Housing Insiders – Details, episodes & analysis

The recent National Association of Realtors settlement comes at a critical time for the housing industry, as startups continue to try to shake up the status quo and housing affordability remains at crisis levels. In this episode, Jonathan & Jeremy break down the outcome of the settlement and discuss what it means for every person involved in a home sale – from lenders and appraisers, to buyers and sellers, and of course for the realtors whose livelihoods have long depended upon that 3% commission. Jeremy points out in many ways, the powerful realtors association brought this on itself - it had resisted innovations like flat-fee brokers for years. But, if you think the settlement will make it easier for discount brokers to break into the housing game, you'll want to hear what Jonathan has to say about "Lawless kickbacks" and more. For housing insiders who need to understand the implications of the settlement, this episode is for you.

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After Jonathan and Jeremy dissect the housing headlines (spoiler alert: the NAR settlement may not actually bring down costs for buyers and sellers) they vent about the glacial pace at which much-needed reform is happening. “‘Work harder and wait longer,’ that’s the message the housing industrial complex is sending,” says Jeremy. Jonathan, himself a veteran of Fannie Mae, says many of the pilot projects the GSEs lead “feel like a way of just kicking the can.” So, what would a “Lawless” pilot look like? “If somebody has paid their rent on time for the last 24 months and their mortgage payment is within 10% of that, give them a f***ing mortgage and let's see how it goes.”

Chrissi Johnson, the Founder and CEO of Alinement Initiative (a nonprofit housing accelerator) and VP of External Affairs at Prosperity Now, joins the discussion to talk about her work to convene multiple stakeholders to crack the housing industrial complex.

Email Podcast@TheHousingInsiders.com with any questions or comments and Subscribe to Housing Insiders on your favorite podcast platform

Welcome to Housing Insiders! In this pilot episode, your co-hosts Jonathan Lawless and Jeremy Potter welcome special guest Odeta Kushi, Deputy Chief Economist for First American Financial Corporation. Hear an overview of the state of housing affordability today, the cities Millennials and Gen Zers are migrating to, the impact of remote work on housing and office spaces, why the cities are (maybe) dying, and the true cost of home ownership. Email Podcast@TheHousingInsiders.com with any questions or comments and Subscribe to Housing Insiders on your favorite podcast platform

Welcome to Housing Insiders! Meet your co-hosts, Jonathan Lawless and Jeremy Potter. They’re two housing wonks who know just about everyone in the housing industry, from founders and builders to lenders and regulators. The multi-trillion dollar housing market is complicated, and for all the great ideas and innovations, buying a home is not affordable, and everyone knows the rent is still too damn high. On Housing Insiders, Jonathan and Jeremy talk to those in the know, going beneath the headlines to find actionable ideas you won’t hear anywhere else to solve today’s housing crisis.

Housing Insiders. Because everyone should be well-housed. Don’t just take a listen. Subscribe and take action.

Jonathan Lawless has spent his career promoting innovative solutions to expand access to credit and affordable housing, serving in leadership roles at Fannie Mae and Pathway Homes. He is currently the Head of Homeownership at Bilt Rewards, the first loyalty program that allows customers to earn points when paying their rent. Jeremy Potter is an attorney who led Quicken Loans’ Capital Markets Strategy and Innovation team. He also served as General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer at Norcom Mortgage and currently is Chief Strategist for IncentiFind, connecting real estate developers with green energy incentives.

If home ownership is still a key to wealth generation, how can more Americans get their piece of the pie? Marisa Calderon, the President & CEO of Prosperity Now, joins Jonathan and Jeremy to talk about new approaches to building prosperity, including fractional home ownership and other “on ramps to wealth” through collaborative ownership of different kinds of assets. From co-ownership platform Nestment to Atlanta-based real estate investment fund Roots, these three discuss the startup landscape, including Marisa’s new Prosperity Next, an initiative for CDFIs to bridge the gap between lending and the capital markets, while enhancing financial inclusion for underserved communities.  

Prior to her role as President and CEO of Prosperity Now, Calderon served as the Executive Director of the NCRC Community Development Fund and in leadership roles at NAHREP, the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals.

Email Podcast@TheHousingInsiders.com with any questions or comments and Subscribe to Housing Insiders on your favorite podcast platform

On this episode of Housing Insiders, Jonathan & Jeremy discuss the confusion that reigned in Washington, DC last week, after the White House memo ordering a freeze on all federal grants and loans seemed to put a myriad of housing programs in jeopardy. According to Jonathan, “If you want to stop federal grants, you have to be a little more thoughtful than just cutting them all immediately.” HUD has since clarified FHA, USDA, and VA lending programs will continue, and the entire order has been blocked by a federal judge.

