N.Y. Appeals Court Upholds MERS Registry
MBA Staff
The New York Court of Appeals last month unanimously ruled that the MERS mortgage is a valid method of transferring rights from the borrower to MERS, Vienna, Va. The court affirmed the Appellate Division's decision that county clerks must record MERS mortgages, assignments and lien discharges as required by New York Real Property Law. In the 7-0 decision December 19, the Court found that the model MERS mortgage and mortgage assignment "satisfies the limited requirements of the recording statute," concluding that "the County Clerk must accept the MERS mortgage when presented for recording." In addition, the Court also decided that MERS discharges comply with New York law, and that "the County Clerk is required to accept MERS assignments and discharges for recording," "This decision reaffirms the legal premise upon which MERS was created," said R.K. Arnold, MERS president & CEO. "We are happy to have this litigation behind us and we look forward to working with county clerks to deliver the benefits of electronic commerce to homebuyers." "MERS would like to thank Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, the American Land Title Association and the Mortgage Bankers Association," added Arnold. "Their support and confidence throughout this litigation has been invaluable."
Suffolk County Clerk Edward Romaine last year had refused to accept for recording mortgage security instruments naming MERS as nominee for the lender in the county land records, contending that MERS was not the actual mortgagee. MERS filed a lawsuit to require Suffolk County to accept MERS documents for recordation and had received an earlier order from the Appellate Division requiring the county clerk to record the documents. Romaine contested the order, a step that MERS said was, in effect, a violation of his statutory duties.
The Appellate Division agreed, ruling that "contrary to the contention of the Suffolk County Clerk, he has a statutory duty that is ministerial in nature to record a written conveyance if it is duly acknowledged and accompanied by the proper fee...Accordingly, the Clerk does not have the authority to refuse to record a conveyance which satisfies the narrowly-drawn prerequisites set forth in the recording statute." The Court mandated that Romaine record MERS documents.
MERS is an industry utility created to design and operate the MERS® System, an electronic loan registry that eliminates the need for assignments when trading mortgage loans. Borrowers name MERS as mortgagee and nominee for the lender on deeds of trust and mortgages that are recorded in the county land records. Lenders then register the loans on the MERS® System and electronically track changes in servicing and beneficial ownership rights over the life of the loan.
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Data Analysis Fills Commercial LOS Space
Murray, Michael
A space once filled with dot-com firms is re-emerging as commercial mortgage companies use loan origination software (LOS) systems for one-time data entry and asset management. Unlike the residential mortgage, crowded with LOS systems, technology was sparse in the commercial mortgage market following the dot-com boom. An April 2004 report by Boston-based Celent Communications, a research and consulting firm for the financial services industry, quoted less than 50 percent of large banks, 20 percent of midsize and 7 percent of small banks were using advanced integration and automation capabilities within their commercial mortgage origination processes. However, the report, "Commercial Mortgage Technologies: An Industry in Transition," also showed the tide was changing as analysts forecasted continuing strength in commercial mortgage originations despite potential interest rate increases at the time. "Continued growth will necessitate new technology and shift the industry away from the manual processes, unintegrated systems, and widespread use of Excel spreadsheets. While the complexity and often unique nature of these transactions limit the perceived potential for high levels of business process automation, there are several areas in which technology can be better utilized," the report said. One of those areas that showed record volume in the past few years was in commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS). In August 2005, Dallas-based B-piece buyer ARCap REIT Inc., announced it would implement the EnableUs, Horsham, Pa., commercial real estate origination solution, DealCentral, to support of its new commercial mortgage lending program. Meanwhile, CBRE/Melody, Houston, dispatched of DealCentral and adopted ProLink CMO from Analytic Solutions to leverage data and analysis. Midland Loan Services/PNC Bank built its Enterprise LOS system from within the company. Following dot-com failures in residential real estate, vendors started to look at business processes first before technology implementation. Industry experts say some parts of workflow-quotes coming in, pipeline management-are the same in commercial mortgage financing, but there are nuances distinct to individual loans not found in the residential sphere. "Commercial real estate is much more bricks and mortar-properties with a story," said Will Trepp, managing director of New York City-based Rockport Group. The Rockport system uses an Excel-based underwriting model, and its users enter into their own password protected fields. The system uses "a web-accessed 4,000-field relational database" taking new and purchased loans from initial quote through exit strategy, including securitization, portfolio and collateralized debt obligations (CDOs). "By making the system so dynamic and flexible, it is meant to incorporate workflow," Trepp said.
