Lykken on Lending

This podcast segment tackles Freddie Mac’s updated guidance, which extends document validity to 540 days and reduces asset re-verification requirements, making construction-to-permanent loans more efficient and less risky for lenders. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Alice Alvey , Master CMB Vice President Partner Education and Training at  Union Home Mortgag...

This podcast segment explains how President Trump’s $200 billion MBS purchase announcement overshadowed economic data and the jobs report, driving a sharp MBS rally, tightening mortgage spreads, and reshaping mortgage rate dynamics. ----------------------------------------------------- Matt  began as an originator in 2002. He fell in love with the idea of following MBS in real-time but felt t...

02-10-2026 Gold and Silver are "Dazed and Confused"  --------------------- Rates Dazed and Confused for so long it's turned blue. Wanted a rally, jobs made it come true. Commodities go wild, while rates chill. Bank of America’s Bubble Risk Indicators for gold and silver signaled a bubble-like instability just as things broke loose. Regardless of Friday’s rally, mortgages and Treasuries a...

This podcast segment breaks down what the 21st Century Housing Act could mean for mortgage professionals, FHA loan limits, housing supply, and the future of the secondary market. ------------------------------------------------------------- Adam DeSanctis , VP of Communications at Mortgage Bankers Association As a strategic public affairs and communications executive with nearly two decades of exp...

In this episode of Lykken on Lending , David Lykken sits down with Steven Butler, CEO of True, for a candid and highly practical conversation about why years of heavy investment in automation and AI have failed to meaningfully lower cost per loan for most lenders—and what actually works. Steven breaks down the difference between surface-level automation and true operational transformation, explain...

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 episode dives into a sobering—and necessary—reality check for the mortgage industry: the AI hype cycle is peaking, and the bubble is beginning to deflate. Drawing on a new MIT Sloan Management Review report, David Lykken and Pavan Agarwal unpack why scattered AI experiments and “ChatGPT-as-strategy” thinking are setting lenders up for disappointment, not transformation. The conversation explo...

This podcast segment highlights HUD’s latest report showing FHA’s strong financial position and examines how renewed affordability discussions could lead to mortgage insurance relief for borrowers in 2026. ------------------------------------------------------------- Adam DeSanctis , VP of Communications at Mortgage Bankers Association As a strategic public affairs and communications executive wit...

In this episode of Lykken on Lending , David Lykken sits down with Cindy Ertman, CEO of The Defining Difference, to unpack how top mortgage professionals build practical, repeatable systems that drive real results—without the overwhelm . Cindy shares hard-earned insights from her journey as a billion-dollar producer, branch builder, and elite coach, breaking down why systems aren’t about rigidity—...

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  explores how mortgage technology is shifting from traditional LOS-centered systems to agentic AI platforms, driving dramatic cost compression, faster loan cycles, and a fundamental rewrite of how mortgage lending operates. ----------------------------------------------------- Allen Pollack , Tech Consultant Allen Pollack, a Mortgage & Financial Services Technology Ad...

This podcast segment provides a legislative update on HUD and FHA oversight hearings, the status of major housing bills in Congress, and ongoing questions around investor restrictions and their real impact on housing affordability. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Alice Alvey , Master CMB Vice President Partner Education and Training at  Union Home Mortgage S...

This podcast segment explains how President Trump’s $200 billion MBS purchase announcement overshadowed economic data and the jobs report, driving a sharp MBS rally, tightening mortgage spreads, and reshaping mortgage rate dynamics. ----------------------------------------------------- Matt  began as an originator in 2002. He fell in love with the idea of following MBS in real-time but felt t...

1-26-2026 Are Boring Markets "Coming Home?" -------------------------- Maybe, maybe, may, rates Coming Home to their peaceful sweet trading. Are the markets bored with peace? Gold continues to glitter. Over the last 5 months, Copper gained 50% and has held 80% of the move. Mortgages remain bullish while Treasuries cling to their newly minted bear trend. The 10-year T-Note yield danc...

This podcast segment highlights HUD’s latest report showing FHA’s strong financial position and examines how renewed affordability discussions could lead to mortgage insurance relief for borrowers in 2026. ------------------------------------------------------------- Adam DeSanctis , VP of Communications at Mortgage Bankers Association As a strategic public affairs and communications executive wit...

The U.S. housing market faces a historic single-family inventory shortage, driving affordability challenges and limiting access for aspiring homeowners. In this episode, David Lykken is joined by Phil Bracken, Vice Chairman of Falcon Capital Advisors, to unpack real-world, executable solutions that policymakers, lenders, builders, and communities can act on now. Drawing on decades of experience 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...

Despite a constant stream of geopolitical tension, political speculation, and policy headlines, mortgage rates continue to defy expectations by remaining locked in a well-defined trading range. In this segment of Lykken on Lending , industry veterans unpack why the bond market—not the news cycle—ultimately dictates rate movement, and why traditional concepts like “flight to quality” no longer beha...

This podcast segment explores how social change, global geopolitical turmoil, and evolving workforce realities contrast with the surprising resilience of U.S. financial and mortgage markets. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Marc Helm , CEO, and Author Marc Helm serves as a Principal Partner at Transformational Mortgage Solutions...

This podcast segment explores how mortgage technology is shifting from traditional LOS-centered systems to agentic AI platforms, driving dramatic cost compression, faster loan cycles, and a fundamental rewrite of how mortgage lending operates. ----------------------------------------------------- Allen Pollack , Tech Consultant Allen Pollack, a Mortgage & Financial Services Technology Advisor,...

This podcast segment reflects on Martin Luther King Jr. Day by examining the importance of fair lending laws, HMDA reporting, and why these protections remain essential to accountability, equity, and trust in mortgage lending. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Alice Alvey , Master CMB Vice President Partner Education and Training at  Union Home Mortgage She ha...

01-20-2026 Bonds are "Breaking the Habit" ---------------------- Memories consume the breaking of the wound It’s picking bulls apart again. The bears won Friday in Treasuries, while mortgages remained steady as they await details on GSE buying. The chatter over Fed independence is irrelevant. The Fed follows Bonds. And when they run their failed experiments, like Quantitative Easing...

This podcast segment highlights HUD’s latest report showing FHA’s strong financial position and examines how renewed affordability discussions could lead to mortgage insurance relief for borrowers in 2026. ------------------------------------------------------------- Adam DeSanctis , VP of Communications at Mortgage Bankers Association As a strategic public affairs and communications executive wit...

Why Mortgage Lenders Keep Failing at AI—and What the Winners Understand explores a hard truth facing the mortgage industry: most AI initiatives fail not because of lack of ambition, but because leaders misunderstand what AI actually requires to succeed. In this episode, David Lykken sits down with mortgage technologist Pavan Agarwal to unpack why short-term thinking, investor pressure, and “plug-a...

In this episode of Lykken on Lending – Hot Topics , David Lykken sits down with Josh Lehr, Founder of Lehrjet, to cut through the noise surrounding AI and mortgage technology. With more than two decades of experience spanning Zillow, Total Expert, and fintech partnerships, Josh offers an independent, practitioner’s perspective on what actually works. The conversation explores AI voice assistants,...