Amidst all the breaking news, you’ll be forgiven if you missed Scott Turner’s confirmation hearing to be HUD Secretary. Jonathan & Jeremy provide their key takeaways and are encouraged by Turner’s plans to boost opportunity zones and reform building codes.

Senator Elizabeth Warren and Scott Turner tangle about housing costs here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ov_tlpGC28g

Email Podcast@TheHousingInsiders.com with any questions or comments and Subscribe to Housing Insiders on your favorite podcast platform. This podcast is brought to you by Bilt Rewards

In this episode of Housing Insiders, Jonathan & Jeremy discuss what the wildfires mean for homeowners insurance nationwide and the long-term impact the wildfires will have on the homebuilding process, including the prognosis for factory-built homes. Next, Steve Royster, Head of Community Banking & Marketing at MoCaFi (Mobility Capital Finance), joins the show to talk about his work reaching and helping unbanked Americans. “There are credit-worthy people in black and brown communities, underbanked communities, that deserve access to capital,” says Steve. Steve says MoCaFi’s fintech solutions and financial education programs will help close the racial wealth gap, and their work will continue regardless of changing views about DEI in some corporate boardrooms. MoCaFi has previously partnered with Los Angeles to help disburse COVID relief funds to the unbanked via Angeleno Connect cards, a program that could be utilized again to provide disaster relief funds.

Donate to the American Red Cross, World Central Kitchen, and the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation. 

Impacted by the wildfires? Fannie Mae’s Here to Help program can connect you at no cost with a housing counselor to help you through the process. 

Email Podcast@TheHousingInsiders.com with any questions or comments and Subscribe to Housing Insiders on your favorite podcast platform. This podcast is brought to you by Bilt Rewards.

It’s a time unlike any other in the housing industry. In this special episode of Housing Insiders, Jonathan & Jeremy review the highlight reel of some of their favorite guests from 2024, discussing insights learned and revealing their big bets for 2025. Hear their positive & negative takes on the housing industry heading into 2025, including what rising insurance and property taxes will mean for homeowners, predictions on where builders will turn their attention in the new year, and what home financing and lending could look like in the future.  

Background reading:

WSJ (subscription required):  Insurance and Property Taxes Now Cost more Than Mortgage For Many Homeowners

Steve Randy Waldman’s blog on Microcities

CFPB sues Rocket for alleged RESPA violations

Email Podcast@TheHousingInsiders.com with any questions or comments, and subscribe to Housing Insiders on your favorite podcast platform. This podcast is brought to you by Bilt Rewards

Jared Stasik, Partner at Detroit Venture Partners (DVP), joins Housing Insiders to chat a day in the life of funding early-stage tech companies, including housing startups. DVP was founded in 2010 by Dan Gilbert, Quicken Loans/Rocket Mortgage Founder & Chairman and owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers, with a vision to grow Detroit's entrepreneurial community. Hear how Jared decides what types of housing companies to invest in, the typical timeline for housing companies to reach a return, how to navigate the heavy regulation in the housing industry, the role of AI (Artificial Intelligence) in housing startups, and whether housing startups can tackle the housing affordability crisis.

Email Podcast@TheHousingInsiders.com with any questions or comments and Subscribe to Housing Insiders on your favorite podcast platform. This podcast is brought to you by Bilt Rewards

Hugh Frater, the former CEO of Fannie Mae (and Jonathan’s old boss) joins Housing Insiders to offer his blunt take on solving the housing crisis. According to Frater, "I don't think we should be promoting homeownership per se. I think we should just be finding ways to deliver more housing without regard to whether it's rental or for sale." As Chairman of Vessel Technologies, a developer and manufacturer of panelized multifamily apartment buildings that are “Class A housing at a Class B rent,” Frater is trying to do just that.

Vessel has 500-600 units of workforce housing in various stages of development across Connecticut, with expansion plans in Florida and New Jersey in the new year. While Frater admits "the road to hell has been paved with failed modular companies," he believes Vessel's elegant design and simple assembly process, combined with the rising demand for “attainable” housing, makes Vessel a promising player. Frater also shares his thoughts on the future of the GSEs and his “magic wand” wish for zoning in the US.

Email Podcast@TheHousingInsiders.com with any questions or comments and Subscribe to Housing Insiders on your favorite podcast platform. This podcast is brought to you by Bilt Rewards