“My granddad was responsible for 25 downed German planes in WW II. To this day, he is still known as the worst mechanic the Luftwaffe ever had.” On the anniversary of D-Day, let’s hope the entire world is not involved in a war again, although humans have had a recurring theme of conflict. Scaling things down significantly, but keeping with the “recurring theme” theme… There have been recurring themes in the various conferences and private events, most recently the MBA New Jersey which my son Robbie attended and this one I am attending in San Diego for Bay Equity, that lenders have their eye on. Lowering the cost of doing business, including the closing costs seen by borrowers (and mentioned by the White House and regulators to lower housing costs). Lenders try to use every advantage they have to gain and retain borrowers, and improve operational efficiencies, and how doing that will help originators. Last but not least, the constant decision to retain or release servicing, and the long-term impact of that on business. It is, indeed, a tough environment, entirely different than four years ago when everyone was hiring, hiring, and hiring. (Today’s podcast is found here, and this week’s are sponsored by Visio Lending. Visio is the nation’s premier lender for buy and hold investors with over 2.5 billion closed loans for single-family rental properties, including vacation rentals. Hear an interview with PCV Murcor’s Marc Tatarcuk on how Appraisal Management Companies find and assign appraisers, how AI is influencing the appraisal space, and what the appraisal landscape currently looks like.)