“Many people told Beethoven that he would never be a musician because he was deaf. Did he listen?” This week hundreds of mortgage bankers descend on Washington DC for the annual advocacy conference organized by our MBA, and they hope that those in Congress listen. The Consumer Finance Protection Bureau will certainly be a discussion topic. The CFPB being minimized leaves a vacuum which, it is believed, will fall back on the states. Another topic will be how applicable is the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) for lenders that don’t accept deposits, like IMBs? Back in the lending trenches, LOs are focused on connecting with borrowers, especially previous borrowers where the servicing has been sold. Today on Now Next Later, join Sasha and Jeremy for 30 minutes as they chat with Skye Laudari, CEO of Crib Equity, about how the platform is helping mortgage companies connect with more homebuyers, particularly in high-cost areas like California. They’ll dive into how Crib Equity benefits first-time buyers and mortgage loan officers, offering a fresh approach to homeownership. (Today’s podcast can be found here and this week’s is sponsored by Figure. Figure is shaking up the lending world with its five-day HELOC, offering borrower approvals in as little as five minutes and funding in five days. Lenders, give your borrowers an experience they will rave about. On today’s hear an interview with Polunsky Beitel Green’s Marty Green on tariff impacts as they pertain to the Fed’s decision making moving through 2025.)