Thursday, May 15
| 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM | Registration & Check-in Desk Open |
| 10:00 AM – 7:30 PM | Networking & Expo Booths Open |
11:00 AM - 12:00 PMMission of Citizens Property Insurance Corporation
Tim M. Cerio, President, CEO, and Executive Director of Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, will be speaking on the state of the Florida insurance market relevant to real estate practitioners.
By seeing this program, attorneys will
- Understand the role of Citizen’s as insurer of last resort
- Understand the pros and cons of Citizen’s insurance
- Learn about coverage of Citizen’s Insurance
12:00 PM - 1:00 PMQuiz on Recent Real Property Cases
A review of cases summarized in The Fund Concept presented in a True/False quiz format. The presentation will highlight cases of interest, and the materials will include all cases reviewed in the past year.
- Case summaries, including citations, to provide current information on topics related to the practice of real property law in convenient course materials.
- Interesting true/false quiz format with answers that explain the reasoning behind the court decision.
- Highlights of key cases from the past year, including updates, that all real property attorneys need to know.
| 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM | Lunch |
2:00 PM - 2:30 PMCooperative Mobile Home Park Buyouts: Navigating the Process
Cooperatively-owned mobile home parks are the next acquisition targets for private equity and commercial operators. Take a step-by-step approach to control these complicated purchase and sale transactions.
- Organizing to manage a large number of sellers
- Navigating unique title situations
- Managing the closing process
2:30 PM - 3:00 PMGeneral Counsel Comments
3:00 PM - 3:30 PMBreak
3:30 PM - 4:30 PM“Hasta La Lien Risk, Baby”
Be a Terminator and terminate the risk of construction liens. This presentation will transform practitioners into terminators of risk by working through several construction scenarios at various stages of completion. The scenarios will deal with the evaluation of risk involved with notices of commencement and using the lien waiver process as the ultimate weapon to terminate lien risk and notices of commencement simultaneously in true terminator fashion.
Fund Underwriting counsel will discuss situations commonly encountered when insuring property in various stages of construction. The discussion will include:
- Evaluating risk using a lien waiver audit
- Effective use of a Notice of Termination
- Addressing challenges in clearing Notices of Commencement
4:30 PM - 5:30 PMThe Escheatment Process and Other Misunderstandings
This session will provide an overview of the process of escheating unclaimed funds remaining in an attorney’s trust account to the state, along with clarification of some common misunderstandings as demonstrated by Fund Members. Misunderstandings include who can sign policies and commitments, proper names and entities for Fund Member law firms, the process to follow when opening a new trust account, etc.
- Understand the process of escheatment to ensure compliance with the law.
- Understand the laws and bar rules that govern entity selection and naming conventions for law firms.
- Review and clear up processes and procedures misunderstood by many.
| 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM | Welcome Reception |
Friday, May 16
| 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM | Registration & Check-in Desk Open |
| 8:00 AM – 4:20 PM | Networking & Expo Booths Open |
| 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM | Breakfast |
9:00 AM - 10:00 AMLegislative Update 2025 – A Dual Perspective
Which recent legislation changes will impact your practice? Shannon Widman and Trey Goldman explore new laws and share their perspectives on relevant bills that passed this session and what that could mean to you.
Learn:
- Which bills you should know about before they take effect.
- How to prepare for the impact on your practice and your clients.
Attend this session to stay informed and ahead of the curve (and your competitors) on the latest legislation.
10:00 AM - 10:30 AMSwift Justice for Victims of Fraudulent Transfer
New simplified summary procedure for quiet title after fraudulent transfer.
- Fraudulent transfers are becoming more prevalent – learn how to remedy the situation swiftly for your client.
- Brief overview of the new quiet title statute intended to assist victims of fraudulent transfers.
- Practical how to of Florida Statute 65.091.
10:30 AM - 11:00 AMBreak
11:00 AM - 12:00 PMResidential Real Estate Now - Buyers, Sellers, and Current Economic Fundamentals
Buyers and sellers have changed what they want in a home, how they use their home, how they search for a new home, and the relationship to the agent. Buyers are facing affordability challenges and have struggled to find the perfect home. Alas, some have found creative ways to enter the market. Demographics have shifted. Who is today’s housing consumer and what do they want from their real estate agent or broker?
- Understand current economic market conditions in real estate.
- Learn about the changing demographics of the consumer.
