Yogi Berra, when asked about staying in a particular hotel, replied, “The towels were so thick there I could hardly close my suitcase.” I’ve attended my share of conferences in the last few months (no towels were purloined), and the two big general concerns for lenders everywhere are a) providing the best products, price, and service to clients, and b) the general economic and interest rate climate and its impact on their business model. Regarding the second topic, mergers and acquisitions are on fire, and a good starting point in evaluating deals and how to structure them is the current STRATMOR blog, “Mergers and Acquisitions Continue On.” In product news, the use of Home Equity Lines of Credit (HELOC) and closed end Home Equity Loans (HELOAN) has skyrocketed recently as consumers need liquidity but want to keep their low rate first mortgage in place. STRATMOR Group is conducting a very brief survey to better understand the key decisions driving lenders to offer these products. The survey takes only a few minutes and does not require any data collection. Participants will receive a summary of the survey findings. Lenders, click here to participate. (Today’s podcast is available here and features an interview with Sara Knochel and Shane Osborne on why everyone is using technology to refocus on quality control. This week’s podcast is Sponsored by Candor Technology, Home of the One Touch Underwrite, supporting lenders from Point of Sale to Post Close QC, to reduce repurchase risk, increase underwriter productivity by 400% and decrease turn-times by 10 days.)