Tue, Jul 13 2021, 11:19 AM
When one thinks of a Constitutional Amendment, many think of the 2nd amendment (right to bear arms, 1789), 13th (end of slavery, 1865), or the 16th (c...
Mon, Jul 12 2021, 11:38 AM
I head to San Diego today for the CAMP event as the industry continues to change back to in-person events. There is always change. (How’s that for an ...
Fri, Jul 9 2021, 10:42 AM
Someone once said, “A loss is not a failure until you make an excuse.” You can apply that to politics or to sports. Or to business. No company wants t...
Thu, Jul 8 2021, 11:34 AM
I head to Salt Lake City today, and on the way to the airport thought to myself, with all the technological and scientific advances being made, the fo...
Wed, Jul 7 2021, 11:52 AM
Sorry the commentary was a little late today. I was on the phone dealing with my car’s extended warranty. Per the personalized recording, they’ve been...
Tue, Jul 6 2021, 11:08 AM
Dang it is becoming more and more expensive to follow all the rules and regulations to originate residential loans. These costs, of course, are borne ...
Fri, Jul 2 2021, 11:27 AM
I realize that this is a commentary about lending, but it is good for MLOs to be cognizant of what their real estate agent client’s clients want… In a...
Thu, Jul 1 2021, 11:00 AM
Halfway done with 2021?! Yes, time is flying, and summer is here. The weather service just published instructions on how to bake a lasagna in your mai...
Wed, Jun 30 2021, 10:57 AM
“Adam and Eve were the first people not to read the Apple terms and conditions.” Who has actually read their phone’s manual? Technology marches on, wi...
Tue, Jun 29 2021, 10:45 AM
Say what you will about huge companies not having an impact on housing, MLOs can’t ignore the fact that they’re here. The latest example is global rea...
Mon, Jun 28 2021, 11:16 AM
Seattle will hit 110 degrees F today. Change is afoot. Last week changes of personnel within the CFPB and the FHFA (hence Fannie & Freddie) captured o...
Fri, Jun 25 2021, 11:29 AM
As lenders are working on adjusting margins, best-ex, and staffing, while at the same time relieved that rates haven’t gone up and pipelines are motor...
Thu, Jun 24 2021, 10:59 AM
In case you haven’t heard, the Supreme Court ruled that a U.S. president can remove the head of Federal Housing Finance Agency, in this case, Mark Cal...
Wed, Jun 23 2021, 11:04 AM
Folks are talking about how in-person mortgage conferences are coming back strong. For example, here in Florida that MBAF conference is approaching 30...
Tue, Jun 22 2021, 11:03 AM
Is office work returning? Some watch traffic patterns, and, sure ‘nuff, cars on the freeways of Los Angeles are traveling slower indicating that the c...
Mon, Jun 21 2021, 11:03 AM
Today I head to Orlando for the Mortgage Bankers Association of Florida 2021 Secondary and Convention (approaching 250 registrants!) The live and in-p...
Fri, Jun 18 2021, 10:21 AM
When my Dad retired from the navy in 1962 after 20 years, he found a job through the Want Ads in the newspaper. I post jobs here, through the wonders ...
Thu, Jun 17 2021, 11:05 AM
Fortunately for much of the rest of the United States, lumber prices have been falling since May, hopefully cutting the money required for new constru...
Wed, Jun 16 2021, 10:31 AM
Broker and Lender Services and Products Faster applications = happier borrowers = loyal customers. VOE+VOIs are an unnecessary pain in the you know wh...
Tue, Jun 15 2021, 11:40 AM
I was spending a little time yesterday evening at the local cannabis club with my favorite bud-tender (an ombudsman!), and she was telling me about ho...
Mon, Jun 14 2021, 10:44 AM
Elaine F. reminded me of a quote from Hemingway: “Never mistake motion for action.” And basketball coach John Wooden said, “Never mistake action for a...
Fri, Jun 11 2021, 11:14 AM
Friday: time for some random non-mortgage stuff. Everyone knows that if you lose one sense, your other senses become enhanced. Which is why people wit...
Thu, Jun 10 2021, 10:02 AM
With plenty of in-person mortgage events slated for the remainder of 2021, it is good that human brains are specialized for facial recognition and tha...
Wed, Jun 9 2021, 11:34 AM
I hope that Google never shuts down. I know six, maybe seven, things. I know that the President’s plane was delayed seven hours this morning due to ci...
Tue, Jun 8 2021, 11:47 AM
After years of opening mail I’ve come to the conclusion that, when stamped on an envelope in the U.S. mail, “personal and confidential” usually isn’t,...
