Everyone’s above average, right? This morning I head to Chicago where residents have the dubious honor of being the worst when it comes to estimating home values. Homes are expensive… Who knew? Apparently not the vast majority of Americans, which reminds me of the saying, “Never underestimate the intelligence of the average person.” All Star Home surveyed Americans in the most populous U.S. cities, prompting them to guess home prices in their communities to determine where people have the best and worst home value intuition, and 86 percent of people were surprised at how high home prices are in their area. Boomers (91 percent) are most surprised by high home prices, followed by millennials (87 percent), Gen X (85 percent), and Gen Z (84 percent). San Francisco locals excel in home price intuition, but Chicago residents fare the worst. (Today’s podcast can be found here, and this week’s is sponsored by Richey May, a recognized leader in providing specialized advisory, audit, tax, technology and other services to the mortgage industry for almost four decades. Today’s has an Interview with Xactus' Greg Holmes and Shelley Leonard on advancing the modern mortgage through data-driven insights.) Lender and Broker Products, Programs, and Services Are you curious about the strategic insights that could shape a successful 2024 in the mortgage industry? As the holiday season unfolds, consider whether optimizing your tech stack could be the key to operational excellence in the coming year. Read the latest blog by Dark Matter Technologies for an in-depth look at addressing common tech stack pain points, identifying success indicators, and exploring solutions like the Empower® LOS. Take a moment amidst the holiday warmth to reflect on how a well-optimized tech stack may be the missing piece for a prosperous 2024. Ready to unlock these strategic secrets? Check out Empower and all Dark Matter Technologies has to offer.