Besides being enthralled with Tiger King and My Octopus Teacher four years ago, what do AL, CA, CO, CT, FL, GA, MD, MA, NJ, NY, NM, NC, RI, SC, TN, VT, and VA have in common? First-cousin marriage remains completely legal in these 17 states. Demographics are of great interest to lenders and originators. As of 2024, there were 65 million Baby Boomers, accounting for 20 percent of the U.S. population and 36 percent of total homeowner households, and about 83 million Millennials (born between 1982 and 2000). Total household net worth has increased by approximately $44 trillion, or $332,000 per household since the pandemic (Q4 2019 to Q2 2024). Of that, Boomer overall wealth increased by $19 trillion, or $486,000 per household, half of which is due to house price appreciation. Don’t think for a second that these demographics and statistics have escaped the notice of every reverse mortgage company out there. (Today’s podcast can be found here and this week’s is sponsored by The BIG Point of Sale, which offers a highly configurable, easy to install point of sale solution. Its simplified consumer workflows and web-based portals allow for consumers and loan originators to collaborate with the back-office team to keep everyone informed throughout the loan process. Hear an interview with Rate’s Connie Lindsay on what the SVP of Lending role at a mortgage company entails and how customer experience continues to be an arms race in the mortgage industry.) Software, Products, and Services for Lenders