Whether it is an obscure band or an eatery in San Diego, a well-known palindrome is “tacocat.” Huh? Yes, it’s the same spelled backward or forward. You hadn’t heard that one? How about this one: “Rob, have you heard that when Lender XYZ funds a loan, it is sold to an investor, and usually the servicing is sold to someone else, but then Lender XYZ and its LO quickly offer to refinance the loan when rates drop. At that point Lender XYZ makes its origination fee again, and the investor and servicer lose out.” Yes, it’s everywhere as originators and lenders scramble for business. Current and previous clients are good sources, as other sources are tough to find: With the NAR verdict in Missouri being a sign of the times, where are LOs supposed to go for referral sources if not the buyer’s agent in the future? (Today’s podcast can be found here, sponsored by LoanCare, the mortgage subservicer known for delivering superior custome
You should know that caffeine increases the power of aspirin and other painkillers, which is why it is found in some medicines. You should also know the “50-50-90 rule”, which definitely applies to me: Anytime you have a 50-50 chance of getting something right, there's a 90 percent probability you'll get it wrong. Cute sayings aside, one thing you don’t want to be wrong on is Fair Lending, and every lender, and their employees, should know the rules and regulations surrounding it, and know that its enforcement is a priority of the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau and is often mentioned in its Supervisory Highlights. In today’s “Mortgage Matters” presented by Lenders One (at 2PM ET, 11AM PT) attorney Brian Levy addresses Fair Lending, as well as the NAR verdict and other “hot” legal and compliance topics. Today’s podcast can be found here, and this week is sponsored by nCino makers of the nCino Mortgage Sui
It isn’t as if building or lending products, or ways of doing business, were handed down by Trappist monks. Change is always afoot, for better or worse. What is old is new again. Teachers are moving to oral exams to counteract AI and ChatGPT, similar to ancient Greek and Roman times. In the West and Southwest, adequate water rights and supplies have always been contentious but have resurfaced (get it?) with news that may impact other cities and towns: Arizona began limiting approvals for new developments within the Phoenix area. It’s hard to build large affordable housing developments or swaths of housing in general if there is no water. Or road or sewage capacity. For fans of tiny homes, what is old is new again, and the Sears catalog kit houses (sold between 1908 and 1942) of old are back at Home Depot: Here’s 837 square feet for $43,000, 540 square feet for $44,000, and 444 square feet for $32k. (Today’s podcast can be found here and this week’s is
“Do you know that humans eat more bananas than monkeys? Think about it, when was the last time you ate a monkey?” Words and terms are important. At this point, any company not having layoffs, reductions in force, or “right-sizing” (such a PC term) makes news, not the organizations actually making cuts and changes. (In K-pop news, even BTS announced a “hiatus” to focus on solo careers after nearly 10 years together.) And lenders aren’t the only ones cutting back. Real estate firms Compass and Redfin (owner of Bay Equity Home Loans) are laying 6-10 percent of their staff off. Meanwhile, originators are working with potential borrowers still on the fence about buying a home grappling with affordability issues. The current STRATMOR blog is titled, “Owning a Home: The Dream is Alive and Well.” Speaking of owning a home, did you know that New York homeowners are required to comply with a “Ghostbusters Ruling” when l
Grammar is important. What’s the difference between a kleptomaniac and a literalist? A literalist takes things literally. A kleptomaniac takes things, literally. How about the grammar of, “Rates ain’t going down any time soon.”? The global bond selloff continues as the day the Federal Reserve is expected to start downsizing its balance sheet draws nearer. On to QT (Quantitative Tightening?) The yield on the 10-year Treasury note is now above 2.6 percent, sending it back to ranges in which it traded in 2018 and 2019. For mortgage loan originators and lenders, rates are only one piece of the ugly landscape, and I received this. ““I have to take issue with your comments about LOs and higher rates. It's not just rates, it's the entire BS happening all at once. Rates I can handle, but what about inventory so no buyers? How about property values so high people can't buy? How about all the cash buyers and the investors buying u