Saul Ewing Partners Trip Riley & Jason McElroy are the perfect guests to shed light on the current regulatory ambiguity in the housing and mortgage market. Their expertise spans mortgage origination and servicing, regulatory counseling, compliance auditing, and litigation defense. On this episode, Riley and McElroy emphasize the challenges posed by the federal government stepping back, with states filling the void and creating a patchwork of rules that may complicate compliance for national ...
Jun 29, 2025•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 24
Former Rocket Mortgage CEO Bob Walters spent 28 years transforming the company from a small regional brokerage into the country’s largest mortgage lender. Walters joins Housing Insiders to share what he learned along the way from Rocket Founder Dan Gilbert and how their work simplifying and democratizing complex lending processes made Rocket a leader in digital mortgage solutions. On this episode, Walters talks about the next frontier in digital lending, sharing why he believes the mortgage indu...
Jun 16, 2025•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 23
Up for Growth is a national, cross-sector member network committed to solving the housing shortage and affordability crisis through data-driven research and evidence-based policy. Founder & CEO Mike Kingsella joins Housing Insiders to talk why some cities grow and others struggle, whether the NIMBYs or YIMBYs have it right, and what he wants Congress to do to solve the housing shortage. Whether you’re a housing professional or simply care about the future of where we live, Housing Insiders d...
Jun 01, 2025•51 min•Ep. 22
Ivan Rupnik is Associate Professor of Architecture at Northeastern University and Founding Partner of MOD X , a research-based advisory he started along with Ryan E. Smith and Tyler Schmetterer that supports the global offsite construction industry. He joins Housing Insiders to talk about building codes: how they work (and in the case of the US, could work a lot better), and how a nationalized approach could make factory-built housing more scalable and affordable. The US holds the dubious distin...
May 19, 2025•49 min•Ep. 21
Bob Pinnegar is the President and CEO of the National Apartment Association (NAA), a trade association representing 95,000 members with over 12 million rental units nationwide. Bob joins Housing Insiders to talk about the state of multifamily housing and the complicated factors - from interest rates to tariffs - making the future of the rental market harder to predict than usual. Bob unpacks the challenges of balancing national trends with local market realities, the evolving rental landscape, a...
May 05, 2025•46 min•Ep. 20
Drumroll, please! Chief Innovation and Strategy Officer Jenna Louie of Ivory Innovations joins Housing Insiders to announce the Top 10 finalists for its prestigious Ivory Prize , a national award designed to recognize and support innovative and scalable solutions addressing the housing affordability crisis. Competing across the categories of Construction & Design, Finance, and Policy & Regulatory Reform, the 10 finalists will ultimately be whittled down to 3 winners, who will share a $30...
Apr 20, 2025•44 min•Ep. 19
In this episode of Housing Insiders, Jonathan & Jeremy are joined by Mike Yu to talk the past, present, and future of technology in mortgage lending - and the huge role AI will play in mortgage digitization. Mike is the Co-Founder & CEO of Vesta , a provider of next generation mortgage loan origination software, allowing financial institutions to improve their lending processes with customizable workflows and intuitive, easy-to-use experiences. Hear how the mortgage industry is using tec...
Apr 06, 2025•37 min•Ep. 18
In this episode of Housing Insiders, Jonathan & Jeremy are joined by Jim Parrott to talk about the latest shakeups at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, including the removal of 14 board members and the firing of the CEO of Freddie Mac. With Bill Pulte as the new, self-appointed chairman of the board of both organizations, speculation is rampant about the extent of the further “DOGE treatment” the agencies will face. Parrott, co-founder of Parrott Ryan Advisors and a nonresident fellow at the Urban...
Mar 23, 2025•55 min•Ep. 17
On this episode of Housing Insiders, Jonathan & Jeremy discuss the latest housing news from Washington, starting with the DOGE staffers at HUD (Housing and Urban Development) and whether or not fears about their access to valuable data are overblown. Next, will the return to office further exacerbate the baby bust ? And feedback on the confirmation hearings of Bill Pulte for FHFA (Federal Housing Finance Agency) & Jonathan McKernan for CFPB (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau). After t...
Mar 09, 2025•37 min•Ep. 16
In this episode of Housing Insiders, Jonathan & Jeremy talk GSEs and the potential impact on mortgage rates should the Trump administration pull Fannie and Freddie out of conservatorship. Next, while the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) may be on ice, the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) has not gone away. Saul Ewing Partner Trip Riley joins the show to talk about why RESPA exists, what its future could be in the new administration, and what that could mean for the mo...
Feb 16, 2025•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 15
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...
Feb 03, 2025•28 min•Ep. 14
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, u...
Jan 19, 2025•58 min•Ep. 13
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...
Jan 06, 2025•56 min•Ep. 12
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 t...
Dec 23, 2024•36 min•Ep. 11
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,” ...
Dec 09, 2024•39 min•Ep. 10
Ivy Zelman is the CEO of Zelman & Associates . When it comes to housing trends, Ivy has developed a reputation for “seeing around corners,’’ and her accurate forecasts – including predicting the 2008 housing crash - make her one of the most influential people we know. In this episode, Ivy takes out her crystal ball once again and has some harsh warnings for the industry about the headwinds she sees coming from climate change, and how that will impact migration trends across the US. Plus, Ivy...
Nov 25, 2024•34 min•Ep. 9
The down payment on a home continues to be unrealistic for many Americans. How can we change that? Landy Liu is the Founder of Foyer , a savings platform for first-time homebuyers. Think of it as the “401(k) for homeownership.” Hear him reveal how their savings platform works, the key things to keep in mind as a first-time homebuyer, what the government can do to help first-time homebuyers, how Foyer makes money, and what he wishes existed in the housing market. Following the interview, you’ll m...
Nov 11, 2024•34 min•Ep. 8
With traditional homeownership more unattainable than ever, aspirational homeowners are exploring ‘rent-to-own’ options. K.C. Cleary is the Co-Founder & Chief Strategy Officer of Pathway Homes , a real estate company that provides new construction rentals to tenants, with the option to purchase them over time. Cleary explains that renting gives tenants time to build their credit score and save for a down payment, while ‘test driving’ a home and neighborhood to make sure it’s a good fit. In t...
Oct 28, 2024•38 min•Ep. 7
The 2024 presidential election is only weeks away, and housing is front and center as a campaign issue like never before, with each candidate promising they have a plan to make housing more plentiful and affordable. To break down what Trump and Harris’ campaign promises are all about, we talk to Jeb Mason , a partner at public policy consultancy Mindset , and a housing wonk like us. There are promises of down payment assistance and new homes across federal lands, but as Jeb points out, “Neither ...
Oct 21, 2024•39 min•Ep. 6
The homebuilding process is slow and expensive. Jonathan says it’s driven by the Three L’s: Lumber, Laws, and Labor. Aleks Gampel , Co-Founder of Cuby , is here to help that. Cuby deploys Mobile Micro-Factories (MMFs) globally to solve challenges within the home construction economy and beyond. Aleks, Jonathan, and Jeremy discuss navigating the issues with home construction today, how the MMFs work, Cuby’s ideal customers, how housing supply will drive home costs down, and his thoughts on ADUs (...
Oct 14, 2024•33 min•Ep. 5
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 lan...
Sep 30, 2024•32 min•Ep. 4
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% commi...
Sep 16, 2024•45 min•Ep. 3
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 loo...
Sep 02, 2024•39 min•Ep. 2
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 [email protected] with any question...
Aug 20, 2024•34 min•Ep. 1
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 headline...
Aug 12, 2024•1 min
