Lykken on Lending

Will Anyone "Go All The Way?" ------------------------- Buy markets know how defeat can be 'Til investors trade and say, (Singers) please, Go All the Way? The bulls won Thanksgiving week while the bears fought valiantly. However, no one has gone all the way; no objectives have been hit, and momentum hasn't been built. With no threats to Oil nor the Dollar, and with Europe's rulers creating and cha...

This podcast segment highlights the Senate’s advancement of major housing finance nominees and reminds IMBs to register for MBA’s premier conference ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. ------------------------------------------------------------- Adam DeSanctis , VP of Communications at Mortgage Bankers Association As a strategic public affairs and communications executive with nearly two decades o...

In this week’s AI Update, we dive into the rapidly shifting landscape behind today’s sky-high AI valuations and explore why macroeconomic forces may be creating unseen systemic risks across the tech ecosystem. Pavan Agarwal breaks down how the unwinding of the dollar-yen trade, leveraged Bitcoin positions, and hyperscalers’ overreliance on overpriced NVIDIA hardware are converging to put pressure...

The consumer-direct mortgage model has rapidly evolved from a niche channel to one of the most efficient and scalable strategies in today’s lending environment. In this episode, we explore the operational blueprint behind its rise—highlighting how leading DTC lenders are achieving faster turn times, dramatically lower cost-to-close, and stronger customer loyalty by balancing automation with except...

December arrives with a jolt as the mortgage industry faces a wave of new challenges—from heightened market volatility to the alarming 35–40% spike in tri-merge credit reporting costs hitting lenders across the country. In this week’s episode of Lykken on Lending , David Lykken and the expert panel unpack what’s driving rate movement, how global forces like the Bank of Japan are influencing U.S. b...

In this week’s discussion, the Lykken on Lending team dives deep into the forces shaping today’s mortgage market, from range-bound rates to a Federal Reserve that is showing more internal division than we’ve seen since the early Greenspan era. With mixed economic signals—strong GDP, elevated unemployment readings, and stale data delayed by the shutdown—industry leaders Bill Corbett, David Kittle,...

----------------------------------------------------- Allen Pollack , Tech Consultant Allen Pollack, a Mortgage & Financial Services Technology Advisor, is a subject matter expert in the mortgage origination process along with software product management and software development. In today’s financial services push to all things Digital, Allen has been helping lenders and financial services sol...

This podcast segment highlights the CFPB’s request for industry feedback on a significant ECOA interpretation change that could prevent regulators from using reverse-engineered HMDA data to allege fair lending violations when no discriminatory policy exists. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Alice Alvey , Master CMB Vice President Partner Education and Training at&...

This podcast segment discusses the impact of the government shutdown on economic data, how private reports are driving market volatility, and the potential consequences for bond markets as government data resumes. ----------------------------------------------------- Matt  began as an originator in 2002. He fell in love with the idea of following MBS in real-time but felt that existing produc...

11-24-2025 “Freddie’s Dead” Are The Bulls Dreams Dead, Too? —————— We can deal with guesses and dreams, but in reality, what do they mean? Ain’t nothing said ’cause threat is dead. The threat from old news on jobs is dead. The bulls and bears tested critical levels, grasping for the latest quote from a Federal Reserve member to prompt action, as if that really mattered. The bulls have until Christ...

This podcast segment highlights the Senate’s advancement of major housing finance nominees and reminds IMBs to register for MBA’s premier conference ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. ------------------------------------------------------------- Adam DeSanctis , VP of Communications at Mortgage Bankers Association As a strategic public affairs and communications executive with nearly two decades o...

In this episode, David Lykken sits down with Justin Demola, President of Lenders One, for a timely and candid discussion on the biggest forces shaping independent mortgage bankers today. From credit pricing spikes and rising regulatory scrutiny to the rapid acceleration of AI on both the sales and loan manufacturing sides, Justin offers a behind-the-scenes look at what lenders are experiencing in...

The Lykken on Lending Weekly Mortgage Update  delivers expert commentary and timely insights from across the mortgage industry. Each episode features a curated lineup of respected thought leaders and analysts: Adam DeSanctis  with the  MBA Mortgage Minute , providing key updates from the Mortgage Bankers Association. Les Parker’s  TMSpotlight  offers a macroeconomic perspe...

