“Did you hear about the Chinese guy who spoke out against the government? Exactly.” Hate the U.S. Government or love it, sometimes government and lender interaction is beneficial, sometimes not. The ongoing federal government shutdown not only has impacted citizen’s psychology, but has hit FHA and VA loan processing via reduced staff, creating endorsement delays of days to weeks. USDA loans remain completely halted for new guarantees, although it appears that IRS transcript processing, and other verification services needed for all loan types, is functioning. The NAR (National Association of Realtors) estimates approximately 1,400 property transactions per day could be affected when the shutdown went beyond 30 days. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has suspended publication of economic data, leaving markets and policymakers without critical employment and inflation reports, grinding down bond market activity. Furloughed workers certainly aren’t buying homes. (Today’s podcast can be found here and Sponsored by ICE. As the standard for innovation, artificial intelligence, efficiency and scalability, ICE is the technology of choice for the majority of industry participants, defining the future of homeownership. Today’s features an interview with ICE’s Dana Federspiel on the key challenges servicers and subservicers are facing in a rapidly evolving industry, how servicers can achieve greater scalability and efficiency, and which regulatory issues may impact the sector heading into 2026.)