Rockport System also works with "one of the nation's foremost multi-family lenders," according to the company. Users enter data once before it populates into the reporting and analysis tools at loan, property, borrower/sponsor and portfolio levels. It can also include rating agency tapes and firms can use it for pipeline management, loan origination, due diligence and asset management. Herman Bulls, president and CEO of Bulls Capital Partners LLC, Vienna, Va., a Fannie Mae Delegated Underwriting and Servicing (DUS) lender, said there is "no doubt" the LOS is expanding into the commercial mortgage industry. "If you look at what we do, there are many repetitive processes in place to get information. The key is how to analyze the information you have," Bulls said. "The information becomes a commodity but those who can use the information in a more competitive manner will have an edge."
In 2005, the Mortgage Bankers Association released a commercial mortgage technology study that highlighted passing of information across firms as a "non-automated" and "manual process." MBA formed the Mortgage Industry Standards Maintenance Organization [MISMO] as a governance organization to provide residential and commercial mortgage industry players with a means to create data standards to easily pass electronic information from one system to another.
"In order for the whole industry to move ahead, two steps are required," said Dan Szparaga, MBA's senior director of commercial technology in the commercial/multifamily group. "The first step is for firms to innovate within their own enterprise. The second step is the development of a common method for innovative firms to communicate with each other. MISMO's role is to develop the second step."
Bulls envisions his company's future in a "paperless environment," eventually connecting the front end origination to back end servicing. Bulls Capital uses a combination of LendingApps, Woodland Hills, Calif., and SaleForce, San Francisco, to provide a customer relationship management (CRM) system with a system to track pipelines, speed processes and "the information is in one central place for asset management," according to Bulls.
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AVM Testing: A Primer
Walker, Rob
(Rob Walker, CMB, CMT, is executive vice president of collateral solutions for First American Real Estate Solutions, Santa Ana, Calif., and a frequent contributor to MBA NewsLink and MBA Tech NewsLink. He can be reached at 714-250-6684 or at robwalker@firstam.com) Increasingly lenders are using automated valuation models (AVMs) at multiple points in the lending process. In order to ensure compliance, it is important that AVMs periodically undergo rigorous performance testing. Here are answers to common questions lenders have about AVM testing. Q: What is AVM testing?
A: AVM testing is the process of asking an AVM to value properties where the actual sale prices are known to you but not to the AVM. The AVM valuations are then compared to the actual sale prices, and performance metrics are calculated to determine the AVM's overall level of accuracy. This ability to measure AVM accuracy compares favorably to the traditional appraiser environment where the preparer of the report can be subject to transactional pressures, and users are not aware of the statistical accuracy of the product. Q: What are the benefits of AVM testing?
A: One of the biggest benefits of AVM testing is that it enables lenders to measure valuation error, confidence score validity, hit rate and other parameters, and thus make comparisons among multiple AVM brands. AVM testing also provides the information needed for constructing AVM cascades and for determining when AVMs can be used in lieu of more costly or time-intensive valuation methods such as field appraisals. Q: I've heard that blind testing is important. What exactly does "blind" testing mean?
A: Blind testing requires the AVM to calculate current values without knowledge of the most recent sale price. It is accomplished by accessing recent sales information, either from a provider of real estate information or by accessing closed loan information from your pipeline and comparing it to AVM values. Of course, it is critical that you access the data and test before the data is available to AVM models, because a test that includes the most recent sale price of a subject property is considered a non-blind test. On a side note, it is important to state that Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) guidelines prohibit appraisers from engaging in appraisals of pending sales without knowledge of the proposed sales price. Consequently, appraisers cannot perform a blind test the way that an AVM can, and this has led some to contend that transaction pressure unduly influences traditional appraisals. Q: What is a reasonable range for values to fall within compared to the sale price?
A: The true value of a property is what a buyer and seller agree upon in the absence of fraud or duress. It is widely accepted that each purchase transaction is unique, resulting in natural variances in actual purchase prices for properties that are identical. While every lender will have to establish a reasonable variance tolerance according to its own lending guidelines, industry literature suggests that a range of plus or minus 6 to 12 percent is acceptable. Q: What is the best way to go about testing?
A: The first step is to determine what level of risk (variance) you are willing to accept. If you are an equity lender whose average consumer has great credit, you may be willing to accept a greater variance from AVM values to the owners' estimated value. You may determine that your minimum AVM criterion is a median absolute error of plus or minus 10 percent. If this is your assumption, then you can evaluate all AVMs against your pre-defined minimum standards. Once tolerance guidelines are established, it is possible to embark on large and exhaustive tests. Historically, AVM testing has been provided at little or no cost to lenders. All that is usually required is assembling a sample data set and testing a variety of properties across any given geographic footprint. Q: How do I evaluate all these AVM values vs. recent sales prices?
