Michael B. Gray, Chief Financial Fraud Investigator, received the 2013 Investigator of the Year Award from the Association of Real Estate License Law Officials (ARELLO®).He was also recognized by ARELLO® as Investigator of the Year in 2004.
Gray investigated a complex “builder kickback” scheme in which real estate agents and firms listed properties at inflated prices for a builder and solicited buyers through promoters.
Kickbacks were paid to promoters and buyers from property sales proceeds and not disclosed on loan application documents or HUD-1 settlement statements. Real estate licensees collected and distributed the illegal kickbacks and/or received real estate commissions from transactions involving hundreds of homes and over $42 million in illegal loans. Property foreclosures resulted when investors were unable to rent or sell as promised.
Gray’s work led to license revocations for North Carolina licensees and enabled federal law enforcement officials to obtain criminal convictions and sentences for the licensees and other participants.
With the Commission for 17 years, Gray was named Chief Financial Fraud Investigator in 2010 for the Financial Fraud Unit, which investigates mortgage fraud cases involving real estate licensees. His work fostered a cooperative relationship with federal officials in the investigation and prosecution of fraudulent real estate transactions. He holds the ARELLO® “Certified Real Estate Investigator” (CREI) designation.
This article came from the October 2013-Vol44-2 edition of the bulletin.
The Commission requires all brokers-in-charge (BICs) to take a Broker-in-Charge Annual Review (BICAR) course, along with the required Update course. This completes the BIC’s annual continuing education (CE) requirement.
At its August meeting, the Commission considered whether to change the requirement to a biennial review, so that BICs could choose an elective every other year, an approach favored by many. Mindful of its goal to provide BICs with timely information critical to their role, the Commission determined to retain the annual requirement, but to make improvements to the course.
The Commission will be convening a focus group to develop its plan for BICAR course improvements.
The group will include BICAR educators and BICs representing sectors of the brokerage industry including:
• Residential brokerage
• Commercial brokerage
• Property management
• Solo practice
• Firms with multiple associates
The Commission may also survey BICs for more input. If you receive a survey, please respond to give the Commission direct feedback about what would be most useful to you as a BIC.
Watch the Commission’s Web site, blog, and social media for further developments.
This article came from the October 2013-Vol44-2 edition of the bulletin.
Governor Pat McCrory has appointed three new members to the Commission for terms ending July 31, 2016.
Leonard H. “Tony” Craver of Durham, Craver Real Estate;
George Bell of Winston-Salem, G. Bell Properties and George Bell Productions; and Anna Gregory Wagoner of Winston- Salem, attorney with Blanco Tackabery and Matamoros.
This article came from the October 2013-Vol44-2 edition of the bulletin.
Larry A. Outlaw, Director of the Education and Licensing Division, will retire from the Commission effective February 1 after 35 years of service.
Outlaw, both an attorney and licensed real estate broker, assumed the position of director in January, 1979, when the division was established.
A native of Mount Olive, he is a graduate of Davidson College and the University of North Carolina School of Law. Prior to joining the Commission, he worked in the field of education in both administration and development with various types of educational programs at the community/junior college level.
Outlaw worked to improve real estate prelicensing and postlicensing education, encourage community colleges and four-year college/universities to offer the Commission’s real estate prelicensing and postlicensing courses, and expand the educational component of the licensing requirement.
His advocacy of minimum standards for approval of real estate instructors led to the requirement that North Carolina’s instructors possess not only real estate brokerage experience but also effective teaching skills. He established the Commission’s annual sponsorship of a statewide Real Estate Educators’ Conference for real estate instructors and school directors. With the implementation of the continuing education requirement for real estate licensees in 1994, Outlaw crusaded for the implementation of high standards for both the mandatory and elective courses.
Outlaw also worked to assure the excellence of the Commission’s licensing examination. In 1983, when the Commission decided to develop its own license examination, Outlaw collaborated with Professor Kinnard White of the University of North Carolina to assure that the Commission’s examination program would comply with professional standards for development of occupational licensing examinations. Following years of experience developing the Commission’s examinations, he served multiple terms as Chairman of the Examination Certification Committee of the Association of Real Estate License Law Officials (ARELLO®).
After the savings and loan crisis in the late 1980’s and implementation of regulations requiring licensing and certification of real estate appraisers, Outlaw also played a primary role in the development of North Carolina’s appraiser education and licensing program.
In 1990, Outlaw received the Order of the Long Leaf Pine from Governor James G. Martin. The award is given to outstanding individuals who have a proven record of service to the state. In 1990-91, Outlaw served as national president of the North Carolina Real Estate Educators Association.
As a researcher and writer, Outlaw has shouldered major responsibility since 2000 for the biennual editions of the North Carolina Real Estate Manual, which serves as the textbook for real estate postlicensing classes and as a comprehensive reference for matters concerning North Carolina brokerage practice. Prior to publication of the Manual, Outlaw collaborated with law professors James A. Webster, Jr., and Patrick K. Hetrick to produce multiple editions of North Carolina Real Estate for Brokers and Salesmen – the primary textbook for generations of North Carolina real estate prelicensing course students.
This article came from the October 2013-Vol44-2 edition of the bulletin.
Everett “Vic” Knight of Raleigh has been elected Chairman and Thomas R. Lawing, Jr., of Charlotte, Vice Chairman, of the North Carolina Real Estate Commission effective August 1, 2013, it was announced by Miriam J. Baer, Executive Director.
Knight, a member of the Commission since 2009, has been a licensed broker since 1984. He is also a North Carolina Certified General Appraiser and the owner of Chapel Hill Appraisals and Consultants and AppraiZR.com. Previously, he was broker/owner of Century 21 Vic Knight Realty in Hillsborough for 10 years.
A native of Burlington, Knight graduated from North Carolina State University with a BS in Civil Engineering and worked internationally for Bechtel Corporation for several years.
Knight is currently a director of the National Association of REALTORS®, a past president of the North Carolina Association of REALTORS®, past president of the Chapel Hill Board of REALTORS®, past president of the Triangle Multiple Listing Service, and past-chair of the National Association of REALTORS® Appraisal Committee. He is a Continuing Education Instructor for the North Carolina Real Estate Commission and the North Carolina Appraisal Board, and serves on the Board of Trustees of the Appraisal Foundation.
Lawing is a Certified Property Manager and President of T. R. Lawing Realty, a family-owned residential property management company serving the Charlotte region since 1957.
He is a past president and REALTOR® of the Year of both the North Carolina Association of REALTORS® (NCAR) and the Charlotte Regional REALTORS® Association (CRRA) and a past director of the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR).
Active in civic affairs, Lawing currently serves as Chair of the Church Council at Hawthorne Lane United Methodist Church and is a past president of the Charlotte West Rotary Club and past chair of the Eagle Projects Committee of the Mecklenburg County Council of the Boy Scouts of America.
This article came from the October 2013-Vol44-2 edition of the bulletin.