Both Dick Van Dyke and Mel Brooks turn 100, Dick in less than two weeks and Mel next summer. 100 years is a long time, and it’s a big number. Despite faster economic growth than peers, the U.S. faces rising deficits and debt levels above 100 percent of GDP . If this impacts our debt ratings further, look out. Political gridlock and reluctance to enact meaningful tax increases or spending cuts echo challenges seen in the UK and France, where governments struggle to satisfy vot

Every industry has its invisible infrastructure, the stuff that quietly works in the background but keeps everything running. In retail, it’s the barcode. In utilities, it’s the grid. In financial services, it’s the payment rails. In mortgage?That quiet, essential infrastructure is MISMO . And at the heart of MISMO’s infrastructure there are two concepts that sound similar but operate very differently: The MISMO Model MISMO Standards In conversations with lenders, investors,

According to NAR’s 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers , first-time buyers now have a median age of 40 , and their share has fallen to 21% , a record low. That is a historic shift that changes how we coach renters and near-ready clients. Quick history for context. In the 1980s , the typical first-time buyer was in their late 20s . From the early 1990s through the late 2010s , the median age sat in the 30 to 32  range. Even in 2020  it was 33 . Then, in only a few years,

As I type these words, I am sitting in front of one of Chuck Berry’s early residences in St. Louis. STL has a good musical reputation, a fine mortgage association , a Fed that puts out great research, and has many nice neighborhoods. But to call this specific area where I am sitting a “transitional” neighborhood would be generous. Although there is potential, nearly every house standing could use an immense amount of work, and the residents probably aren’t regulars at home i

When I stepped into the role of MISMO President just ahead of the 2025 MBA Annual Convention, I already understood MISMO’s reputation. But it wasn’t until I got behind the curtain that I truly appreciated the depth of collaboration, volunteer leadership, and shared purpose that has kept this organization going strong for more than 25 years. And if there’s a single theme that stands out from my early weeks in the role, it’s this: MISMO’s impact is everywhere, especially in the

As the central states brace for a cold snap, I received a note from a mortgage broker in Florida. “Rob, don’t politicians understand that housing ‘affordability’ problems aren’t only the result of rates and prices that are set by the markets? Owners are hit by taxes and insurance increases. What about condo fees and special assessments? What about city and county fees? Loan level price adjustments are determined by historical performance. Extending the maturity of a mortgage

“Being a parent is like being a psychic who is always right but is always ignored.” Here in Austin, TX, whether it was the Texas Women Mortgage Bankers’ Fall Social with Faith Schwartz and Alanna McCargo last night or the TMBA’s Housing Summit speakers today, no one is ignoring anything. No lender can ignore the shutdown, and anyone who believes that residential lending and politics, at all levels, don’t overlap is mistaken: look at what is going on with FHA, VA, GNMA, IRS

Building regulatory readiness isn’t something you simply hope for, it’s something you shape . That’s exactly what’s happening with the Mortgage Compliance Dataset (MCD) Tech Sprint , a joint initiative from the Conference of State Bank Supervisors ( CSBS ) and MISMO  that kicks off December 3rd. This is not just a demo or proof of concept. It’s a real-time collaboration between regulators, lenders, and technology providers to define what compliance efficiency should look like

My cat Myrtle never liked Halloween, apparently believing it was for amateurs. Our nation has plenty of interesting historical sites related to ghosts and unpleasant things... like Salem, Massachusetts. It lives with the history of the Witch Trials of 1692 during which 19 women and men were executed on charges of witchcraft. Today, the most frightening thing about the place  is the traffic in October, but also somewhat frightening is the price of real estate: if you want a de

Spring gets most of the headlines in real estate, but fall often tells a different story. As the market cools, competition eases, listings sit a bit longer, and many sellers become more open to negotiation before year-end. For buyers who have been waiting for the right moment, this season quietly offers one of the best windows to act. This time of year gives buyers space to evaluate options rather than rush to outbid. That change of pace rewards preparation. It lets buyers co

What do Costco and Las Vegas have in common? You go to buy a gallon of milk, and it costs you $285.” There isn’t a lot of autumn foliage here in Las Vegas, but if you’d like a map of the fall colors, here you go . I’ve received a few comments about how the industry is changing, and in curious ways. There is some creative thinking out there. Along those lines, I received this note. “Rob, have you heard of a title company franchise where LOs and brokers keep title fees, and “ow

In my last piece, I wrote about Sora 2 and its potential to transform video creation for mortgage professionals. What led me there wasn't curiosity about video. It started a few months earlier when I began building a series of custom GPTs for FinLocker. Those projects became my testing ground for understanding how emerging technology can actually make a difference in how loan officers show up for their clients and partners. I built the FinLocker GPT Toolkit to solve a simple

“Where do amputees get prosthetics on a budget? The secondhand store.” Budget, stalemate, and shutdown news continues in Washington DC. The sun still comes up in the morning, and there is news on related issues. For example, thank you to Sean S. who told me that HUD opened the suggestions window for improving the HECM (reverse mortgage) product. The reasons why Treasury and mortgage rates remain elevated despite the shutdown and Fed’s rate cuts will be discussed in the Capit

As I wrap up my time with FinLocker and step into my role as President of MISMO, I’m happy to share that the MLO VieauxPoint  weekly segment will continue with Chrisman Commentary. You’ll just have a new, and improved, Vieaux. Ethan Vieaux, Vice President of Customer Success at FinLocker, will be taking the pen from here. Ethan has spent years in the trenches with loan officers, helping them integrate technology that genuinely serves both their business and their borrowers. H

President Trump has recommended that publicly held companies only report earnings every six months instead of every three. Don’t...

Last Sunday, my wife and I got a call no parent ever wants to receive. We went from watching Football to packing bags and booking an...

“Why do millennials think the government saved their lives? Because they are indebted to it forever.” Here in Colorado, the United States...

Loan officers who want a lasting career should expand their focus to include homeowners 55 and older, who control trillions in housing...

At the recent conferences I've attended, including here in Atlanta at the Loan Vision Innovation Conference , talk of federal government...

I’ve been in mortgage since 1991. Rates were north of 10%, “apply now” meant stacks of paper, and the concept of consumer-permissioned...