A: Lenders must individually design their test methodologies to include a selection of reference values, sourcing of sufficient samples for each test cell and AVM performance measurements. There are many approaches and there is no one correct method. Some firms use a combination of a statistical measure like median or average error and/or the probability of generating an "accurate value." Either way, you should devise a ranking or scoring mechanism that can help you see the best AVMs in a given market based upon your firm's specific needs. Q: As a small bank, that does not have in-house analysts, how can I accomplish AVM testing and cascade development cost effectively?
A: Almost all AVM developers provide prospective and current customers with due diligence reports upon request. These reports reflect the valuation accuracy that the AVM provider believes they can achieve based upon their testing of their product. The next step is to corroborate the provider's information based upon blind, localized testing data. To achieve this, go to a reputable source of information on pending sales and prices. In many instances, this could be a real estate information company or your own loan pipeline. In terms of sample size, you should secure enough data to equal between 10 and 20 percent of the residential purchase transactions funded in that county each month. Based upon this data, determine whether the representation of accuracy provided by the AVM in your market is consistent with your results from the localized blind test. If the results are consistent, then your due diligence mission is accomplished for that AVM. Repeat this process for multiple AVMs. If the results are inconsistent among one particular brand, reject that AVM in favor of brands that have results that you can support via your own testing efforts.
(The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Mortgage Bankers Association. MBA NewsLink welcomes your contributions. Inquiries should be sent to Mike Sorohan, editor, at msorohan@mortgagebankers.org.)
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MISMO, PRIA Creating eRecording Guidance
Hartford, Patrick
(Patrick Hartford, CMT, is director of eMortgage Standards at Quicken Loans, Livonia, Mich. He is vice chairman of the MISMO eMortgage Workgroup and also serves on the MBA Tech NewsLink Editorial Board. He can be reached at patrickhartford@quickenloans.com.) This past November, MISMO and the Property Records Industry Association (PRIA) kicked off via conference call their newest endeavor: creating guidelines for delivering and recording truly electronic documents with county recorders. Nearly 30 individuals from the MISMO eMortgage Workgroup and PRIA are creating technical guidance for the mortgage and recording industries. These guidelines will provide lenders and vendors from both the mortgage and recording industries some common techniques on recording electronic documents of different formats. These formats will include MISMO SMART Docs® and Adobe® PDF documents. These guidelines will also provide the MISMO eMortgage workgroup vital information on electronic recording of documents for their upcoming project of SMART Docs® Version 2.0, which will have enhancements for this specific purpose. The current recording process states that the view of the document would have to be altered in order to apply information like book and page numbers. For more efficient processing there is also a need to have its data section appended. This new data would contain the recording data that was applied to the view. With the current specification, the SMART Doc® cannot just be modified directly because the tamper seal that is applied after closing will be broken and render the document invalid. The eMortgage Workgroup had previously come up with and presented some proposals in 2004. These examples showed how a MISMO SMART Doc® can be recorded without breaking the final tamper seal. These techniques were presented again to the MISMO/PRIA group at this last meeting. The first approach would be to make a copy of the existing SMART Doc® with its tamper seal intact. The system would then remove the existing tamper seal from the copy, allowing the editing of the document. Once the tamper seal is removed, the system would modify the view of the SMART Doc by adding in the relevant recording information. When the changes to the view have been completed, the system would then add in the correlating data to a recording data section. Once completed, the original SMART Doc® with its original tamper seal would be encoded and embedded in the new version. This method would allow for anyone to "roll back" and verify that the document content had not been modified, other than the relevant recording information. This approach has some pros and cons. Some pros would be that the document is still a single file and this "roll back" can verify what is happening, and it follows the current paper process. A few cons are that it will be a larger document in file size, it truly was not meant for this kind of implementation and it follows the current paper process. Yes, following the paper process is a pro and a con. The second approach, which may be utilized in the upcoming SMART Doc® specification 2.0, is to create specific areas in the view and data section of recorded documents that are excluded during the tamper-sealing process that happens after closing. By excluding the areas in the view and data section that are going to be modified after closing, adding in the relevant recording information will therefore not break the existing tamper seal. This will allow the county recorders to apply the information to the view, while maintaining the validity of the data section of the original document that was signed at closing. After this process has happened, the document would have another tamper seal applied to it, wrapping the original version as well and finalizing any other changes to the document. As you might think, there are some pros and cons to this approach as well. The major pro would be that there is just a single file that does not need to have any post processing to verify the original document was not modified. These new features to make recording easier would be part of the specification instead of workaround which is how it would be today. The biggest con of this is that the areas that are left open for recording information are in fact left open. This means that these areas in the view and data section can be modified without breaking the tamper seal. However, a certifying signature that can be applied at the closing room which the county recorder will remove before adding the information needed. This is most likely an agreed upon process between two trading partners to protect themselves. PRIA, county recorders and their vendors have agreed upon three different models for delivering recordable documents. Model one is strictly an imaged version of the paper document. Model two is an imaged version of the paper document with data attached. Model three is a truly electronic document. Model three is where I believe the most value from these guidelines will occur. Once this group creates standardization and guidance with this model, there will be an increase in adoption of recording electronic documents. The next step this group will take is to identify the chapters and content to be included in this guideline document. Also, we have agreed upon creating a business requirements document that will include the needs of both the recording and mortgage industries. Anyone interested in participating in or just reviewing what is happening with this project should visit http://www.mismo.org and join the eMortgage Workgroup listserv or visit http://www.pria.us and join the PRIA MISMO XML listserv.
