Todd Bookspan News Today

Yesterday I was driving across Northern California to the coast (Gualala), and in Sacramento I asked the McDonald’s drive-through clerk (hey, only the best for me!) why the medium French fries were 30 cents more than the double cheeseburger ($4.29 versus $3.99). She immediately launched into an explanation of farming inequalities and Keynesian economics, and how aggregate demand does not necessarily equal the productive capacity of the economy. I shot back with, “Whoa, sister, wher...

FirstHome IQ now has 60 housing professionals in their Ambassador program, who donate a portion of every loan to boost financial literacy.

My notes from the MBA’s conference this week continue, including talk about new home sales being +4.1 percent for the month (+11 percent year over year, bringing a smile to builders everywhere). Although most of the focus of the conference was on the secondary markets (although let’s face it, there isn’t a plethora of new investors or products), the primary markets continue to be a discussion topic. Some lenders have seen LOs move into the broker world, some have s...

Tip-jar humor seen here in Chicago at a coffee shop: “Afraid of Change? Leave It Here.” Sure recessions typically mean lower rates, but are you okay waiting until that happens? TransUnion tells us that 196 million people in the United States use credit cards. Credit cards can be a valuable tool but for nearly everyone who keeps a balance on them, their rates are moving higher. On the flip side, here’s a way to add a little value to your clients. Thank you to Cory Tona who se...

MLO Jobs; Broker, Underwriting, Non-QM, Processing Tools; Does the Fed Expect a Fast, Hot Recovery? Mar 17 2021, 8:40AM Many years ago I asked my father about why we didn’t have a home gym. He replied, “Want exercise? Jog to the liquor store and get me a beer, then do a 100 pushups, and we’ll talk about it.” Okay, he didn’t really say that, but up until recently, health and wellness factors in housing were way down the priority list for builders. That has ch...