Here it is, gang! The very first full episode cut of the Full Disclosure Podcast. Here’s Jim and Alayna’s full conversation for September 2025, where they cover the Encompass SDK sunset delay, LodeStar’s recent Inc. 5000 win, and the virtues of pumpkin spice.

Mortgage Industry Vibe Check

Lenders are taking a collective deep breath right now. After the Spring market never really happened, and listings have seen an unexpected increase, it’s understandable that people feel a little uncertain.

Is the imminent return of pumpkin spice the most reliable thing about our economy? Maybe…

LodeStar Company Update

How are things at LodeStar, you ask? The mortgage industry hasn’t exactly been a walk in the park over the last several years. Especially lately, with regulatory shakeups and big top-down decisions, running a company can feel a little uncertain. Despite all that, LodeStar is doing well. We’re signing clients, making them happy, and getting people the closing costs they need to get their borrowers into homes.

In fact, we just won Inc. 5000 for the third time in four years, so our growth is—in the plainest, quantitative terms—steady.

And even as we navigate changes, like, for example, ICE’s sunsetting of the SDK platform of Encompass, our clients can always rely on us to be ahead of the curve.

Jim’s Book Club

Jim loves a good business book. He has a bit of a reputation around the LodeStar office of being a serial book recommender. Honestly, there are worse things to be known for…

This month’s feature is Brian P. Moran’s The 12-Week Year. It’s a great little book that’s helped Jim and LodeStar a ton, so be sure to check it out.

What Grinds My Gears

It’s time for “What Grinds My Gears”… Alayna insists that people with dietary restrictions who attend mortgage conferences deserve to eat, too. Meanwhile, Jim shares his true thoughts on pumpkin spice…

To be clear, Jim’s beef isn’t with pumpkin spice per se. It’s with the timing of the nationwide pumpkin spice rollout. As the co-founder and CEO of a company that is all about getting lenders the fees they need at the right time, it DOES matter. Mid August (when this podcast was recorded) is not the time for pumpkin rolls, pumpkin spice lattes, and pumpkin beer. Wait until at least October, for goodness sake.

Dietary restrictions shouldn’t disqualify you from eating at an industry conference. Long gone are the days when people didn’t know what a dairy allergy is. From someone who’s had to pass on lunch at more than her fair share of mortgage conferences, here’s where the rubber meets the road: Label your food. Putting out a buffet? Label allergens and ingredients. Just do it. It’s vital for attendees with dietary restrictions.

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