http://www.mortgagenewsdaily.com/topic/rob-chrisman Pipeline Press - Rob Chrisman https://www.mortgagenewsdaily.com/opinion/pipelinepress-11092026 Mon, 09 Nov 2026 16:57:16 GMT 6af1c9e01b1d51aa6b32325f Rob Chrisman All of you out there wishing there were fewer people on the roads or in line at the post office, take heart. Lenders with a long time horizon, not so much. Apparently, even paradise is having trouble keeping its population up: The Census Bureau released updated projections through 2100 for 25 countries and U.S. territories, revealing that population declines in American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands are already underway and expected to continue through the century, alongside updated data for more than 16,600 regions worldwide. That doesn’t bode so well for home sellers or lenders, frankly. In other news impacting lenders and servicers, Bloomberg reports that FEMA stopped publishing key data on disaster aid. Not only that, but FEMA’s maps (some 20+ years old) undercount the U.S. flooding risk by about 6 million homes, many in Texas, Louisiana, and Florida, big lending areas. Are these good things for our nation? (More below.) (Today’s podcast can be found here. This week’s ‘casts are presented by Truework, a Checkr company, the one verification solution to replace in-house waterfalls. Verify any borrower with a VOIEA solution that automates the entire process to quickly deliver the most accurate and complete reports with broad GSE coverage. Today’s has an interview with TXMBA’s Scott Norman on housing affordability as a bipartisan priority following the midterm elections, the Texas MBA’s continued advocacy and education efforts on behalf of the mortgage industry, and its upcoming November 16 Texas Housing Summit in Austin, bringing together leaders across mortgage lending, homebuilding, banking, and title services.) Mortgage News Daily 0 http://www.mortgagenewsdaily.com/rss/chrisman https://www.mortgagenewsdaily.com/opinion/pipelinepress-11062026 Fri, 06 Nov 2026 16:45:25 GMT 6aedd7d262558fc913930085 Rob Chrisman Lender and Broker Products, Services, and Software Your borrower relationship shouldn’t end at the closing table. Homeowners’ financial needs continue long after they get their first mortgage, but the lender relationship often does not. That creates an opportunity for mortgage professionals to support needs throughout the homeowner lifecycle. Finance of America partnered on a white paper that explores why growth may require looking beyond purchase and refinance. Download it to learn how serving the other half of the borrower journey could strengthen customer lifetime value and create growth. Download the white paper. Finance of America | NMLS 2285 The UAD 3.6 policy is now in effect. Even if you’re filing for the UAD 3.6 Policy Exception, your go-forward strategy needs to start now. Use Class Valuation’s hybrid appraisals as your bridge. Their hybrid appraisals follow UAD 3.6 standards: trained property data collectors capture the property details UAD 3.6 requires, giving appraisers the standardized data they need to apply professional judgment and develop an independent opinion of value. On eligible files, hybrid appraisals are about 2 days faster and cost less than a UAD 3.6 traditional appraisal. More than 90 percent of GSE loans qualify. Talk with a specialist about making the switch to UAD 3.6 easier. “Your AI governance policy is only the beginning. When AI acts inside a mortgage workflow, your team still needs clear answers: Was it authorized? What was it allowed to do? Which authority applied? And where is the proof? Crittora controls AI at the moment it acts. Crittora’s CAAB solution evaluates whether an AI action is within defined authority before it reaches a tool, API, or mortgage system. Crittora Mortgage GSE Governance aligned Packs help turn those decisions into audit-ready proof. Control AI before action. Evidence after action. Less time chasing proof at audit. Crittora is the only AI security company with 100 years of combined mortgage experience. We are FRAME certified by MISMO, and ready to help you move your governance policy to production.” Mortgage News Daily 0 http://www.mortgagenewsdaily.com/rss/chrisman https://www.mortgagenewsdaily.com/opinion/pipelinepress-11052026 Thu, 05 Nov 2026 16:25:14 GMT 6aec8636a222a7feb6ef3ebf Rob Chrisman Why am I a sucker for stories like, “What Do the Twins in the Shining Look Like Now?”