You probably know that there are banks that lend on Parmesan Cheese. During a recent trip overseas, I spoke to a banker who stated, “Technology doesn’t stop at the border.” True. The days of writing out this Commentary or taking an app on a yellow pad of paper are long gone. Today has the STRATMOR Group’s Advisory Angle at 11AM PT. STRATMOR Senior Partners Garth Graham and Nicole Yung explore the latest findings from STRATMOR’s Technology Insight Digital Innovations study. The conversation examines where lenders are seeing the greatest return on digital investments, the barriers slowing adoption, and the technologies shaping the next phase of innovation in mortgage. The industry is abuzz about the CrossCountry/Two Harbor deal, but harken back… Think about the Redfin/Rocket deal, playing for the “top of the funnel” and obtaining information about consumers. Rocket’s contests are meant to obtain that information, but can Rocket and other companies convert information into loans? Consumers are increasingly empowered by technology forcing lenders and real estate agents to spell out their advantages in this era of consolidation. MLOs and agents do offer value, namely quarterbacking the transaction! (Today’s podcast can be found here… this week’s ‘casts are sponsored by FICO. As the industry’s most predictive credit score, FICO Score 10T combines proven performance with deeper insight into borrower behavior to help support a stronger and more resilient housing finance system. Today’s has an interview with American Pacific’s Jason Ponsonby on how top-performing mortgage originators distinguish themselves through discipline, adaptability, strong relationship-building, and operational efficiency, while long-term success depends on fostering the right culture, and leveraging technology to enhance human connection.)
Employment and transitions
_________________________________________________
Most buyers lack financial clarity when they start their home search. Only 28 percent of prospective buyers who plan to finance have been pre-approved before they begin their search and about half don’t know what pre-approval means, according to Zillow research. The result: wasted time and dashed expectations. Zillow Home Loans, Zillow’s in-house mortgage lender, is changing that with Shop with Pre-approval, a solution that integrates verified financing directly into the home search experience. Buyers now see in real time whether a listing fits within their verified budget, with monthly payment estimates that factor in taxes, insurance, HOA fees, and down payment. This isn’t just a product feature. It’s a structural shift in how the purchase journey works that creates a smoother path from dreaming of a home to having the keys in hand. By integrating Zillow’s real estate platform with financing, Zillow Home Loans helps buyers shop with confidence from day one. (Equal Housing Lender, NMLS #10287)
Chrisman LLC is pleased to announce Jake Perkins is its new Chief Marketing & Operations Officer for the Chrisman Commentary. Jake recently obtained his MPA from USC, focusing on social innovation at the intersection of the private and public sectors. Jake will continue to lead Chrisman’s digital strategy, the Marketplace platform, Job Board, and operational infrastructure, and he will also attend more conferences around the nation as the company continues to change and expand, helping clients and offering new services.
The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) announced that Marlana Scott Voycik, AMP, has joined the association as Associate Vice President of Membership where she will lead MBA’s residential and commercial membership engagement strategy, focusing on strengthening relationships with current members, growing the association’s membership, and enhancing the overall member experience. “She will also manage MBA’s Member Relations team, overseeing member outreach and engagement efforts while advancing initiatives that support long-term retention, recruitment, and organizational growth.”
The Chrisman Job Board is the go-to platform for employment opportunities across the mortgage industry. For employers, adding a job listing is easy. Simply create an account and drop in your existing application link, or forward the details to our team and we’ll take care of it for you. For job seekers, joining our Talent Community is completely free. Upload your resume to be visible to hiring companies across the industry and stay connected to new opportunities as they go live.
Broker and lender software, products, and services
_________________________________________________
“Retention isn’t a feature. It’s a responsibility, and most subservicers are walking away from it. Every borrower who refinances elsewhere is a relationship your servicer failed to protect. MSF Servicing treats retention as a core obligation, not an add-on. We support full origination capabilities (FHA, VA, USDA, conventional) with a disciplined, solutions-driven retention strategy designed to maximize lifetime borrower value and reduce runoff. We work collaboratively with your team to protect your MSR, preserve your relationships, and turn servicing into a competitive advantage. Your borrowers stayed with you for a reason. Let’s keep it that way. MSF Servicing. Premier servicing. Personal accountability. Talk to a retention strategist: Rick Smith (860-989-9006).
