Securing rising living standards for all Americans depends on one basic necessity: affordable housing. Yet for millions of families, this goal feels further away than ever. In the United States, decades of rising costs, a constrained supply of homes, and structural barriers have created an affordable housing crisis that touches nearly every community. The numbers […]
The recent interest in a fifty year mortgage says a lot about where the housing market is today. Buyers feel shut out, lenders are fighting for volume, and policymakers are searching for ways to make the math work. Extending the mortgage term to fifty years sounds like a bold solution, but it is really a
The last mile of the consumer’s mortgage origination journey — scheduling and signing — is often where frustration peaks for borrowers. In our digital-first world, few consumers expect unclear and inflexible processes related to their notary appointment — or to be tethered to in-person paperwork. Yet for many lenders, this remains the norm. That disconnect
Making the 7-day refi reality: Closing without the wait Read More »
In recent weeks, President Trump has increasingly focused on “affordability” as a top priority. When it comes to housing, that means addressing homeownership affordability challenges, which are significant by historical standards. According to a recent Report by the National Association of Realtors, “The share of first-time home buyers dropped to a record low of 21%,
An action plan for condo affordability Read More »
In the mortgage industry, we love to talk about technology, market cycles, and rate movement, but there is one topic that still gets treated like a soft skill even though it determines almost every outcome — culture. Culture is not a perk. It is not a slogan on a wall. It is the operating system
Culture is not a perk. It is the new engine of mortgage growth Read More »
Mortgage marketing is stuck in 2008. Not because the tactics are old. We have webinars instead of lunch-and-learns, sponsored posts instead of postcards. The problem isn’t outdated tools. It’s the mindset, the fact that most of us never really learned how to market in the first place. That’s not an indictment of the people doing
Stop marketing like it’s 2008: You’re invisible Read More »
As interest rates continue to ease and borrower confidence rebuilds, originators are operating in a market that demands both adaptability and creativity. To better understand how mortgage professionals are approaching today’s environment, I asked four experienced originators to share how they’re guiding clients, leveraging non-qualified mortgage (non-QM) solutions, and refining their playbooks to stay competitive.
The originator’s playbook: Competing and growing in a shifting market Read More »
For many borrowers, the appraisal is the most stressful step in a refinance: part mystery, part high-stakes hurdle. Will the home appraise high enough? Will it delay closing? What actually determines the final value? Lenders can help ease these concerns by adopting the right combination of technology, strategy, and partnerships to modernize the process. A
Making the 7-day refi reality: Modernizing mortgage appraisals Read More »
For the past decade, rate marketing has been the dominant gravitational force in mortgage acquisition. Whoever shouted the lowest 30-year fixed rate the loudest won the most attention. But attention has never been the same as intent, and intent has never been the same as a closed loan. What’s happening now is more fundamental than
Just in time for the holidays, Troy Palmquist looks at how this legacy manufacturer bounced back from a market downturn and how agents can, too A few weeks ago, on a podcast, I was asked which brands I admire most. Without hesitation, I said LEGO. The toy company has an incredible comeback story, from the
What real estate can learn from LEGO’s reinvention Read More »