My cat Myrtle never liked Halloween, apparently believing it was for amateurs. Our nation has plenty of interesting historical sites related to ghosts and unpleasant things… like Salem, Massachusetts. It lives with the history of the Witch Trials of 1692 during which 19 women and men were executed on charges of witchcraft. Today, the most frightening thing about the place is the traffic in October, but also somewhat frightening is the price of real estate: if you want a decent place there, it’s going to set you back a mil. Speaking of home prices and U.S. transactions, foreign buyers are alive and well, apparently undeterred by the high prices and with a good percentage of them doing all-cash deals. At least affordability problems have been easing somewhat, with the gradual decline of mortgage rates this year. We all know that increasing regulatory restrictions and requirements will not solve consumer affordability challenges, and here is a White Paper that discusses market-based Homeowner Affordability Strategies that benefit many industries and homeowners, the pressing challenge of housing affordability amid the escalating impact of natural disasters, a crisis that demands innovative, collaborative solutions to ensure resilient and sustainable communities. (Today’s podcast can be found here and this week’s are sponsored by Optimal Blue, the only end-to-end capital markets platform built to power performance, precision, and profitability, helping lenders of all sizes operate more efficiently, manage risk more effectively, and maximize results. Today’s has an interview with nCino’s Casey Williams on the latest wave of AI-powered mortgage innovations and how these tools are redefining lender efficiency, borrower experience, and what’s next in intelligent mortgage automation.)