Here’s a question our friends at Garrett, McAuley & Co. have been asking lenders: could you put your subservicer on a scorecard tomorrow, the way you’d score a loan officer? Most can’t. The monthly report tells you what got done, not what got dropped. So, Joe, Mike, and Steve built PULSE, a free and confidential Subservicer Health Check that gives you a peer-referenced read in under ten minutes. Subservicing is a very different game than it was two years ago, and you can see where you stand here.
Miss the recent webinar on how mortgage leaders should be approaching AI? JazzX AI CEO Siddhartha Agarwal joined Pulte Financial Services President & CEO Eric Hart for a candid conversation on why AI is no longer just a technology initiative – it’s a leadership imperative. The discussion explores what separates successful AI strategies from expensive experiments, with practical insights on governance, change management, and driving measurable business results. If AI is part of your strategic roadmap, this conversation is worth your time. Watch it now.
If there’s one thing we could all use a little more of, it’s control over our environments and our businesses. There’s no shortage of customer data just waiting to be turned into useful business insights and levers of control. But without the right technology, it’s nothing more than lines on a spreadsheet. That’s why Servbank introduced SIME (Servicing Intelligence Made Easy), a proprietary servicing system that gives lenders 24/7/365 real-time, fully transparent views into their loan portfolios. Through SIME, see up-to-the-minute data, gain end-to-end compliance and regulatory management, access all customer calls and interactions, view the KPI/SLA performance of your portfolio, and more, all branded to your corporate identity. Real insight into your business today, so you can take control tomorrow. Ready to learn more? Check out Servbank Servicing today.
Onboarding is just the beginning, but what makes or breaks a tech stack is ongoing support, communication, and training. Informative Research (IR) clients benefit from consistent product updates, quality customer support, regular insights into mortgage industry news, and frequent live trainings, including regularly scheduled sessions like IR’s AccountChek training series. The next session is scheduled for July 8 at 1PM ET and is designed to help even seasoned experts master the AccountChek Dashboard. Attendees will explore automation best practices, VOA/DVOE ordering, borrower experience, and proven strategies for achieving validated findings, including a closer look at AUS validation messaging and ordering the DVOE in lieu of an updated asset statement for the final 10-day VOE. Register for the July 8 AccountChek training.
A Rube Goldberg machine takes a simple task and turns it into an endless spectacle of unnecessary steps. Too often, mortgage tech support feels the same way: open a ticket, wait for a response, explain the issue again, get transferred, wait some more. DocMagic takes a different approach. When Top Tier Federal Credit Union needs help, the team gets fast answers from people who know the system inside and out. Support specialists provide clear guidance, review specific files, share screenshots, and stay engaged until the issue is resolved. The credit union describes the experience as “a breath of fresh air,” saying they have “no concern” when submitting a ticket because they know DocMagic will figure it out. When a closing disclosure is due and a loan is on the line, you don’t have time to pull a lever and wait for the 8-ball to roll. Learn more.
The Chrisman Marketplace is a centralized hub for vendors and service providers across the industry to be viewed by lenders in a very cost-effective manner. We’re adding new providers daily, so check back often to see what’s new. To reserve your place or learn more, contact us at info@chrismancommentary.com.
Lenders are focused on consumers, right?
_________________________________________________
Consumers have grown accustomed to researching financial products on their own, learning at their own pace, and deciding if and when they want to speak with a person. That shift has been especially important in products like reverse mortgages, where borrowers still value expert guidance but increasingly want to arrive at those conversations informed rather than starting from scratch. The most effective digital experiences (rather than replace the loan officer) remove confusion, organize information around the questions borrowers are actually trying to answer, and make it easier for people to move forward with confidence.