? Is the American public a sucker for not being more concerned that no politician seems concerned about the burgeoning deficit? Will there be any “fiscal conservatives” in Congress, or the White House? Here in Dallas, one of the topics, of course, is the election. Yesterday stocks rallied and rates both dropped, reminding us that they don’t have a consistent inverse relationship, mostly on removing the uncertainty about the election. Where do we go with reducing regulatory burdens for credit-worthy borrowers, a mandate for the CFPB, FHA/VA, or banking regulators? What might happen to TRID, RESPA, Truth in Lending, or ATR? Will ink signature requirements go away? Perhaps. What about credit and appraisal policies? Will we see an expanded role for Federal Home Loan Banks? Lots of questions for a Thursday; see below for the MBA’s communication plan. (Today’s podcast can be found here. This week’s ‘casts are presented by FirstClose, which helps financial institutions grow a successful home equity business with innovative solutions that minimize application drop-off, automate time-consuming processes, and reduce time to close from weeks to days. Today’s has an interview with True Footage’s Jeremy Potter on how technology and structured property data are transforming home appraisals by streamlining data collection, improving valuation accuracy and lender risk assessment, and allowing licensed appraisers to focus more on expert analysis and complex properties.) Mortgage News Daily 0 http://www.mortgagenewsdaily.com/rss/chrisman https://www.mortgagenewsdaily.com/opinion/pipelinepress-11042026 Wed, 04 Nov 2026 16:48:49 GMT 6aeb33eb096339bf119f472e Rob Chrisman Yes, there was/is an election which is certainly a discussion topic here in Dallas, but regardless of the results, many people who don’t own homes want to buy one, and people who do may be facing life changes and could use personal advice. Here’s a trend: Homeowners who won’t give up a 3 percent mortgage are becoming landlords instead. Do you have a product (and underwriting) to help them at every stage? Another reason for personal consulting with borrowers: A fixed-rate mortgage may remain stable for thirty years, but the cost of owning that home does not. Property taxes continue to rise, insurance premiums are increasing across much of the country, utility costs are climbing, and climate-related risks are beginning to reshape both local markets and the availability of coverage. Those expenses are becoming a larger driver of affordability than interest rates alone, yet they remain secondary considerations in many lending, servicing, and valuation models. The result is a growing disconnect between qualifying someone to purchase a home and preparing them to successfully own it over the long term. Homeownership should not be evaluated solely at origination, but rather over the full life of the loan. (Today’s podcast can be found here. This week’s ‘casts are presented by FirstClose, which helps financial institutions grow a successful home equity business with innovative solutions that minimize application drop-off, automate time-consuming processes, and reduce time to close from weeks to days. Today’s has an interview with FirstClose’s John Aslanian on home equity lending trends and how their platform aims to improve lenders’ efficiency and borrower experience.) Mortgage News Daily 0 http://www.mortgagenewsdaily.com/rss/chrisman https://www.mortgagenewsdaily.com/opinion/pipelinepress-11032026 Tue, 03 Nov 2026 16:48:56 GMT 6ae9e48f3f4a2b2206b36178 Rob Chrisman Lender and Broker Products, Services, and Software Most lenders are still catching up on tech. Here’s your chance to get ahead. In this report, Plaid and National Mortgage News asked 128 lenders how they’re handling today’s pressures. Most still rely on manual processes, and only 15 percent have optimized their tech strategy. Read the report to see what it takes to streamline verifications with single-source validation, speed up the origination process with real-time data, and stop fraud sooner without overhauling your stack. See where you stand… and how to get ahead. “Help Shape the Future of Quality Management! Join ACES Quality Management in Park City, Utah, from May 16–18, 2027, for our annual user conference, ACES ENGAGE. This three-day event gives attendees a first look at how evolving strategies and cutting-edge technologies are shaping quality management. You'll connect with fellow quality professionals and attend sessions featuring top compliance experts and industry leaders from MBA and Fannie Mae. Equip your team with actionable strategies to strengthen your quality management program and make a greater impact across your organization. Register now to secure early bird pricing! The first 10 registrants will also enjoy a complimentary networking experience at the scenic Utah Olympic Park. Secure your place today! The future of mortgage servicing is predictive, helping anticipate borrower needs and drive better, faster outcomes. IllumineX™, LoanCare’s new