Here in Las Vegas, I asked a German girl if Germans are afraid of numbers. She said 9. Numbers are interesting, as we will find out with the declared Trump tariffs on Canada and Mexico. Do you know the difference between an American roulette wheel and a European wheel? The American version has “00.” Fans of Lucifer and numerology know that, for both, the numbers add up to 666. Like other disasters in Lahaina or the Carolinas, builders have some interesting numerical perspectives on how the “Black Swan event” of the LA County fires will impact housing stock, the permit process, and the ability to rebuild. Three thousand miles away, in Maryland, due to state government lenders are pulling out and local banks no longer lending, the latest example being PHH Correspondent: “PHH will no longer accept new locks for our Non-Agency products in the state of Maryland.” More below on yet another example of how entwined government is with lending, and how the stroke of a pen can negatively impact borrowers, lenders, and vendors. (Today’s podcast can be found here and this week’s is sponsored by Figure. 50 percent of the top IMB’s use them, and if you haven’t examined your HELOC & HELOAN strategy recently, it’s time to get on it. Hear an interview with CloudVirga’s Jessica Evett on consumers’ level of satisfaction with the mortgage process and their expectation of technology and AI throughout the process.) Broker and Banker Products, Software, and Services