Rob Chrisman

No Comments You probably know that there are banks that lend on Parmesan Cheese. During a recent trip overseas, I spoke to a banker who stated, “Technology doesn’t stop at the border.” True. The days of writing out this Commentary or taking an app on a yellow pad of paper are long gone. Today has the STRATMOR Group’s Advisory Angle at 11AM PT. STRATMOR Senior Partners Garth Graham and Nicole Yung explore the latest findings from STRATMOR’s Technology Insight Digital Innovations study.

No Comments One of the key selling points for an LO talking to a potential client about becoming a homeowner is the landlord/client relationship, which can go awry. (Pearl is the daughter of the short film’s director, by the way.) There are many reasons why renters aren’t owners, like, “can they not afford a residence,” or “are none available?” We recently learned that May new home sales slid to 580,000 (seasonally adjusted) and are down around 7 percent m-o-m and y-o-y.

No Comments “What do they call the 4th of July in nursing homes? In Depends Day.” Plenty of people are hitting the roads, hopefully some of them are visiting elderly relatives, and what better conversation topic than… the hidden picture of how a gas station works? Of course, people will be dining on a wide variety of chow and thank you to Indiana’s Carol K. who sent this story about what Americans ate in 1776.

No Comments We find ourselves in the 3rd quarter of 2026. The stock market has made the headlines, but between a) the reduction in the number of publicly held companies, and b) the weight given to AI-related stocks, it is worth reminding everyone that the stock market is not the economy. Economies are complex, as are countries. Did you know that more Europeans die each year from summer heat than Americans die from gun violence?

No Comments “I decided to play golf with my friend. On the third hole he said, ‘Let’s make this interesting.’ So we stopped playing golf.” Every week I receive a half a dozen invitations to mortgage golf events, usually centered around a conference. How about coming up with something where you can see and talk to more than three other people for 3-4 hours? Group hikes? Make-a-bear? Mini-golf? Bowling? Croquet? Pretzel making?

No Comments “Does anyone know which page of the bible explains how to turn water into wine? (Asking for a friend.)” Are you ever suspicious of someone who never asks questions? Lenders often ask about improving their execution, and STRATMOR’s current blog is “Pricing That Can Help Borrowers.” MLOs occasionally ask about an online tool that can help potential borrowers understand the process.

No Comments Many successful LOs explain to clients, early in the relationship, how they, and the lender, earn income to set expectations. Income is straightforward, and limited, and only when the loan closes.

No Comments We know that a) Congress passed a housing bill which, if not signed within 10 days, becomes law anyway, and b) U.S. presidents are known to be candid. Once again, we see the intersection of housing, lending, and politics with not only the postponement by the President of signing the bill, but also the statement of his alleged opinion about housing. The signing, originally scheduled for Wednesday, June 24, was called off just hours before it was set to begin.

No Comments “Did you hear they just opened the world’s largest Lego store in Las Vegas? People are lining up for blocks.” Around the country, originators seem less focused on the housing bill signing ceremony postponement than on “opportunity.” There are opportunities, but not for every LO. There is the opportunity (and goal) of senior management to make their company immune from economic and world political turmoil.

No Comments Today I fly to the Mastermind Summit in Las Vegas. (I am anxious to see the friar from a Las Vegas monastery who converts the gambling tokens from all the casinos into cash. He’s known as the chip monk.) Speaking of air travel, I received this note. “Rob, thanks for the explanation on how airlines create boarding groups.