Housing Insiders

Kenon Chen, Clear Capital’s EVP of Strategy and Growth, joins the show for a round-robin discussion of the housing headlines, including FHFA Director Bill Pulte’s surprise announcement that Fannie and Freddie would now accept VantageScore for mortgage underwriting. It’s a big swing for the fences, but will it help more people qualify to be homeowners? Jonathan remains dubious, stating, “We won’t see any big swings be s...

Saul Ewing Partners Trip Riley & Jason McElroy are the perfect guests to shed light on the current regulatory ambiguity in the housing and mortgage market. Their expertise spans mortgage origination and servicing, regulatory counseling, compliance auditing, and litigation defense. On this episode, Riley and McElroy emphasize the challenges posed by the federal government stepping back, with states filling the void and ...

Former Rocket Mortgage CEO Bob Walters spent 28 years transforming the company from a small regional brokerage into the country’s largest mortgage lender. Walters joins Housing Insiders to share what he learned along the way from Rocket Founder Dan Gilbert and how their work simplifying and democratizing complex lending processes made Rocket a leader in digital mortgage solutions. On this episode, Walters talks about t...

Up for Growth is a national, cross-sector member network committed to solving the housing shortage and affordability crisis through data-driven research and evidence-based policy.  Founder & CEO Mike Kingsella joins Housing Insiders to talk why some cities grow and others struggle, whether the NIMBYs or YIMBYs have it right, and what he wants Congress to do to solve the housing shortage.

Whether you’re a h...

Ivan Rupnik is Associate Professor of Architecture at Northeastern University and Founding Partner of MOD X, a research-based advisory he started along with Ryan E. Smith and Tyler Schmetterer that supports the global offsite construction industry. He joins Housing Insiders to talk about building codes: how they work (and in the case of the US, could work a lot better), and how a nationalized approach could make factor...

Bob Pinnegar is the President and CEO of the National Apartment Association (NAA), a trade association representing 95,000 members with over 12 million rental units nationwide. Bob joins Housing Insiders to talk about the state of multifamily housing and the complicated factors - from interest rates to tariffs - making the future of the rental market harder to predict than usual. Bob unpacks the challenges of balancing...

Drumroll, please! Chief Innovation and Strategy Officer Jenna Louie of Ivory Innovations joins Housing Insiders to announce the Top 10 finalists for its prestigious Ivory Prize, a national award designed to recognize and support innovative and scalable solutions addressing the housing affordability crisis. Competing across the categories of Construction & Design, Finance, and Policy & Regulatory Reform, the 10 finalist...

In this episode of Housing Insiders, Jonathan & Jeremy are joined by Mike Yu to talk the past, present, and future of technology in mortgage lending - and the huge role AI will play in mortgage digitization. Mike is the Co-Founder & CEO of Vesta, a provider of next generation mortgage loan origination software, allowing financial institutions to improve their lending processes with customizable workflows and intuitive,...

In this episode of Housing Insiders, Jonathan & Jeremy are joined by Jim Parrott to talk about the latest shakeups at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, including the removal of 14 board members and the firing of the CEO of Freddie Mac. With Bill Pulte as the new, self-appointed chairman of the board of both organizations, speculation is rampant about the extent of the further “DOGE treatment” the agencies will face. Parrott,...

 On this episode of Housing Insiders, Jonathan & Jeremy discuss the latest housing news from Washington, starting with the DOGE staffers at HUD (Housing and Urban Development) and whether or not fears about their access to valuable data are overblown. Next, will the return to office further exacerbate the baby bust? And feedback on the confirmation hearings of Bill Pulte for FHFA (Federal Housing Finance Agency) & Jo...

In this episode of Housing Insiders, Jonathan & Jeremy talk GSEs and the potential impact on mortgage rates should the Trump administration pull Fannie and Freddie out of conservatorship. Next, while the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) may be on ice, the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) has not gone away. Saul Ewing Partner Trip Riley joins the show to talk about why RESPA exists, what its futu...

On this episode of Housing Insiders, Jonathan & Jeremy discuss the confusion that reigned in Washington, DC last week, after the White House memo ordering a freeze on all federal grants and loans seemed to put a myriad of housing programs in jeopardy. According to Jonathan, “If you want to stop federal grants, you have to be a little more thoughtful than just cutting them all immediately.” HUD has since clarified FHA, ...

In this episode of Housing Insiders, Jonathan & Jeremy discuss what the wildfires mean for homeowners insurance nationwide and the long-term impact the wildfires will have on the homebuilding process, including the prognosis for factory-built homes. Next, Steve Royster, Head of Community Banking & Marketing at MoCaFi (Mobility Capital Finance), joins the show to talk about his work reaching and helping unbanked America...

It’s a time unlike any other in the housing industry. In this special episode of Housing Insiders, Jonathan & Jeremy review the highlight reel of some of their favorite guests from 2024, discussing insights learned and revealing their big bets for 2025. Hear their positive & negative takes on the housing industry heading into 2025, including what rising insurance and property taxes will mean for homeowners, predictions...

Jared Stasik, Partner at Detroit Venture Partners (DVP), joins Housing Insiders to chat a day in the life of funding early-stage tech companies, including housing startups. DVP was founded in 2010 by Dan Gilbert, Quicken Loans/Rocket Mortgage Founder & Chairman and owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers, with a vision to grow Detroit's entrepreneurial community. Hear how Jared decides what types of housing companies to inves...

Hugh Frater, the former CEO of Fannie Mae (and Jonathan’s old boss) joins Housing Insiders to offer his blunt take on solving the housing crisis. According to Frater, "I don't think we should be promoting homeownership per se. I think we should just be finding ways to deliver more housing without regard to whether it's rental or for sale." As Chairman of Vessel Technologies, a developer and manufacturer of panelized mu...

Ivy Zelman is the CEO of Zelman & Associates. When it comes to housing trends, Ivy has developed a reputation for “seeing around corners,’’ and her accurate forecasts – including predicting the 2008 housing crash - make her one of the most influential people we know. In this episode, Ivy takes out her crystal ball once again and has some harsh warnings for the industry about the headwinds she sees coming from climate c...

The down payment on a home continues to be unrealistic for many Americans. How can we change that? Landy Liu is the Founder of Foyer, a savings platform for first-time homebuyers. Think of it as the “401(k) for homeownership.” Hear him reveal how their savings platform works, the key things to keep in mind as a first-time homebuyer, what the government can do to help first-time homebuyers, how Foyer makes money, and wh...

With traditional homeownership more unattainable than ever, aspirational homeowners are exploring ‘rent-to-own’ options. K.C. Cleary is the Co-Founder & Chief Strategy Officer of Pathway Homes, a real estate company that provides new construction rentals to tenants, with the option to purchase them over time. Cleary explains that renting gives tenants time to build their credit score and save for a down payment, while ...