Loan Think

Few companies recognize the need to train their staff in the discipline of trade show participation (for purposes of this discussion "participation" is synonymous with "exhibiting") and selling. The first step toward the solution of any problem is the recognition that a problem exists. Too often the decision to exhibit at some, or all, trade shows in a given profession is decided for the wrong reasons.

Al Siapno, a Border Patrol agent from San Diego and his wife Leila have pleaded guilty in a mortgage-fraud scam that involved at least 24 other people and several home loans throughout the county. The alleged perpetrators listed in a federal indictment overstated incomes, over-appraised home values and used other fraudulent means to obtain millions of dollars in mortgages.

If you're looking for the missing piece to the mortgage "deconsolidation" equation, its name is Wells Fargo. Never before in the annals of residential finance has one company amassed such an enormous market share in lending (27%) and servicing (20%).

In case you missed the story on the National Mortgage News website, here's a headline for you: Some firms have the ability to make $10,000 per loan on HARP 2.0 loans. A nice chunk of that profit estimate is tied to secondary market pricing.

Feeling hungry for news about the servicing market? Then join me for a free breakfast at the Mortgage Servicing Conference!

One of the most misunderstood and misapplied areas concerning LO compensation involves the application of varying compensation related to the source of the business. In its simplest form, the concept is that a company should be able to pay a loan officer more for a self-originated deal than it pays a loan officer for developing a loan through a lead purchased by the company.

I am not ashamed to say it; I still read Blondie every day in my local newspaper. And a little over a week ago I came across a strip which drives home the point that empty phrases do not motivate people.

In my opinion there is a significant disconnect in the jumbo mortgage between the primary market and the secondary market. What is fascinating is very little discussion or attention is being focused on this issue, at least from the perspective of what consumers want.

Wells Fargo/Wells Fargo Funding isn't saying much about its 'exclusionary list' of mortgage firms that it will not buy loans from in the secondary market. (National Mortgage News has been reporting on the issue since Monday.) And of course, correspondent lenders want to know one thing and one thing only: Am I on the list?

If you are like me and regularly post on Facebook, Twitter, blog pages, etc., there are some days that I have "brain farts," days where I simply can't think of anything to post.