Talk can be humorous. "That lowdown scoundrel deserves to be kicked to death by a jackass, and I'm just the one to do it." (Attributed to a congressional candidate in Texas.) Here in Dallas, mortgage talk is certainly wide-ranging and varied as there’s a lot going on out there as we head toward Thanksgiving week, including cost cutting, M&A, and Fair Lending. Today’s Rundown features Feliks Viner, VP of Capital Markets with First World Mortgage discussing rate volatility at 3PM ET. We have the Wall Street Journal story about the union between hoops and loans: “Mortgage King Wants the NBA Crown, Too.” Some housing industry observers may only think it was “only a flesh wound,” but the Realtors™ antitrust case decision in Missouri, coupled with other recent settlements and an onslaught of new cases, likely portend real changes for how homes are bought and sold in the US with the assistance of real estate brokers. Attorney Brian Levy, breaks it down and offers his view of the crumbling dam for buyer broker commissions and the Realtors’ control over local listings in his most recent Levy’s Mortgage Musings. (Today’s podcast can be found here, sponsored by LoanCare, the mortgage subservicer known for delivering superior customer experience through personalization and convenience. Its award-winning portfolio management tool, LoanCare Analytics, supports MSR investors with a focus on customer engagement, liquidity, and credit risk. Interview with Calque’s Chandra Srivastava on the inner workings of a mortgage marketing department and how companies justify ROI on marketing spend.)