Power House

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Stop waiting for rescue: Mark Milam on fixing the affordability problem Nov 05, 2026

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Affordability isn’t going to fix itself, and Mark Milam’s argument is that the mortgage industry should stop waiting for someone else to solve it. The CEO of Atlanta-based Highland Mortgage calls rates, home prices, and wages the holy trinity of affordability: the three things the industry doesn’t control, and the three it keeps trying to wish into place. The long stretch of low rates after 2008 is his example of a well-meant intervention the market is still paying for. He’s also skeptical that supply legislation, including the 21st Century Road to Housing Act, moves prices on existing homes, since builders will cut to clear inventory but a homeowner with equity and a low rate can simply stay put. His focus instead is on the levers the industry can reach: GSE guarantee fees, voluntary prepayment penalties that let borrowers trade flexibility for a lower rate, and first-time buyer programs built around local home prices rather than income relative to neighbors. The coalition that took on trigger leads is his proof that the industry can move policy when it organizes.

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The Power House podcast brings the biggest names in housing to answer hard-hitting questions about industry trends, operational and growth strategy, and leadership. Join HousingWire’s Zeb Lowe every Thursday morning for candid conversations with industry leaders to learn how they’re differentiating themselves from the competition. Hosted and produced by the HousingWire Content Studio.

From proxy fight to AI platform: Vishal Garg’s plan for Better Nov 03, 2026

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Better founder Vishal Garg joins Diego Sanchez for a candid conversation about the proxy fight, the move away from ad-driven direct-to-consumer lending, and his plan to power origination for the rest of the industry rather than compete with it. Garg is blunt about his own mistake: not pushing the AI hard enough while younger competitors moved faster. They also get into distributed retail and wholesale, recent cost cuts, and what the path to profitability looks like from here.

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What it takes to build a neighborhood that feels like home Oct 29, 2026

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A home is more than an asset. It’s the place and community we build our lives around. Zeb Lowe sits down with Matt Dean, founder of Dean&Co., to explore how thoughtful planning and authentic storytelling can turn a collection of neighborhoods and businesses into a real community.

Matt shares what he’s learned working alongside developers, why getting the whole team around the table early matters, and how community-centered master-planned neighborhoods can offer something that conventional suburban development often misses. They also discuss the challenges of bringing these projects to life, including builder hesitation and local opposition, and why patient, well-aligned capital can help a vision survive the development process.

For housing and real estate professionals, Matt’s message is simple: Pay attention to what makes a place feel like home. The payoff isn’t just a successful project. It’s seeing people connect, grow, and make a life there.

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HW Exclusive: Mortgage fraud - Weaponizing the American Dream Oct 22, 2026

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Mortgage fraud has moved from a technical compliance issue to a political weapon. Though detected fraud remains uncommon, allegations can carry enormous weight—especially when homeownership feels increasingly out of reach. The episode explores why intent matters, how accusations can shape reputations before the courts weigh in, and what this reveals about public trust and the American dream.

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Kevin Kauffman on how Freddie Mac collaborates with lenders to lower costs Oct 15, 2026

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In this Power House conversation, Kevin Kauffman shares how Freddie Mac is working alongside lenders to meet rising costs and a changing housing market. He describes a partnership built on listening, data, and practical support—from streamlining lending processes to helping consumers find down payment assistance.

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Beyond the C-suite: Who trade associations need to reach next Oct 13, 2026

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Trade associations are looking beyond the C-suite to better serve the people closest to consumers. Clayton Collins and California MBA CEO Paul Gigliotti discuss how stronger member engagement and collaboration across state lines can help the mortgage industry navigate a changing landscape. From industry consolidation to AI and housing affordability, the conversation explores how associations can turn advocacy into practical solutions for lenders, originators and borrowers.

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Sal Tarsia on C-PACE and filling the capital stack gap Oct 08, 2026

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al Tarsia of Castle Green Finance joins Zeb to explain C-PACE, a financing tool that lets commercial developers fund energy-efficiency and resilience work without reopening the whole capital stack. He covers how it can make a deal pencil when conventional lending leaves a gap, where it fits in housing development and disaster rebuilding, and why long-term fixed-rate money matters in a market this unpredictable.

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What it takes to keep producing in a tough market Oct 01, 2026

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On this episode of Power House, Zeb Lowe sits down with top-producing originator and Premier Mortgage Resources executive Mandi Feely Swain to trace her career from loan processing to the executive level. She explains what separates the originators who will excel in a tough market from those who fall away.

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Mortgage policy, made simple: What’s changing and why it matters Sep 29, 2026

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Zeb Lowe and California MBA CEO Paul Gigliotti unpack the policy decisions shaping the mortgage industry—from the defeat of California’s proposed CRA bill and stalled mortgage portability and PACE proposals to disaster-rebuilding assistance and forbearance reform. They also look ahead to the ROAD to Housing Act and why affordable housing deserves mortgage professionals’ attention. The big takeaway: understanding policy early can help the industry prepare, advocate, and spot opportunities.

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The next Non-QM: Jim Cory on the reverse sleeper opportunity Sep 24, 2026

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Homeowners 55 and up are sitting on enormous untapped equity, and most lenders still don't have a plan for it. Jim Cory, Managing Director of Reverse at Guild Mortgage and a board member at NRMLA, joins Zeb to explain how reverse mortgages went from a loan of last resort to a flexible tool for older homeowners and the almost-seniors behind them. He covers the rise of jumbo reverse products, the move from 62+ to 55+ eligibility, and why reverse for purchase may be the least understood play in the market. They also get into the industry shift: large IMBs are bringing reverse in house rather than brokering it out, building full departments the way they once did with non-QM. Plus stigma, Boomer tech adoption, and the referral network moving from realtors to financial planners and CPAs.

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