intelligence-to-action platform, leverages advanced AI, machine learning, and LoanCare’s decades of experience to better understand borrower behavior, identify who to engage, when to engage them, which channels to use, and orchestrate individualized engagement journeys. The goal is simple: reach the right borrowers in a highly relevant way to improve delinquency cure rates and retention rates. Analyses that once took weeks or months now happen in minutes and are built to meet industry governance and compliance standards. Learn how LoanCare is redefining what’s possible in servicing. Mortgage News Daily 0 http://www.mortgagenewsdaily.com/rss/chrisman https://www.mortgagenewsdaily.com/opinion/pipelinepress-11022026 Mon, 02 Nov 2026 16:44:56 GMT 6ae89129b429da7255b920a4 Rob Chrisman Sometimes you and your teammates have different priorities. I head to Dallas tomorrow for a private mortgage event, where the priorities will probably be mostly aligned. Besides the election, and perhaps the inflation-beating Costco’s Thanksgiving meal, the profitability of HELOCs, 2nd mortgages, and equity products in general will definitely be a discussion topic. In the past much of this product (85 percent by some estimates) was held by banks. Now that is estimated to be down to 65 percent, and non-banks of all shapes and sizes are coming on strong, market-share-wise. Besides having decent margins, some will say these products are the best recapture tool today. While this is going on, the adjustable-rate market is still… a jumble? (Remember the saying, popular with some, “Date the rate, marry the house.”?) Borrowers with 3-1, 5-1, 7-1s that are adjusting are in for a rude awakening, simultaneously leading to LOs having to explain rates but also potentially leading to a lead source for nimble originators. (Today’s podcast can be found here. This week’s ‘casts are presented by FirstClose, which helps financial institutions grow a successful home equity business with innovative solutions that minimize application drop-off, automate time-consuming processes, and reduce time to close from weeks to days. Today’s has an interview with Keynova’s Beth Robertson on growing competition and innovation in digital home equity lending, emphasizing faster applications, real-time prequalification, transparent pricing, and streamlined, personalized customer experiences as key differentiators for lenders.) Mortgage News Daily 0 http://www.mortgagenewsdaily.com/rss/chrisman https://www.mortgagenewsdaily.com/opinion/pipelinepress-10302026 Fri, 30 Oct 2026 15:41:12 GMT 6ae48f92a452bc93fac1aa7c Rob Chrisman As companies around the nation stage in-person or virtual costume contests, here’s some information for you a little off the beaten path. People want to own a home (“no one grows up wanting to be a renter”) regardless of… the amount of daylight? Looking at averages in the Continental United States (not Alaska or Hawaii), the difference between the amount of daylight on the first day of summer and the first day of winter is 5 ½ hours, “cushioned” by adjusting our timepieces. As much of the nation prepares to “fall back” this Sunday, talk again has come up about Congress eliminating this practice. Despite being passed in the House, and pressure from Donald Trump, several senators are holding up legislation that would eliminate changing the clocks. Supporters argue that ending the time change would mean less hassle and provide more daylight during the afternoon, when Americans are most active (except for me cuz that’s my nap time). Opponents say commuters in some states wouldn’t see the sun in winter until after 9 AM, and sunrise in the summer would be at 4 or 5 AM. Good luck with that one, Congress. (Today’s podcast can be found here. This week’s ‘casts are presented by FICO. As the industry's most predictive credit score, FICO Score 10T combines proven performance with deeper insight into borrower behavior to help support a stronger and more resilient housing finance system. Today’s has an interview with ACI Worldwide’s Tom Warsop on how real-time payments and richer payment data could make mortgage funding faster, more certain, and more efficient.) Mortgage News Daily 0 http://www.mortgagenewsdaily.com/rss/chrisman https://www.mortgagenewsdaily.com/opinion/pipelinepress-10292026 Thu, 29 Oct 2026 15:12:52 GMT 6ae33e963756932a9e7ec1c2 Rob Chrisman Artificial intelligence continues to capture the imagination of a wide range of companies, including lenders. “Why Underwriting Is the Right Problem for AI to Solve First,” is a topic on a recent Thought Leadership piece. It will be a topic on today’s The Big Picture with James Sais, the head of mortgage lending at Fifth Third Bank. You may be thinking about rolling AI out, but who’s