- Be on the cutting edge of real estate data.
12:00 PM - 12:30 PMUnderstanding Recent Freddie Mac Multifamily Loan Guidelines
On Aug. 15, 2024, Freddie Mac released new guidelines for multifamily loan products, which now require a title insurance underwriter to act as escrow agent and closing agent on loans and acquisitions for multifamily properties. This presentation will review Chapter 29 of Freddie Mac’s Multifamily Seller/Servicer Guide, discuss the new guidelines, and examine their implementation and effect on commercial real estate transactions.
- Learn about the new Freddie Mac Multifamily Loan guidelines
- Understand what you can do when handling a multifamily loan closing
- Hear how The Fund’s Commercial Services Department can assist with these transactions
12:30 PM - 1:00 PMSo Long GTOs; Hello Residential Real Estate Rule: FinCEN’s New Paradigm
FinCEN has announced its Residential Real Estate Rule, effective Dec. 1, 2025. The new rule replaces and greatly expands upon the FinCEN GTOs in effect since 2016.
- FinCEN is replacing its ongoing “GTOs” with a new rule greatly expanding requirements for reporting on purchases of residential real property by entities including trusts without bank financing.
- Settlement agents will typically be responsible for this reporting.
- The new rule will cover transactions in all U.S. states and territories.
| 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM | Lunch |
2:00 PM - 3:00 PMTitle Teasers
This program is a presentation of factual circumstances received throughout the year by Fund Underwriting Counsel from Fund Members. A Fund Underwriting Counsel acts as moderator and presents title problems in a question-and-answer format, and our panel of experts, also Fund Underwriting Counsel, will discuss resolution and insurability of the specific title issue presented.
- Listen to our moderator and panel discuss title problems and resolutions that are supported by The Fund Title Notes, Florida case law and statutes.
- Attendees can participate in this interactive program and have the opportunity to choose among multiple responses for the correct answer.
- This program will enhance an attendee’s ability to perform title examinations and issue policies.
3:00 PM - 4:00 PMFraud, Forgery & Impersonation: Keeping the Transaction Safe
This program will look at the current trends of cyber criminals and their attempts to steal funds from a real estate closing. The ever-evolving world of cyber-attacks continue to grow at extreme rates as the profits for the criminal are exceedingly high and the risk of detection are distressingly low. The responsibility for keeping any real estate transaction safe lies with the people involved – your office staff. This session will impart valuable information that will be helpful to you and your employees, including seller verification methodologies, safe payment practices, and other best practices.
- Learn about verification of a seller and how to help prevent seller impersonation losses.
- Understand the risks and benefits of using payment rails in real estate transactions.
- Hear why it is so important to employ best cyber hygiene practices within your office.
4:00 PM - 4:20 PMBreak
4:20 PM - 5:10 PMThe Claims Game 2: Claims v. Members
Observe a friendly competition between The Fund’s Claims Department and Fund Members as they compete with each other over the workings of the title insurance policy, options available to cure title defects, and the application of relevant case law.
- Exposure to terms and conditions of the owners and loan policies of title insurance and their application.
- Methods implemented by the Claims Department to address title claims and cure title defects.
- Brief surveys of case law that are relevant to title insurance claims.
| 6:30 PM – 9:00 PM | Gala |
Saturday, May 17
| 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Registration & Check-in Desk Open |
8:30 AM - 10:30 AMBreakfast of Champions: NAR Settlement and Fraud Awareness
This two-part workshop provides attendees with an interactive platform to participate in focused small-group discussions addressing two key issues. The first part of the session focuses on the practice changes resulting from the recent NAR settlement. The latter half of the session will delve into comprehensive fraud prevention and mitigation strategies, equipping participants with practical tools and insights to address emerging challenges effectively.
- Attorneys will learn how to advise clients in accordance with the new practice changes brought on by the recent NAR Settlement. Attendees will gain valuable insights into the challenges and compliance expectations arising from the settlement, while engaging in collaborative discussions to identify practical strategies for navigating its impact.
- This latter part of the session focuses on fraud prevention and mitigation, and participants will have the opportunity to share their experiences, challenges, and insights related to cybersecurity threats, fraud prevention, fraud mitigation, and best practices.
- This session is a collaborative initiative designed to foster meaningful peer dialogue among real estate attorneys and Fund staff including underwriting counsel and legal education attorneys.
