Reverse mortgage lenders have long worked with different groups such as Realtors and financial planners toward continuing education efforts. To date, some lenders and other parties have developed classes for these potential referral partners, such as those for Realtors and education around the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage for Purchase.
And now, one reverse mortgage originator has been approved as a continuing legal education resource in the state of New York, under the state’s bar association, to offer a class on reverse mortgages for attorneys to earn Continuing Legal Education credits.
FirstBank’s Marketing Manager Ed O’Connor has received accreditation by the New York Bar Association to offer the class, which will grant three continuing education credits to those who complete the course. Attorneys in New York are required to obtain 24 credits biannually.
The approval process took roughly three years, O’Connor says, but could set precedent for similar approvals in other states.
“As for other states, some states are reciprocal, others are not,” he says. “Where I can and logistics make sense, I will definitely be seeking further approvals.”
O’Connor brings many years of reverse mortgage experience, including his past role as president of Advance Funding Solutions. His experience spans ownership of his own accounting and tax practice as well.
Written by Elizabeth Ecker
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Maybe this is a first time for New York but over seven years ago now, one Florida originator who was also an attorney was approved to teach CLE courses on reverse mortgages in that state.
It is great that Ed has done this in New York but this is not the first time CLE courses have been approved in any state. It is odd that Ed is making this claim. It will be interesting to see how effective this is in reaching attorneys as referral sources especially after the implementation of Financial Assessment in just five days.
Not to lessen Mr. O’Connor’s achievement, but Steve Pepe has been doing this in Massachusetts for at least six years now. We did one Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education program together about five years ago.
Frank J. Kautz, II
Staff Attorney
Community Service Network, Inc.
52 Broadway
Stoneham, MA 02180
(781) 438-1977
(781) 438-6037 fax
FrankKautz@csninc.org –work
Frank@Kautzlaw.com –private
And not to lessen anyone else’s accomplishments, I am not an attorney. So to have received this approval as a non-attorney, and not to include any staff attorneys of the bank, it is a bit of doing. -Ed