Behind the scenes, technology delivers the greatest value when it eliminates routine work, shortens unnecessary delays, and gives experienced professionals more time to focus on judgment, problem-solving, and customer relationships. As home equity products become more important to an aging population, the winners will be the ones that make the process easier to understand, easier to navigate, and more aligned with the expectations consumers already bring from the rest of their financial lives.
TitleEase, a title and settlement services franchise business, has announced the launch of a new software partnership in Real Estate and Mortgage, giving agents and loan officers the ability to provide title services to their clients directly within their management software. “This integration puts title services directly into the daily workflows of agents and loan officers, eliminating friction and creating a better experience for their clients. Contract2Close.com is redefining how real estate professionals do business, and we’re proud to be part of that ecosystem,” says Joe Durso, CEO of TitleEase. “Contract2Close.com serves as the operational hub for residential and commercial real estate transactions, connecting agents, brokerages, and service providers through a single streamlined workflow. The addition of TitleEase further simplifies the closing process by enabling agents to order title services directly within the platform while leveraging a nationwide title network,” said Lauren Schreyer-Merdinger, CEO of Contract2Close.com.
On June 29th, Supreme Lending announced the launch of Supreme CASA, a company-wide initiative designed to expand homeownership access for Hispanic and Latino communities through bilingual support, culturally relevant education, and dedicated mortgage professionals.
United Wholesale Mortgage is now offering Doctor Loans, available for medical doctors, dentists, and other eligible healthcare professionals, providing the opportunity for borrowers with select medical degrees to achieve homeownership, bypassing common financial hurdles like significant student loan debt and limited down payment savings. Broker partners can now offer these loans with flexible terms, including low or no down payment options, no MI and lenient student loan considerations, helping more people achieve the dream of homeownership.
UAD 3.6 is the starting line, not the finishing line
_________________________________________________
Brian Vieaux, President of MISMO, writes, “For months we’ve been talking about what UAD 3.6 is. Are you actually ready for November 2? I recently sat down with Chris Williams on MISMO MIC’D UP to discuss the industry’s readiness for UAD 3.6. Instead of talking about appraisals we spent most of our time talking about capacity because that’s really what this is about.
“Chris opened our conversation with a statement that should make every lender pause: ‘We’re not ready.’ Not because the technology doesn’t exist. Not because vendors aren’t working hard. Not because the deadline will probably move. Simply because readiness across an interconnected industry doesn’t happen automatically. That reality came through over and over during our discussion. The calendar says November 2. Operationally, that’s misleading. Any loan delivering to the GSEs after that date must contain a UAD 3.6 appraisal. Working backward, appraisal orders begin shifting well before November. Chris argues that lenders should be thinking in terms of early October, not early November. I happen to agree.” Thank you, Brian: Read more here.
Capital markets: is the big event tomorrow?
_________________________________________________
With the job market more or less stable, and with the war in Iran, the Fed has faded from the front burner somewhat. But tomorrow brings the release of the latest Federal Open Market Committee minutes, which could signal a “hawkish” shift in the central bank’s tone. The dot plot from the most recent meeting showed a committee uncertain about whether tighter monetary policy remains appropriate given lingering inflationary risks. However, Chairman Warsh was unequivocal that the Fed remains committed to bringing inflation back down to its 2 percent target.
Market participants will scrutinize the minutes to gauge how many officials believed inflation posed a severe enough threat to justify immediate action. Up to this point, price pressures have been viewed as temporary and primarily driven by supply-side disruptions, such as tariffs and fluctuating oil prices. The minutes will also reveal whether any members believed that recent employment trends were adding to these inflationary pressures. But anyone banking their career on the Fed cutting rates, well, don’t.
The bond market began the week on firm(ish) footing as lower oil prices, easing geopolitical concerns, and a weaker-than-expected June employment report reduced expectations for an imminent Federal Reserve rate hike. Although markets continue to price in some probability of additional monetary tightening, the disappointing payroll data (both the headline miss and back-month downward revisions), contained wage growth, and retreat in energy prices have raised the bar for any near-term policy action, reinforcing expectations for the Fed to remain patient while evaluating upcoming inflation and labor market data. Core inflation could still surprise to the upside when CPI prints next week, but the reversal in oil prices suggests much of this year’s earlier energy-driven inflation shock is likely to prove temporary rather than the start of a sustained inflation cycle. Just don’t say the word “transitory” three times in a mirror.
