NAWRB MAGAZINE | 51
WHAT WOMEN WANTHEALTH
GolfHelping you exercise focus and precision while strolling
the great outdoors and breathing in fresh air, golf is a
sport that is positive for the body and mind. Although it
may seem leisurely, there are several aspects of playing
a round of golf that make it a great way to stay fit.
Walking an 18-hole course burns hundreds of calo-
ries, whether you’re carrying your own bag or using a
caddy, and playing a round a couple of times a week
is an ideal source of exercise.
Regular golf players can improve muscle, raise en-
durance and lose weight.Golf also helps maintain
friendships and develop new ones; and it’s a great
way to form strong ties with your neighbors
and community, helping you be more com-
fortable and happier with where you live.
Benefits:
• Reduces stress
• Stimulates blood flow
• Regulates sleep cycle
• Improves vision
• Stimulates the heart
• Strengthens the bladder
• Improves brain functions

Housing Trends - NAWRB Magazine

Housing Trends - NAWRB Magazine

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