Mon, Jun 7 2021, 10:54 AM
Time is flying, and the months click by. We’re approaching the Summer Solstice. (Here in Sitka, AK, the official sunrise is around 4AM and it sets aro...
Fri, Jun 4 2021, 10:22 AM
A while back I made an appointment at a new doctor and under, “What do you wish to be called?” I wrote, “The Chosen One.” Wednesday, I heard the recep...
Thu, Jun 3 2021, 10:52 AM
Here’s your pro tip of the day: occasionally blow on the wine in your coffee mug to convince the rest of the Zoom meeting that it is tea. Speaking of ...
Wed, Jun 2 2021, 10:47 AM
Real estate agents will tell you that offering above asking price is only the first step, with many buyers also waiving contingencies, skipping inspec...
Tue, Jun 1 2021, 10:56 AM
June, already. Plans to return to the office? The Mortgage Bankers Association, for example, is gearing up for a July 12 return. And you can bet it’s ...
Fri, May 28 2021, 10:31 AM
Traffic is already bad out there! Here’s a sign on a beekeeper’s truck: “If you see me running, things have gone poorly, and you should run too.” Life...
Thu, May 27 2021, 10:52 AM
I was telling my cat Myrtle about the labor shortage in the United States, but she didn’t seem fascinated, to say the least. In fact, she gave me a lo...
Wed, May 26 2021, 11:08 AM
Do you think that creativity is waning? Hardly. Some great products and ideas come out of the mundane. Wonder what happens to your unused hotel soap a...
Tue, May 25 2021, 10:24 AM
Are you ready for a real-live holiday on Monday? With millions more Americans vaccinated since the last holiday, and the end-of-May weather, it’s a sa...
Mon, May 24 2021, 10:48 AM
What is your, and your company’s, value proposition? Lenders must be vigilant, which means paying attention to trends, big and small. For example, on ...
Fri, May 21 2021, 10:34 AM
Should we start the finish of the normal workweek with some non-mortgage stuff? There are green monkeys living near a Florida airport who are connecte...
Thu, May 20 2021, 10:50 AM
There are some who firmly believe that the Hubble Telescope was sent into space to spy on us. These people are better advised to wonder what Google is...
Wed, May 19 2021, 10:58 AM
Face facts: There are many differences between men and women. One of which is that when returning home from the grocery store, women typically are mor...
Tue, May 18 2021, 9:26 AM
The guy I was talking to yesterday asked about my background. I gave him a detailed history of my upbringing, my education, work experience, and why I...
Mon, May 17 2021, 11:00 AM
Here is a dab of trivia to start the week. There are only about 2,000 heart transplants every year in the United States. So, on average, that’s only a...
Fri, May 14 2021, 10:20 AM
Let me start Friday with an apology… to Alaska. (I thought I saw an eye doctor on an Alaskan island, but it turned out to be an optical Aleutian.) Jul...
Thu, May 13 2021, 10:44 AM
People around the nation are “voting with their feet.” Illinois: Seven straight years of population declines . California: Losing population during a ...
Wed, May 12 2021, 10:41 AM
Is Better.com worth $7.7 billion , as indicated by the SPAC deal announced yesterday? I guess things are worth the price at which a willing buyer and ...
Tue, May 11 2021, 10:40 AM
The real estate and lending industries operate in a world filled with laws, lawsuits, and regulators. (The latest example is REX’s suit against Zillow...
Mon, May 10 2021, 10:09 AM
Here at the MBAG event in Northern Florida some of the topics of conversation is the economy, the inability to predict interest rates, families, and l...
Fri, May 7 2021, 10:11 AM
It’s Friday, so how ‘bout some non-mortgage supply and demand stuff? Let me start with an apology to Willie Mays’ family (who may or may not read this...
Thu, May 6 2021, 10:44 AM
While the market is digesting the implications Rocket’s earnings (the shares are down in pre-market trading), remember when, in March 2020, it was as ...
Wed, May 5 2021, 10:15 AM
Today celebrates Mexico’s victory over France in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. It was a relatively minor battle (and the French reclaimed Puebl...
Tue, May 4 2021, 10:30 AM
Most other countries construct homes out of concrete, stone, steel, or brick, but here in the good ol’ USA we use wood. A renewable resource, right? I...
Mon, May 3 2021, 10:18 AM
Who is Guramrit Hanspal? Every servicer and lender hope good ol’ Gur doesn’t start giving lessons in how to avoid making mortgage payments , which he ...