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MISMO Trimester Workgroup Meeting Jan. 22-26
MBA Staff
The next MISMO Trimester Workgroup Meeting will take place January 22-26, 2007 at the Renaissance Long Beach Hotel in Long Beach, Calif. To register for the meeting, please go to the MISMO Online Store, http://store.mortgagebankers.org/shome.aspx?SKIN=MX, and click on MISMO January 2007 Trimester Meeting under Upcoming Events. On the following page, please click Register. If you have registered for MBA events before, you will need to enter your username (a seven digit number) and password previously provided to you. If you are a new online store user, you will have to set-up an account to register. After logging in and selecting the meetings you would like to attend, please press Finish at the bottom of the page. The next page will list the meetings you are registering for and will give you the opportunity to make any updates to your selection. After verifying your choices, please checkout. You will once again be asked to confirm your order and you MUST press SUBMIT at the bottom of the page to complete the registration process. If you do not finish this last step your registration will not be captured. After your registration is complete, you will then receive a confirmation e-mail. Please verify that all information is correct, specifically noting your badge information. For onsite registration, download the walk-in registration form a www.mismo.org/files/mismo/LongBeachRegistrationForm.pdf. Complete the form and bring it to the registration desk at the hotel. MISMO Non-Subscriber Meeting Fee
There is a $395 per person meeting fee for MISMO non-subscribers. You may pay this fee online with a credit card when you register. You may also consider becoming a MISMO subscriber. By joining MISMO, your organization is entitled to full subscriber benefits, including free registration for all MISMO trimester meetings. To join MISMO, please download the subscription form at http://www.mismo.org/files/mismo/MISMOSubscriberApplication.pdf.
Meeting Facility
Renaissance Long Beach Hotel (http://marriott.com/property/propertypage/lgbrn)
111 East Ocean Bouvelard
Long Beach, California 90802
Telephone: (562) 437-5900
Fax: (562) 499-2509 Room Rate
Single and Double Occupancy $159.00/night
To make your hotel reservations over the phone, please call (800) HOTELS-1. Please be sure to identify that you are with the Mortgage Bankers Association/MISMO event. The event code is mbambaa. To make hotel reservations online, go to http://marriott.com/property/propertypage/lgbrn?groupCode=mbambaa&app=resvlink. If you are planning on staying at the hotel on the Friday and/or Saturday before or after the meeting, please call to make reservations as opposed to booking them online.
The room block expires January 5, 2007 so please make your reservations before then. The room block will NOT be extended after January 5, 2007 and rooms will be offered based on availability. Reservations must be cancelled by 4:00 p.m. of scheduled arrival day to avoid a one night's stay penalty. Please note, meeting registration does not reserve hotel accomodations (and vice versa). Hotel Amenities
The Renaissance is located near the heart of the Long Beach entertainment district and just steps away from trendy dining, nightlife and boutique shopping. The hotel offers a heated pool, whirlpool and a fitness center. A biking trail, kayaking, sailing, scuba diving, snorkeling, tennis and volleyball are all within close proximity to the hotel. There is an Italian restaurant and a lounge on-site. The Bixby Village Golf Course is also nearby. Nearby Attractions
Go to http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g32648-Activities-Long_Beach_California.html for local attractions. Parking
Self-parking is $12/day and valet parking is $16/day. Airport Transportation
The Renaissance is located 11 miles (15 minutes) from the Long Beach Airport and 22 miles (30 minutes) from LAX. If you have any questions regarding this meeting, please contact Carrie Morrison at cmorrison@mortgagebankers.org or (202) 557-2797.
