Sometimes it’s tough to find good news out there. For independent mortgage bank (IMB) and mortgage subsidiaries of chartered bank lenders, the MBA reports that production costs exceeded $11,000 per loan in the 3rd quarter leading to a net loss of $624 on each loan they originated. (More below.) And the cost of determining a borrower’s credit will be heading significantly higher, according to word on the street. The increases are not coming from credit resellers, such as credit reporting agencies, but rumored instead to be coming from the bureaus and Fair Isaac, customers are encouraged to speak with their credit source for the exact details on tiers, actual percentage increases, and timing to put speculation to rest. Want some good news? We’re a month away from the day with the least amount of sunlight (solstice). Want a free Denny’s breakfast for a year just by wearing this $5.99 T-shirt? In a fantastic marketing feat, there are only 150 of them and they go on sale at midnight on the 24th. How about this for opportunity: there’s almost $30 trillion in home equity out there. Go help some owners tap into theirs. (Today’s podcast is available here and this week’s is sponsored by Richey May, a recognized leader in providing specialized advisory, audit, tax, technology, and other services in the mortgage industry and in banking. Today’s has an interview with Rice Park’s Nick Smith on a wide range of current capital markets topics from TBA liquidity to what REITs do.)