SF.FreddieMac.com

Freddie Mac Single-Family Home Starts Here Podcast

Recent Podcast Episodes

  • Podcast April 17, 2024

    Opening Doors: Navigating Underserved Communities

    In this episode of The Way Home, Katie Givens, Director of Sales, Single-Family Seller Engagement, and Rebecca Lopacinski, Account Executive, Single-Family Seller Engagement, chat with Juan Rodas, CEO and co-founder of New Story Lending, about serving underserved markets and the incredible story of how his company became a Freddie Mac Seller/Servicer.

  • Podcast April 17, 2024

    Helping Homebuyers Win

    Introducing Freddie Mac's new podcast series: Empower Your Outreach. Created for real estate professionals, this series discusses today's housing market with industry professionals and leaders.

  • Podcast April 4, 2024

    Bridge to Home: Innovative
    Homeownership Solutions

    On this week’s episode, Danny Gardner, SVP, Single-Family Seller Engagement, joins Phil Treadwell, founder of M1 Academy and host of the Mortgage Marketing Expert podcast, discuss how Freddie Mac technology capabilities and innovative solutions are bridging the homeownership gap.

  • Podcast March 27, 2024

    Educating Tomorrow's Homebuyers Today

    Introducing Freddie Mac's new podcast series: Empower Your Outreach. Created for real estate professionals, this series discusses today's housing market with industry professionals and leaders.

  • Podcast March 25, 2024

    Unlocking Lender Perspectives: Quality Control, Technology and Innovation

    On this week’s episode, Kevin Kauffman, SVP, Single-Family Seller -Engagement, chats with Eileen Tu, VP, Product Development and Credit Policy at Rocket Mortgage, about how to leverage the lender partnership with Freddie Mac to approach technology advancements, ongoing regulatory changes and quality control (QC) in today’s business environment.

  • Podcast March 13, 2024

    Building for Tomorrow
    Through Equitable Initiatives

    Introducing Freddie Mac's new podcast series: Empower Your Outreach. Created for real estate professionals, this series discusses today's housing market with industry professionals and leaders.

  • Podcast March 8, 2024

    Sustainable Horizons: Navigating
    Today's Homeownership

    On this episode of The Way HomeSM, Cecelia Raine, VP Servicing Strategy and Integration joins guest host Phil Treadwell, founder of M1 Academy and host of the Mortgage Marketing Expert podcast discuss advancing the servicing industry with smart solutions to drive sustainable homeownership in today’s environment.

  • Podcast February 23, 2024

    Becoming a Freddie Mac Seller/Servicer: Easy Steps to Success

    On this week’s episode of The Way Home, guest host Katie Givens, Freddie Mac’s Director of Sales chats with Jennifer Whip, Principal, Cambridge One, to explore the actionable strategies to, and benefits of, becoming an approved Freddie Mac Seller or Servicer.

  • Podcast February 6, 2024

    Charting New Paths:
    The Visionary Duo – Sonu and Shankar

    On The Way Home, the newest podcast from Freddie Mac, Sonu Mittal and Ravi Shankar chat with guest host Phil Treadwell, founder of M1 Academy and host of the Mortgage Marketing taking you on a captivating journey in understanding their perspectives on navigating today’s dynamic market.

  • Podcast January 31, 2024

    Navigating Market Ebbs & Flows

    In this episode of the Equitably Speaking podcast, Navigating Market Ebbs and Flows, our panel of guests discuss how to leverage Freddie Mac programs and platforms to support potential homebuyers in need of down payment and closing cost assistance.

  • Podcast January 22, 2024

    Home Sweet Ownership – Affordable, Sustainable and Equitable Opportunities

    On this week’s episode, guest host Phil Treadwell, founder of M1 Academy and host of the Mortgage Marketing podcast, and Deb Jones, Senior Vice President and Director, Mortgage Capital Markets, Citizens Bank, explore ways to make homeownership more affordable, sustainable and equitable.

  • Podcast November 28, 2023

    Creating a Sustainable Book of Business

    In this episode, former loan originator, Phil Treadwell, shares advice on how loan officers can help borrowers in underserved communities build generational wealth and take advantage of down payment and closing cost assistance programs.

  • Podcast November 17, 2023

    Breaking Into Underserved Markets

    In this episode, former loan originator, Phil Treadwell, shares advice on how loan officers can help borrowers in underserved communities build generational wealth and take advantage of down payment and closing cost assistance programs.

  • Podcast November 3, 2023

    CRTcast E8: 2023 Market Evolution from an ACIS® and STACR® Perspective

    Mike Reynolds meets with Bank of America’s Kesi Wang and PartnerRe’s Jeffrey Ryan to discuss how the market has evolved throughout 2023, from a (re)insurance and capital markets perspective.

  • Podcast April 27, 2023

    CRTcast E7: State of the (Re)insurance Market

    Mike Reynolds and Aon’s Joe Monaghan talk about the state of the (re)insurance market and its potential impact on (re)insurers.

  • Podcast February 27, 2023

    The Future of Secondary Marketing Technology

    Join Freddie Mac and Polly for our Power of Partnership podcast discussion of planning ahead for technology innovation that supports secondary marketing and capital markets in 2023 and beyond. Get to know Polly and its capabilities and how Freddie Mac and Polly partner to bring efficiencies to our mutual clients.

  • Podcast November 9, 2022

    Raising the Bar: How Lenders RISE to make Home Possible

    Hear from three of our 2022 RISE Award winners and learn what drove their success and how they keep moving the needle forward in homeownership.

  • Podcast November 8, 2022

    Ensuring Efficiency and Accuracy through Integrations

    How can you ensure efficiency and accuracy through technology integration? Join Freddie Mac and MCT as we talk technology integration and the importance of those integrations to support rate sheet and hedging accuracy – plus the benefits you can realize in your pricing, committing and accounting activities.

  • Podcast October 31, 2022

    Best Practices for Managing Loan Pricing Economics

    Join Freddie Mac and Innovient for our Power of Partnership podcast, where we talk best practices for managing loan pricing economics and how Innovient’s platform for capital markets interfaces with Freddie Mac – plus recommendations on margin preservation in a hyper-competitive market.

  • Podcast October 11, 2022

    Risk Management Excellence with Terri Merlino

    On the Mortgage Marketing Expert podcast, Terri Merlino, SVP and Chief Risk Officer for Single-Family spoke of how risk management and serving our mission are not mutually exclusive. She also talks about how relying on data and embracing a risk management culture are part of our holistic risk management approach.

  • Podcast September 30, 2022

    CRTcast E6: Current State of the Market and Future Direction of CRT

    Mike Reynolds and Christian Valencia, vice president of CRT Investments and Capital Markets (I&CM), and Jeff Shue, senior director of CRT I&CM, discuss the current state of the market and what to expect in the upcoming quarter.

  • Podcast August 5, 2022

    Appraisal Adjustments with Scott Reuter

    Scott Reuter, Chief Appraiser and Director of Property Valuation, discusses how to get appraisal adjustments, necessary changes to existing appraisal models and emerging technology tools.

  • Podcast April 29, 2022

    Optimize Decisions for Optimized Executions

    The Power of Partnership is our podcast under the Freddie Mac Home Starts Here podcast series that focuses on the strong relationships between Freddie Mac and our third-party partners. Today we’re talking about Freddie Mac’s 2022 pricing objectives and loan pricing components with our valued secondary market advisor, or SMA, partner MIAC, and how MIAC is making the analysis and loan sale process easier and delivering better results with its technology platform and advisory services. Listen in to learn how to optimize your pooling.

  • Podcast April 18, 2022

    Digital Evolution with Srijana Giri and Phil Treadwell

    Srijana Giri, Senior Director of Risk Analytics, discusses Freddie Mac’s digital evolution of income and assessment tools, ways data can expand access to credit for borrowers and how to be more productive and profitable leveraging technology.

  • Podcast April 13, 2022

    Syndication’s Role in New Issue CRT

    Christie Tintle, Managing Director and Head of Asset backed Finance Syndicate at Wells Fargo Securities, joins Mike Reynolds, VP of Single-Family Credit Risk Transfer, to discuss the syndicate’s role in CRT, overall and CRT specific market color, her entrance into the field and what’s ahead for 2022.

  • Podcast December 16, 2021

    Automation in Origination: Enabling Integration Across the Industry

    Kevin Kauffman, VP of Client & Partner Delivery, shares Freddie Mac’s focus on helping every party involved in a loan transaction - lender, borrower, technology provider - thrive. Hear how lenders can take the first step to reduce costs, improve processes and provide a superior borrower experience with automated solutions.

  • Podcast December 2, 2021

    Housing Finance Agencies: A Key Partner in Equitable Housing

    Different stakeholders within the mortgage and housing industry play a role in decreasing barriers to homeownership. Kasey Kier, Assistant Commissioner at Minnesota Housing, and Tamela Thurman, Director, Freddie Mac's Single-Family Equitable Housing Team discuss ways to address the array of complex issues communities of color face in attaining, sustaining and building wealth through homeownership.

  • Podcast November 17, 2021

    CRT Then and Now, A Conversation with Don Layton

    Don Layton, former Freddie Mac CEO, joins Mike Reynolds, VP of Single-Family Credit Risk Transfer, to discuss the inception of the GSE CRT market and how it supports Freddie Mac’s mission. Don and Mike dive into the benefits of CRT, address its criticisms and reflect on CRT’s core role in today’s financial system.

