In our biz, you never want to hear, “deception,” “targeting the elderly,” or “abusive tactics” related to a company. But there they are in this report, “The Ugly Truth Behind We Buy Ugly Houses.” (Thank you to Ken S. for passing this along.) The franchise is nationwide, unlike… cicadas? The U.S. Census Bureau says the Midwest includes 12 states: the Dakotas, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Ohio. I mention this, not only because some people are confused where they live, but also because this spring, two different broods of cicadas, one that lives on a 13-year cycle and the other that lives on a 17-year cycle, will emerge at the same time from underground in a rare, synchronized event that last occurred in 1803. Billions of the winged insects will make an appearance across the Midwest and the Southeast, beginning in some places in late April, for a raucous mating ritual. (Today’s Commentary podcast can be found here and this week’s is sponsored by Lender Toolkit and its AI-powered AI Underwriter and Prism borrower income automation tools. By providing lightning-fast underwriting decisions, your market reputation with borrowers and Realtors will soar, which means more repeat and referral business. Hear an interview between Lender Toolkit’s Madison Kelly and AMS LLC’s Andrew Hicks on AI underwriting.) Lender and Broker Software, Products, and Services Stay up to speed on what’s happening with borrower demand, incentive and other critical market trends by attending the ICE Mortgage Monitor webinar. You’ll gain insights you can't get anywhere else. During this monthly webinar, ICE experts discuss the most current findings from their analysis of the company’s vast U.S. mortgage, housing and property data assets. Hear about home prices, affordability, interest rates, equity and other important factors that impact your lending strategies. Best of all, its free to attend: just sign up here. The next webinar will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 28, from 2-3PM ET.
Every month we receive statistics showing how prices are going up, or down, and our Federal Reserve is continually mentioning controlling inflation which in turns helps mortgage rates. Inflation has finally impacted birthday celebrations. “Steakhouses Are In. Steak Is Out: Many customers are looking for a splashy night out with less red meat and lower prices.” I like chicken, so I received some good news. (Gallus domesticus fans may want to visit Prince’s south of Nashville.) The price of chicken is poised to fall considerably, helping inflation and in turn, in a small way, mortgage rates, as a glut of feed hits the market. Feed costs are about 60 percent of the expenses of raising birds, and the rising need for biofuels, like that made from soybeans, means that there is poised to be much cheaper feed on the market. A byproduct of making soybean oil from soybeans is soymeal, which is used as chicken feed. The levels of soymeal produced in the U.S. is expected to only go up, which will keep prices for chicken and pork lower than otherwise. See how these things work? Today’s Commentary podcast can be found here and this week’s is sponsored by Vesta, the new, modern Loan Origination System (LOS) which helps lenders reduce their costs to originate and improve their ability to integrate with new technologies in the ecosystem. Hear Part Two of an interview with Curinos’ John Sayre on Q4 origination trends and meaningful data in the mortgage industry. Lender and Broker Software, Products, and Services