With summer in full effect, there has been lighter activity across the mortgage market, with TBA hedge volumes declining sharply and specified pool trading remaining subdued in reaction to that weaker-than-expected jobs report. Issuance trends remain “constructive,” but are gradually moderating, with early expectations for slightly lower month-over-month Ginnie Mae production as the spring homebuying season fades. Non-bank lenders continue to favor M-JM temporary buydown pools (MBS pools issued and guaranteed by Ginnie Mae that bundle together FHA- or VA-backed home loans, including temporary interest rate buydown provisions) to capitalize on favorable execution. Trading activity is expected to normalize going forward as the new issuance calendar ramps up, with focus on evolving issuance patterns, specified pool opportunities, and disciplined pricing in what remains a volatile rate environment.
Agency MBS supply continues to recover from its 2023 lows, driven primarily by refinancing activity rather than purchase originations, suggesting mortgage production should remain healthy even if rates stay near current levels. While the MBS sector posted a modest loss to begin July, performance reflected a range-bound market characterized by subdued volatility, slightly longer durations, and investor preference for higher-coupon, shorter-duration securities, with Agency MBS remaining attractive relative to investment-grade corporates despite appearing rich versus Treasuries. As geopolitical risks have eased alongside lower oil prices, investors remain focused on relative value opportunities across coupons and vintages while awaiting a clearer catalyst to determine the next direction for rates.
Today’s economic calendar kicked off with May Import and Export Prices, as well as the May Trade Balance, none of which budged rates. Later today brings Redbook same store sales, June consumer inflation expectations, the Atlanta Fed’s GDPNow for Q2, and a 3-year note auction from the U.S. Treasury. We begin Tuesday with Agency MBS prices slightly worse than Monday’s close, the 2-year yielding 4.12, and the 10-year yielding 4.49 after closing yesterday at 4.48 percent.
Bob, a 70-year-old, extremely wealthy widower, shows up at the country club with a breathtakingly beautiful and very sexy 25-year-old blonde-haired woman who knocks everyone’s socks off with her youthful sex appeal and charm and who hangs over Bob’s arm and listens intently to his every word.
His buddies at the club are all aghast. At the very first chance, they corner him and ask, “Bob, how’d you get the trophy girlfriend?”
Bob replies, “Girlfriend? She’s my wife!”
They are knocked over but continue to ask. “So, how’d you persuade her to marry you?”
“I lied about my age,” Bob replies.
“What, did you tell her you were only 50?”
Bob smiles and says, “No, I told her I was 90.”
Visit www.ChrismanCommentary.com for more information on our industry partners, access archived commentaries, or subscribe to the Daily Mortgage News and Commentary. You can also explore the Chrisman Marketplace, a centralized hub connecting mortgage professionals with trusted vendors and solutions. If you’re interested, check out my periodic blog on the STRATMOR Group website. STRATMOR’s current blog is “Pricing That Can Help Borrowers.” The Commentary’s podcast is available on all major platforms, including Apple and Spotify.
qoɹ & ǝᴉqqoɹ
(Market data provided in partnership with MBS Live. For free job postings and to view candidate resumes, visit the Chrisman Job Board. This newsletter is intended for sophisticated mortgage professionals only. There are no paid endorsements by me. For the latest mortgage news, visit Mortgage News Daily. For archived commentaries, or to subscribe, go to www.ChrismanCommentary.com. Copyright 2026 Chrisman LLC. All rights reserved. Paid job & product listings do appear. This report or any portion hereof may not be reprinted, sold, or redistributed without the written consent of Rob Chrisman. The views and opinions in this newsletter are mine alone unless otherwise specifically stated herein.)
80,000+ mortgage professionals get this every weekday morning.
By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: . You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact