Housing Insiders

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 meet Foyer customer Gui de Araujo, who shares his homeownership journey.

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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 this conversation, Jonathan and Jeremy ask Cleary about who his customers are, how models like this can scale, and whether this is a viable pathway to home equity for millions of Americans currently locked out of the American Dream.

To kick things off, Jonathan and Jeremy discuss whether a 40-year mortgage is a good idea, plus Jeremy’s takeaways from the HousingWire IMB Summit.

Email [email protected] with any questions or comments and Subscribe to Housing Insiders on your favorite podcast platform. This podcast is brought to you by Bilt Rewards

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 candidate is really talking about a deliberate reversal of the monetary and fiscal stimulus that got us into and exacerbated this housing affordability crisis.” And since you all are Housing Insiders, you’ll want to hear Jeb’s thoughts on the prospects for GSE reform.

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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 (Accessory Dwelling Units).

To kick things off, Jonathan and Jeremy touch on how stocks are rising across homebuilding companies, plus more and more loan buybacks from Freddie Mac.

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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.

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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.

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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 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.