You’re probably aware that mortgage origination volume is down. Interest rates are going up. Home values remain sky-high. And inventory remains scarce, with materials shortages hampering new construction.

“What a perfect time to buy a house,” said just about no one recently.

And yet…

I recently entered into the roiling fray that is home buying in 2022. It’s always a bit of special fun for someone who’s an everyday part of the greater mortgage industry to have the experience from the consumer end—especially someone who grew up in a title and settlement services firm! Not only did I end up winning the inevitable bidding war. I got the house at under asking price as well.

Coming Soon: An Insider’s View of the Homebuying Process

As part of the upcoming summer season of Lodestar’s Lending Leaders, I’ll be sharing my recollection of the process. Here’s a short teaser on a few of the reveals…

• Yes, I used a mortgage broker. In fact, my approach to selecting one ended up being quite effective!
• No, I didn’t take out a traditional 30-year fixed mortgage. And the selection I did make could be a harbinger of things to come throughout the real estate industry.
• Yes, I worked with a real estate agent. And I’ll be happy to share how I made my selection there as well.

You’ll also be a bit surprised at how quickly I was able to go from selecting the house to reaching a sales agreement.

I had my home inspection just last week. So there’s still quite a bit left in this journey to share. After all, the average time to close still runs over 50 days. And I’ll be delighted to share the ups and downs of my experience on LLL, this summer.

Also coming soon, stats, numbers, data and trends!

As the Closing Fee Experts, we at LodeStar are knee deep in data at all times. Our own Ron Carvalho does a masterful job of collecting that information, verifying the integrity and then slicing and dicing it for all kinds of great insight. Hopefully, you’ve seen some of that insight on our continuing Loan Estimate Challenges series, in which we introduce some of the ins, outs and quirks with closing fees throughout the nation. 

As we hinted a few weeks ago, we’re pleased to advise our loyal customers and Deeper Thoughts readers that we plan to start sharing some of that data with the industry in the interest of clarity. Well, that, and it’s just plain interesting! We’ve recently gotten the green light from a major mortgage trade publication that we can share some of our first results with them. And, as always, we’ll let you know when that article does run.

Summer’s almost here

That means we’ll be switching gears with Triple L. Our own Alayna Gardner will join me to debate some of the lighter nuances within—and well outside of—the mortgage industry. And if you’re a Marvel Fan, you won’t want to miss a moment. It’s not only better than the old “summer rerun season”—it’s downright bingeworthy! So be sure to check out our new episodes in June.

And now, for something different

Don’t forget to check out our recently-introduced cartoon series, “A Tale of Two Mortgages” (shout out to our own Tim Austen for making it a reality). You’ll find it in each week’s edition of the LodeStar Report. Be sure to let us know what you think!

As always, we welcome your feedback on any of our content offerings. Please don’t be shy—we’d love to hear from you.