How Automation Can Keep You in Compliance
For some people, automation is a dirty word in business. Sure, most business leaders are well aware of the benefits of automation in keeping costs down and creating efficient processes. But many people...
View ArticleAutomation: The Key to a Competitive Edge
Just like in any other business, leaders in the mortgage industry are often wary of embracing new technologies. It's human nature to want to do things the way they've always been done. "If it worked...
View ArticleThe Importance of Meetings
Meeting get a bad wrap sometimes in our society. Especially in the age of Silicon Valley startups, where people are expected to get things done quickly without spending much time in discussion,...
View ArticleHow Clarity Changes Everything
Have you ever spoken to someone who has gotten glasses for the first time? Or, maybe it's someone who has gotten an eye surgery and can see again. When people are able to see things clearly, they're...
View ArticleInnovation in the Mortgage Industry: Where Will It Come From?
Last week, I had the opportunity to participate in a roundtable discussion about the future of innovation in the mortgage industry. The general consensus was that innovation is occurring and will...
View ArticleLOs Aren't Analysts; They're Salespeople
Lately, I've noticed quite a disturbing trend in the industry among loan originators. Many LOs seem to have forgotten their primary function within the organization. Getting lost in number-crunching...
View ArticleMarkets Don't Sleep: The Importance of Paying Attention
I recently had the opportunity to attend the Mortgage Banker's Association (MBA) Annual Convention in Las Vegas. It was a great time, and there was just so much information thrown at me all at once. I...
View ArticleThe Job Market and the Mortgage Industry
Recent reports that the jobless claims have been declining significantly have got me thinking about the job market and its impact on the mortgage industry. Of course, the low number of jobless claims...
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Lykken on Leadership: Creating a Winning Culture ... Charisma
He quietly approaches the lectern as the crowd of thousands looks on to hear the business mogul pass on his advice to the next generation. He is wearing a robe to match the others with whom he shares a...
View ArticleWhat a Republican Majority Means for the Mortgage Industry
Before the elections this past Tuesday, most analysts were predicting that Republicans would likely win the majority of Congress. When the time came, those projections did not disappoint. With 53 seats...
View ArticleHow Mortgage Professionals Can Get Involved in the Political Process
Politics can be a difficult subject to discuss in a professional setting. Even people in the mortgage industry have deeply held ideological beliefs that influence what they believe about their own...
View ArticlePersonal Service: The Broker Advantage
Last week, on my Lykken on Lending radio show, I got the opportunity to discuss the future of mortgage brokers with John Councilman, presClick to continue
View ArticleMortgage Origination Regulation: The Broker Disadvantage
I've been thinking a lot about the state of mortgage brokers lately. I've seen a great resurgence of the sheer number of brokers within the past several months. Rumors of their death are just...
View ArticleWhy We Need to Embrace Uncertainty
In the mortgage industry, even hearing the very word "uncertainty" tends to sends shivers running down our spines. We don't like the be in the dark; we fear the unknown. If we don't have all of the...
View ArticleWisdom Begins With Foolishness
Think back to when you were in grade school (a long, long time ago ... if you're anything like me). Do you remember how your teacher would walk around the room, asking questions? Then, she would wait...
View ArticleIs E-Closing the Future?
More and more, it seems like technology is becoming an integral part of doing business in the mortgage industry. The emphasis on compliance in recent years has expedited the need for adopting new...
View ArticleTechnology and Reengineering the Closing Process
Years ago, the mortgage industry was more fragmented than it is now. Each step in the mortgage process was often handled by a different department or organization, and there wasn't a great amount of...
View ArticleGas Prices and Home Buying
There has been a discussion going on for quite some time in the media about what the recent decrease in gas prices means for our economy. On the surface, the lowering of gas prices seems like it would...
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