  • Podcast November 16, 2021

    Models, Data and Analytics in Mortgage Lending

    The mortgage industry is increasingly focused on innovation and growth. In this discussion Michael Bradley, Single-Family SVP Modeling and Analytics shares how Freddie Mac is using data in three ways – to improve decisions, to gain process efficiencies while reducing costs and to identify new solutions that our clients can benefit from.

  • Podcast November 9, 2021

    Uncovering Bias Behind Racial Inequity in Home Appraisals

    Racial and ethnic bias impact home appraisals. Pam Perry, vice president of Single-Family Equitable Housing sits down with Jillian White, SRA, head of collateral at Better.com to discuss new research on how valuation bias can affect the racial wealth gap, and holistic approaches to solve valuation disparities.

  • Podcast November 8, 2021

    Michael Bradley Talks Best Practices for Deploying AI in the Mortgage Process

    Single-Family Senior Vice President of Modeling, Econometrics, Data and Analytics, Michael Bradley discusses the advantages of AI and Machine Learning for mortgage lenders with Amy Gromowski, Senior Leader, Science & Analytics at CoreLogic and Frank Poiesz, Managing Director of Product, Origination Technology with Black Knight.

  • Podcast September 14, 2021

    Breaking Down Structured Finance with Credit Suisse

    Mike Reynolds, Vice President of Single-Family Credit Risk Transfer (CRT), talks with Dan King, Managing Director at Credit Suisse, about the role of investment banks in bringing new CRT transactions to market. Learn about the strategy behind deal structure and the complexities of investor appetite and placing new deals.

  • Podcast August 2, 2021

    Fraudcast Episode 2: Investigating Suspicious IRS Transcripts

    We recently investigated a case in which normally trusted income sources like tax returns looked suspiciously similar across multiple loan files for borrowers who were all supposedly self-employed. But when Martin Abad, a director in the Single-Family Fraud Risk (SFFR) investigations unit, took a closer look, he confirmed that what you see isn’t always what you get.

  • Podcast July 22, 2021

    Asset and Income Modeler (AIM): A Collaborative Journey

    In the mortgage process nothing more foundational than determining a consumer’s ability to repay their loan. Loan Product Advisor® asset and income modeler (AIM) does this reliably and quickly. Andy Sheehan, President and COO at Finicity and Kevin Kaufman, Senior Director, Loan Advisor, Strategic Partnerships and Integration discuss automating borrower capacity.

  • Podcast July 6, 2021

    Blueprint for Lending Success: Lenders Share How They RISE in Any Market

    National Homeownership Month is a time to celebrate the benefits of homeownership for families and communities across the country. Learn about lending success from three Freddie Mac Home Possible® RISE Award winners who are extending the reach of homeownership, daily.

  • Podcast June 9, 2021

    Today's Market Drives Tomorrow's Servicing Technology

    COVID-19 policy flexibilities for forbearance program have successfully prevented foreclosures, but won’t continue forever, and elevated volumes are driving demand for solutions that optimize mortgage servicing operations— from quick decisions on mortgage assistance options to reimbursement for servicing defaulted properties. In this episode, we sit down with servicing client, Mr. Cooper, to discuss PAID (Payments Automated Intelligent and Dynamic), a new tool that improves the servicer workflow for expense reimbursements.

  • Podcast June 4, 2021

    A Download on Insurance Risk Sharing with Arch MI

    Single-Family Credit Risk Transfer (CRT) VP Mike Reynolds sits down with Jim Bennison, Executive VP and Head of Alternative Markets at Arch MI. Mortgage insurance can be thought of as the oldest and most used form of CRT for Freddie Mac. Learn more in this discussion about how mortgage insurance companies, including (re)insurers, play a key role in the U.S. housing market ecosystem.

  • Podcast May 4, 2021

    Making the GreenCHOICE to Drive Home Affordability

    Reducing home utility costs places families in a better financial situation and helps preserve home affordability over time. In this episode, we discuss tools that give lenders and appraisers the ability to rate the energy performance of homes and how to affordably reduce costs through energy efficiency upgrades.

  • Podcast April 26, 2021

    Affordable Housing: How Affordable Housing Supports Minority Homeownership

    Freddie Mac Single-Family Senior Economist Jaya Day has an honest conversation on affordable housing and how it impacts minority homeownership.

  • Podcast March 19, 2021

    Talking Risk Intelligence with Andrew Davidson & Co., Inc.

