The Five Star Institute Partners with Wingspan Portfolio Advisors to Advance Short-Sale Training

DALLAS, Aug. 24, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Five Star Institute, a mortgage industry group, announced today that it will partner with special servicer Wingspan Portfolio Advisors to provide members of the trade organization with opportunities to engage in the Five Star Short Sale Certification program, featuring Fannie Mae Short Assistance Desk (SSAD) training.

As part of the partnership, Wingspan, through its Wingspan Real Estate Network (WREN), will promote beginner and advanced courses in short-sale services available through Five Star, referring these services to its vast network of agents. In turn, Five Star will promote the benefits of membership with WREN to agents who sign up to take courses in short sales and SSAD.

"We are completely supportive of the leadership the Five Star Institute has shown in facilitating certification training for short sales," says Steven Horne, CEO of Wingspan. "Short sales represent a key strategy for real estate professionals and with WREN, the Wingspan Real Estate Network, we are committed to making these important transactions work faster and more smoothly for all parties."

"We welcome the opportunity to partner with Wingspan to promote the Five Star Short Sale certification program featuring Fannie Mae's Short Sale Assistance Desk training," says Ed Delgado, CEO of the Five Star Institute. "This partnership will equip member real estate professionals in the Wingspan Real Estate Network with the knowledge base needed to help homeowners in distress, lessen the volume of foreclosed homes from the market, and speed up the economic recovery at large."

Five Star curricula available to property-listing agents will include Basic Short Sale Training and courses that focus on SSAD. By learning how to use SSAD through Five Star, agents will be able to fast-track the delivery of short sales by forwarding cases to Fannie Mae, whose representatives will work with servicers to expedite settlements and finish short sales.

"Short sale success means reduced loss severity and fewer foreclosures, benefiting borrowers, servicers and lenders alike," Horne adds. "Each one that closes means another property off the REO lists and another step toward improved health for the housing market.  Wingspan and WREN are delighted to work with Five Star to play a part in this important effort to train and educate real estate professionals on making short sales work efficiently and quickly."

About the Five Star Institute

The Five Star Institute provides powerful, innovative, and strategic opportunities for education and collaboration between the mortgage industry, real estate agents, investors and government agencies.

Five Star is the architect behind the Five Star Default Servicing Conference and Expo, the industry's largest gathering of mortgage professionals, as well as DS News and the MReport magazines for mortgage servicing and lending executives.

For more information about the Five Star Institute, visit www.thefivestar.com

SOURCE The Five Star Institute