Let’s face it, women spend more time worrying about what men are actually thinking than men actually spend thinking. While capital markets staffs are checking out graphs of the Fed Funds Rate, and a steepening yield curve, MLOs of both sexes are thinking about bolstering their referral base: Realtors are for rookies. In the last several weeks, my travels around the country (currently in Tennessee for the TNBA educational luncheon… Did someone mention “Walking in Memphis?”) have resulted in mentions of tax advisors, wedding planners, dog sitters, vets, local gym owners, developers, plumbers, house cleaners, dentists & orthodontists, car dealers, and estate planners. Lenders and originators of every shape and size are aware of the demographics of their area, rents heading higher, so figured this might be of use: 61% of renters can’t afford to buy a home in their city. Put another way, the study showed that renters are now priced out of hom
“I don’t always go the extra mile, but when I do, it’s because I missed my exit.” And that extra mile costs more every week. Higher gasoline prices certainly hit service workers and commuters much harder than other segments of the population, namely higher wealth individuals. (Thank you to a reader in Utah who sent, “Breaking News: gas prices are now so high, it is actually cheaper to buy cocaine and run everywhere.” And there’s “Beer is cheaper than gas. Drink, don’t drive.”) Gas prices don’t show much inclination to slow down, unlike residential lending. U.S. lenders issued a record $4.4 trillion in mortgage originations in 2021, topping the previous mark of $4.3 trillion from 2020, so there is almost no place to go but down in 2022. So lenders are laser-focused on production. At the recent SimpleNexus user’s conference, someone told the assembled group that there is a 77 percent higher chance of fund
Loan originators spend their time making people’s days (unlike this film clip). Builders hope that they make people’s days, and I spent some time this week with building industry expert Ivy Zelman. She is very interested in watching the “build-to-rent” phenomenon, and sure enough… “Build-for-rent housing has boomed since the pandemic began. More than 6,700 build-for-rent homes were completed in 2021 alone, marking a record-breaking year for the sector. This year is set to surpass those numbers by a landslide… 2022 may see more than double last year’s completions, clocking a whopping 14,000 build-for-rent homes by the end of the year.” Meanwhile, lenders are always looking for more deals and more customers. Headlines talk about a smaller mortgage market in 2022 and how lenders are reducing head count to accommodate the smaller market. Yet, two thirds of potential customers did not transact last year. According to NerdWalle
Lending is full of statistics. And originators follow many of them, looking for an edge in finding clients. Last year 27.1 million Americans moved, 80 percent within the same state and 20 percent interstate moves. This report showed Florida being the most moved-to state and California topping states for folks moving away from it. Originators also look for ways to add value to their clients. They might want to consider letting them know about Realm. (Nope, this is not a paid endorsement.) Homeowners often struggle to decide which upgrades will offer the biggest boost in property value. Realm helps by analyzing real estate, tax, zoning, and other data to offer recommendations after assessing the impact of different designs, materials, and financing options to calculate the return on, say, a kitchen renovation. Realm is free: A good price.  Lender and broker products & services Texas-based doc prep law firm Black, Mann & Graham, LLP recently upd
Things change and time passes. A little more than three months ago we “fell back” and now we have less than a month until most states in the U.S. change their clocks again (spring ahead). Less than two months ago, Ohio’s Community Savings Bancorp was purchased by Double Bottomline Corp., led by Evan M. Stone, President and CEO, and by rumored other entities in residential mortgage banking. Evan’s a good guy, likes being busy, and likes making a profit, so why not be the Co-founder and CEO of Champions Funding LLC TPO along with New American Funding’s Rick and Patti Arvielo? “As a Community Development Financial Institution, Champions Funding LLC is an institution that provides non-traditional access to mortgage financing… We are able to empower the dreams of diverse homeowners and fulfill our mission of serving underserved communities!” Hey, profit margins for CDFI loans are rumored to be near five points! Think Quontic, an