While the bond market is watching the world define a Ukrainian “invasion,” do you know why you should respect people who wear glasses? They paid good money to see you! What are operations people seeing out there? A recent STRATMOR workshop, led by Senior Partner Jim Cameron, indicated that there is a continued focus on automation & process, automated verifications, and keeping employees engaged. As the pandemic subsides, managers are grappling with a workforce that may have been hired far away from any offices, and how does a company work with key, valued employees in this segment? Meanwhile, originators are battling institutional buyers, all-cash buyers, and a pool of potential buyers who have been priced out of the market. We all know that not everyone deserves to, or can, buy a home, but this stat is an eye-opener: Roughly 69% of American households cannot afford a median-priced home, according to research from the National Association of Homebuilders.