in charge, you or it? In its IPO filing Monday, Anthropic (ANT) warned prospective investors that artificial intelligence systems could pose catastrophic risks as they operate with greater autonomy. "Concerns have been raised both within our organization and by other researchers, regulators, policymakers, and industry participants that sufficiently advanced AI systems could, if not developed, deployed, and operated with appropriate safeguards, oversight, and security measures, pose catastrophic or existential risks to humanity, particularly if such systems were misused, replicated, weaponized, or allowed to operate with a high degree of autonomy," it said. And you want this to run your company, or manage your money? (Today’s podcast can be found here. This week’s ‘casts are presented by FICO. As the industry's most predictive credit score, FICO Score 10T combines proven performance with deeper insight into borrower behavior to help support a stronger and more resilient housing finance system. Today’s has an interview with Sela’s Nate Becker on mortgage voice agents, their performance, adoption, and the future role of loan officers.) Mortgage News Daily 0 http://www.mortgagenewsdaily.com/rss/chrisman https://www.mortgagenewsdaily.com/opinion/pipelinepress-10282026 Wed, 28 Oct 2026 15:01:32 GMT 6ae1edae9f22aa1109de64fa Rob Chrisman The other day I went to Costco, and for $5.99 bought a pumpkin pie the size of a hubcap. What inflation? Costco’s hot dog/soda combo or the rotisserie chicken are loss leaders, but actual gasoline, beef, lettuce, restaurant meals, goods from overseas, and other items’ price changes have kept inflation in the headlines and impacted mortgage rates. (Other headlines include Fannie Mae earning $4.2 billion in the 3rd quarter; more below.) What about water prices and availability… are they important to homeowners or potential buyers? What happens when you combine something like clean water with a private supplier? How about “a problem.” I am not saying that this is similar to private companies investing in mortgage-backed securities, but in the Navaho Nation, mostly in Northeast Arizona, a large percentage of residents don’t even have running water. Hawai’i was hit with a hurricane which has shut down water service on the Big Island. One community’s water and sewer needs are served by a utility that is not insured, has no money secured for repairs, and no timeline for restoring service. What does that do to the value of mortgage servicing rights in that area? (Today’s podcast can be found here. This week’s ‘casts are presented by FICO. As the industry's most predictive credit score, FICO Score 10T combines proven performance with deeper insight into borrower behavior to help support a stronger and more resilient housing finance system. Today’s has an interview with Steve Richman on mortgage-market conditions and how industry professionals can adapt through continued growth, education, and customer-focused differentiation.) Mortgage News Daily 0 http://www.mortgagenewsdaily.com/rss/chrisman https://www.mortgagenewsdaily.com/opinion/pipelinepress-10272026 Tue, 27 Oct 2026 15:30:59 GMT 6ae09b129e59304334e7e11b Rob Chrisman The ancient Chinese philosopher Sun Tzu said, “Sometimes the best victory is the battle that was not fought.” In a shrinking residential market there are a lot of potential battles, for example: “Rob, are you hearing that some IMBs are not charging an origination fee or putting caps on LO comp for jumbo loans?” Of course, especially if the independent mortgage bank, or broker, is in an area where’s you’re battling it out with credit unions and banks. If you have a $2 million loan, and an IMB’s LO is charging a point, that’s $20k, but if an originator at a CU or depository bank is charging $5,000 for the same loan because they’re capped at that, well, what’s borrower supposed to do? So, yes, many IMBs do cap comp or origination fees. Not only that, but with interest rates where they are, and jumbo adjustable rate mortgages a viable product, often banks and CUs have a solid offering. There are some good deals to be had because of the poor affordability, but buyers not in the business of buying homes have a hard time wrapping their head around all of it versus five years ago. (Today’s podcast can be found here. This week’s ‘casts are presented by FICO. As the industry's most predictive credit score, FICO Score 10T combines proven performance with deeper insight into borrower behavior to help support a stronger and more resilient housing finance system. Today’s has an interview with Areal’s Argun Kilic on automating closing disclosures, funding reviews, and post-closing tasks.) Mortgage News Daily 0 http://www.mortgagenewsdaily.com/rss/chrisman