    Mike Reynolds, Single-Family VP of Credit Risk Transfer, sits down with Andrew Davidson & Co., Inc. (AD&Co) founder Andy Davidson to talk all things risk intelligence, including planting the first seed about a GSE CRT market in 2010 and connecting with Freddie Mac to launch the first GSE CRT securities transaction in 2013. Founded in 1992, AD&Co. focuses on bringing the analytics and tools of Wall Street to the buy-side, enabling all parties to conduct business fairly. The company’s interest in GSE CRT stemmed from an obligation to making the mortgage market function better as well as from seeing a strong appetite among credit experts for more products to invest in.

  • Podcast February 26, 2021

    Black Homeownership: A Proud History and Positive Look Forward

    Homeownership is the cornerstone to wealth building, community pride and familial stability. However, many Black Americans face a significant number of barriers to homeownership and are under-represented among homeowners.
    In this conversation, we’ll hear Lydia Pope, President-Elect, National Association of Real Estate Brokers and Pamela Perry, Vice President, Single-Family Equitable Housing discuss how their roles address barriers and obstacles that impede homeownership in the Black community.

  • Podcast February 10, 2021

    Housing Industry’s Resolve® to Speed Up Mortgage Relief

    Now, more than ever, Servicers are focused on how to efficiently deliver the best product for the homeowners. Hear how Cenlar, a Freddie Mac Servicer client, is using a new end-to-end default management platform, Resolve® to get fast decisions on mortgage relief options, while saving time and resources.

  • Podcast December 15, 2020

    The Language of Home: Overcoming Barriers for Limited English Proficiency Borrowers

    Learn more about the partnership between Federal Housing Finance Agency, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae to help borrowers challenged with limited English proficiency navigate the homebuying process. The result has been a resource that has assisted lenders, servicers, housing counselors, real estate professionals and other industry stakeholders in better serving LEP borrowers. The Mortgage Translations Clearinghouse holds translated mortgage-related terms, documents, and homeownership resources in the several languages representing some of the largest population and cultural segments within the United States, helping these consumers understand topics such as fraud avoidance, foreclosure prevention, financial wellness and mortgage options.

  • Podcast November 2, 2020

    A Duty to Serve: Sustainable Native American Homeownership

    This episode explores the historic and social homeownership challenges faced by Native American communities. Single-Family Affordable Lending Manager James Cromartie, and special guest Executive Director of Lakota Funds, Tawney Brunsch, discuss work being done to address the scarcity and limitations of homeownership and efforts underway to prepare borrowers on Native American reservations for successful homeownership through Freddie Mac’s Duty to Serve initiative.

  • Podcast September 16, 2020

    Fraudcast: Episode 1 – Investigating Income Misrepresentation

    Income misrepresentation is one of the most common forms of fraud today, but Freddie Mac is on top of it. Listen as Carrie Schoenhals, Single-Family Fraud Risk investigator, shares stories from her experiences in the field fighting income misrep, while providing tips on how you can get in front of fraud early.

  • Podcast September 14, 2020

    Leveraging Digitization: How APIs Can Help Drive Efficiency Throughout the Mortgage Process

    Freddie Mac is focused on delivering solutions to clients that improve efficiency and data accuracy, saving them time and money. Freddie Mac VPs David Fulford and Dan Ashdon discuss how using application programming interfaces (APIs) can help deliver the data you need, when you need it, to make faster, more efficient decisions across the entire loan lifecycle.

  • Podcast July 9, 2020

    Leveraging Automation: Assessing Borrower Financials with AIM

    In today’s digital world, consumers want fast, easy online transactions – and this has become more apparent and necessary in light of COVID-19. With automated and digital solutions lenders can provide a more electronic experience, cut costs, close loans faster and simplify the loan process while reducing risk for everyone involved. In this episode, Terri Merlino, Senior Vice President & Chief Credit Officer, David Fulford, Vice President, Strategic Technology Integration, and special guest, Tamara West, investor specialist with client partner, nbkc bank discuss Loan Product Advisor® asset and income modeler (AIM) for self-employed and how it has made a difference during this heightened time of need.

  • Podcast May 27, 2020

    #HelpStartsHere: A Roundtable Discussion

    From the origination process all the way to the investor, Freddie Mac is supporting the industry holistically in the wake of COVID-19’s effects. Are we better equipped than in the past to deal with this crisis? How are we working to be a stabilizing force in the industry and a resource for consumers? Freddie Mac executives discuss how they’re tackling unprecedented challenges head on, and how this crisis has strengthened their commitment to US homebuyers.

  • Podcast April 6, 2020

    Freddie Mac Addresses Industry Challenges Due to COVID-19 Pandemic

    With the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) throughout the country and its impact, Freddie Mac remains committed to providing liquidity and stability to the mortgage finance market and fulfilling our mission. Senior Vice President, Client and Community Engagement, Danny Gardner discusses business impacts and steps Freddie Mac Single-Family is taking to respond.