The Five Star Institute Adds Ami Curtis to Team to Lead Newly Launched FORCE

DALLAS, Jan. 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Five Star Institute, an education provider that offers professional guidance and training for the mortgage banking industry, is pleased to announce that Ami Curtis has joined the company as national director of the newly launched Federation of REO Certified Experts, commonly referred to as the FORCE.

The FORCE is a league of Five Star REO Certified agents and brokers who are professionally trained and committed to ongoing education in the best practices of distressed property sales. Through the Five Star Institute's established relationships with industry partners, the FORCE will serve as an advocacy group to strengthen the exposure of highly skilled and dedicated agents and brokers with a focus on ethics; credibility; continuing education; and practical, applied experience.

The FORCE was formed to provide the real estate and mortgage industries with a catalyst for the successful disposition of foreclosed properties. Curtis will lead the organization's efforts to enhance the relationships between agents and the servicing community and promote a broad alliance that will transform the way business is done in the distressed property space.

"It is a great honor to be a part of this revolutionary vision with the Five Star Institute," Curtis said. "From first-hand experience over the years, I have become keenly aware of a void that exists in our industry between asset managers who are in need of accomplished agents that can move properties, and those agents who can deliver on this need with integrity and success. By bringing these two groups together and fostering unique, integral partnerships, we can achieve the results we all envision."

Curtis has 17 years' experience in the default servicing industry. Before joining the Five Star Institute, she held lead roles in default oversight, risk management, compliance, agent relations, vendor management, asset management, and alternative disposition. Her career is highlighted by positions with leading companies such as Wells Fargo, CitiFinancial, and Chevy Chase Bank.

"With her extensive background in REO disposition, operations, and vendor relations, Ami's move to the Five Star Institute will allow us to take the FORCE and its elite membership of REO Certified agents and brokers to a whole new level of professional accomplishment while ensuring a unified approach to doing our part to advance a housing recovery," said Mark Hulme, founder of the Five Star Institute. "Now more than ever, the industry is in need of qualified, skilled professionals who are committed to putting distressed properties back into the hands of responsible homeowners."

The Five Star Institute was founded in 2005 to create powerful, innovative, and invaluable opportunities for education and collaboration within the mortgage banking industry. The Five Star Institute offers a comprehensive collection of courses designed to assist both new and seasoned mortgage practitioners in strengthening their skill sets. To learn more about the organization and the FORCE, please visit TheFiveStar.com.

SOURCE The Five Star Institute