Daily Schedule:
www.mismo.org/files/mismo/MISMOJanuary2007DailySchedule.pdf Grid View:
www.mismo.org/files/mismo/MISMOJanuary2007ScheduleGridView.pdf
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Tech Briefs
MBA Staff
MERS Launches Web-Based Servicer Identification System
MERS, Vienna, Va., launched MERS® ServicerID, a new service that identifies the servicer of any mortgage loan registered on the MERS® System. MERS ServicerID (www.mers-servicerid.org) is a Web-based tool designed to identify the company servicing any loan currently registered on the MERS System. Free of charge, MERS ServicerID is targeted especially for foreclosure professionals, real estate agents and anyone seeking to identify a loan's servicer. PushMX Boosts Pipeline Visibility
PushMX Software, Santa Clara, Calif., a developer of automated workflow applications for mortgage companies, has made its workflow technology available via the Internet. Now lenders, originators, office managers, loan officers, processors and other PushMX users can access their loan pipeline and desktop from any Internet connection. PushMX Global Access is a Web-based hosted service that provides mortgage professionals access to their Calyx Point loan origination software, PushMX, Microsoft Office, Adobe Acrobat and secure data archiving. With pipeline visibility 24/7 via the Internet, originators and managers have flexibility to create greater efficiencies in their operations. Mortgage Coach Launches New Version of Mortgage Planning Software
Mortgage Coach, Irvine, Calif., a provider of mortgage planning software, released Mortgage Coach 7.0, the next version of its software product. Mortgage Coach 7.0 equips users with new tools to counsel borrowers on the selection and management of loan products. It incorporates features requested by current users. New features include a loan library, which allows users to save their most-used loan parameters in the system; amortization schedules for second trust deeds; and an asset accumulation option so users now have a choice between a term-reduction strategy or asset accumulation strategy for their borrowers. Radian Guaranty Inc. Joins BlitzDocs Collaborative Document Network
Advectis Inc., Atlanta, provider electronic mortgage document collaboration, announced it has released BlitzDocs Connector to Radian Guaranty Inc. for contract underwriting. Philadelphia-based Radian has also become a BlitzDocs Certified Underwriting Provider. As a BlitzDocs Certified Underwriting Provider, Radian also will have access to the BlitzDocs collaborative document network and will be able to receive electronic loan folders from any lender using BlitzDocs. Report: Consumers Expect More from Banks
Consumers clearly state that their expectations are substantially higher for banking than for retailing, according to Kanbay Research Institute's (KRI) latest study on banking demand. The report, "Banking Demand Today: How Consumers View The Most Competitive Banks in Comparison to Retailers and Internet Companies," found that both banking and retail consumers believe customer loyalty is the most critical success factor to being competitive, today and in the future. After customer loyalty, the next most important factors to banking consumers are executive credibility and technology. The report rated Comerica, Bank of America and ING DIRECT highest on customer service. "While showing customer loyalty is critical across industries, how to best demonstrate a bank's loyalty is not that straight-forward," said Amy Levitt, director of the KRI. "In the future, technology will be twice as critical to a bank's success as it is today. Retailers think of technology as their Web sites, yet banks must expand their use of technology to include distinct areas such as ATMs, credit cards, electronic deposits and wire transfers. Technology is everywhere in the banking experience." Credit Plus Named Preferred Credit Vendor for Premier Mortgage Funding
Credit Plus Inc., Salisbury, Md., has been named a preferred credit vendor by Premier Mortgage Funding Inc., a national lender with 700 branch offices throughout the U.S. Through the partnership, Premier Mortgage Funding's affiliate branches will use Credit Plus for credit reports to support its mortgage lending business. Del Mar Database Launches PriceTrac Standalone
Del Mar Database, San Diego, a business unit of Fiserv Inc., launched PriceTrac standalone, a rules-based product finder that delivers fully adjusted prices to originators based on borrower information and eligible loan programs. PriceTrac was developed to enable lenders to make better business decisions by having the ability to find, price and lock loans online. PriceTrac includes a managed service component that allows a lender to identify and enable investors and loan programs from an existing library that is maintained for the lender. Pricing adjustments are automatically updated and applied to products in the lender's library. PriceTrac supports all product types, including HELOCs, Alt-A, negative amortization, nonprime and conventional loans.