11-18-2025 Will Gov't "Car Wash" The Facts ---------------------- Bulls might not ever get rich. But markets tell them they’re digging a ditch. With the shutdown ending, government will wash the facts and the market will spin them. Will the Bulls get out of the ditch or will the Bears bury them? 3.80 in the 10-year yield happens if the Bears fail near term. How much does it depend on the action in...

This podcast segment covers recent Fannie Mae updates, including rep and warranty relief for undisclosed debts, extended credit document validity for construction loans, and a shift to a more holistic borrower risk assessment, enhancing access to credit and reducing buyback risk. ------------------------------------------------------------- Adam DeSanctis , VP of Communications at Mortgage Bankers...

Private lending is reshaping real estate investing—and few people understand that landscape better than Chris Lemons of Creative Financing Solutions (CFS), a division born from the powerhouse leadership team at Alcova. In this episode, Chris breaks down how today’s investors are navigating fix-and-flip opportunities, why wholesalers are disrupting inventory, and what smart lenders are doing to res...

Top-producing loan officers are often the last to adopt transformational technology—not because they doubt the value, but because they’re already operating at full capacity. In this episode, David Lykken and Pavan Agarwal break down the psychology behind LO resistance, the J-curve problem that slows adoption, and why traditional agentic AI models struggle to deliver real-world mortgage results. Pa...

In this week’s Hot Topic, David Lykken sits down with Brian Vieaux , the newly appointed President of MISMO, for an eye-opening conversation about the future of mortgage lending. In a rare blend of industry insight and personal vulnerability, Brian shares how a life-altering family crisis reshaped his perspective just weeks before stepping into one of the most influential roles in housing finance....

The Lykken on Lending Weekly Mortgage Update  delivers expert commentary and timely insights from across the mortgage industry. Each episode features a curated lineup of respected thought leaders and analysts: Adam DeSanctis  with the  MBA Mortgage Minute , providing key updates from the Mortgage Bankers Association. Les Parker’s  TMSpotlight  offers a macroeconomic perspe...

This podcast segment discusses the impact of the government shutdown on economic data, how private reports are driving market volatility, and the potential consequences for bond markets as government data resumes. ----------------------------------------------------- Matt  began as an originator in 2002. He fell in love with the idea of following MBS in real-time but felt that existing produc...

11-11-2025 Model Data Is “Feeling Good” ——————— It’s a new dawn. It’s a new day. It’s a new life, for facts. Data feeling good. Using economic models to imitate government data results in moderation. Facts are messy while models are smooth. The void has also been filled with previously less public alternative data and analytics. Upon the return of government data, a new world begins. There’ll be a...

This podcast segment covers recent Fannie Mae updates, including rep and warranty relief for undisclosed debts, extended credit document validity for construction loans, and a shift to a more holistic borrower risk assessment, enhancing access to credit and reducing buyback risk. ------------------------------------------------------------- Adam DeSanctis , VP of Communications at Mortgage Bankers...

Is there really an AI bubble brewing? In this week’s AI Update, David Lykken and Pavan Agarwal dive deep into Michael Burry’s latest warning—drawing parallels to The Big Short while unpacking how today’s AI economy fundamentally differs from the 2008 mortgage meltdown. From NVIDIA’s massive chip-driven valuations to how depreciation schedules distort corporate earnings, Pavan breaks down what’s re...

The Lykken on Lending Weekly Mortgage Update  delivers expert commentary and timely insights from across the mortgage industry. Each episode features a curated lineup of respected thought leaders and analysts: Adam DeSanctis  with the  MBA Mortgage Minute , providing key updates from the Mortgage Bankers Association. Les Parker’s  TMSpotlight  offers a macroeconomic perspe...

In this thought-provoking segment of Lykken on Lending , industry leaders unpack the Fed’s “foggy” direction , the pressures lenders face from shrinking margins , and why the mortgage industry continues to repeat many of the same mistakes from past cycles. Drawing on decades of experience, voices like Bill Corbet , David Kittle , Marc Helm , and Alice Alvey tackle everything from subsidized pricin...