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MBA National Technology in Mortgage Banking Conference/Expo March 25-27
MBA Staff
Join information systems professionals at the Mortgage Bankers Association's National Technology in Mortgage Banking Conference & Expo, March 25-27 at the Tampa Convention Center. Learn ways to continue advancing your operations through technology. Global eStrategies prepares you for tomorrow in eMortgages, eCommerce security, identity theft prevention, Web services, wireless technologies and more. Attend the Opening General Session to hear from NASA pioneer and astronaut Captain James Lovell Jr. Famous for his role as spacecraft commander on the perilous 1970 Apollo 13 mission, Lovell is a legendary explorer, author and respected businessperson. His experience as a naval aviator and test pilot led to an extensive career as an astronaut. Lovell was command module pilot and navigator for humanity's first visit to the moon, on Apollo 8. He also served as backup commander to Neil Armstrong for the Apollo 11 lunar landing mission and also flew on the Gemini 7 mission. Today, Lovell is the president of Lovell Communications, a business devoted to disseminating information about the U.S. space program. Don't miss this fascinating speaker, as he relates the skills required to turn a failed system into a successful mission to the tools needed to succeed in the business world of today and tomorrow. The Second General Session features John Dvorak, columnist with PC Magazine and Dow Jones MarketWatch and co-host of "This Week in Tech" podcast, as well as host of "CrankyGeeks" Internet show. Dvorak will discuss "10 Trends in Desktop Computing that Will Affect your Job and Your Life." "The revolution is in the increased communication capability," Dvorak says. "This is a continuation of what started well before the Industrial Revolution. Genghis Khan was one of the first to grasp the concept of the necessity of quick transmittal of information. He had horses positioned every twenty miles and when guys wore out a horse, they jumped on the next one and the next one. They made 200 miles a day, which was a big deal back in the year 1200. Now we can do everything instantly, worldwide. It's frightening." Dvorak has been a major technology industry columnist for 15 years. Today, in addition to his writing, he is on radio and television. People read him for his biting wit, inside intelligence and sense of humor-unparalleled in an industry not known for laughter. Hear him discuss the impact of new technologies and developments in desktop computing, the Internet and even in business in general. This session educates, enlightens and gives you an edge. Who Should Attend:
This conference is designed for:
· CIOs/CTOs
· Senior-level executives
· Business managers in loan production
· Servicing and secondary marketing operations professionals
· Anyone interested in learning about the latest technology and security products and services for the real estate finance industry The earlier you register, the better. Save on your registration fee. You may only reserve your hotel room after you have registered for the convention. Registering sooner increases your chance of getting the hotel of your choice. Important Deadlines to Remember:
· Register by February 26 and save on registration fees.
· February 15: Cut-off for hotel room block/changes
· Early registration received with payment by February 26: MBA Member: $1,100; Nonmember: $1,645
· February 26: Early Conference registration/final registration list/substitutions
· Regular registration received with payment after February 26 and before March 21: MBA Member: $1,295; Nonmember: $1,845
· March 22-28: On-site Conference registration fees apply. MBA Member: $1,395; Nonmember: $1,945
· Guest registration fee: $275 More than 35 exhibitors will be on hand to talk to you about the latest innovations in technology products and services. Exhibit Hours: Sunday, March 25, 5:30-7:00 p.m.; Monday, March 26, 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.; Tuesday, March 27, 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. MBA Travel Discounts
Contact Travel Incorporated, MBA's official travel agency, to take advantage of special discounts on travel. You can make your travel arrangements (M-F, 24 hours a day). A proposed schedule will be sent to you immediately. Reservations will include 5-10 percent savings depending on the destination and meeting. You may also call our official car rental agencies directly.
To contact Travel Incorporated, call (800) 524-3002. If you do not use Travel Incorporated please use the codes below when making your travel arrangements to ensure that you receive the appropriate discounts. Airfare and rental car discounts are also available. About Tampa
Visit the Tampa Bay Convention & Visitors Bureau Web site, http://www.visittampabay.com, for information on local attractions, dining and entertainment. Tampa Bay is ideally located on Florida's west coast, and features miles of glistening waterways and sandy shorelines. Its central location provides easy access to the nearby Gulf beaches and surrounding areas. Tampa's waterfront consists of both Hillsborough Bay and Tampa Bay, as well as the beautiful Hillsborough and Alafia rivers and several area lakes. |