Loan Officer Gustan Cho
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Today’s market is not easy to navigate as a Mortgage Loan Originator (MLO), but plenty of rewards await you if you can find your way through it. The industry’s evolution has been remarkable, especially with the economic and regulatory changes experienced with the recent housing market downfall. Let’s look at the mortgage industry and everything you need to know regarding becoming an MLO.
Current State of the Mortgage Industry
Market Conditions:
- The mortgage industry has contracted with the high interest rates we are seeing.
- This has resulted in less refinancing and lower home sales.
- The average mortgage in 2025 is approximately 7%, which is very low for what people can afford.
Mortgage brokers and lenders have shut down, merged with competitors, or laid off most of their employees due to the new normal of low industry demand.
Regulatory Environment:
- The industry is known for being very litigious.
- Thus, MLOs must stay updated on compliance changes by The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).
- This is essential due to the increasing focus on compliance and consumer protection.
- The real estate sector is quite competitive, especially in an environment with low transaction numbers.
- Many seasoned players have exited the field, paving the way for new entrants with innovation and superior service offerings.
- The mortgage business has undergone substantial changes over the years.
- Most lenders are now embracing tech through portals to automate submission and approval, and mortgage professionals can harness the ease of technology here.
Social media and online platforms are tremendously powerful for mortgage loan originators who must market themselves and acquire new clients.
How to get started as a loan originator
Licensing criteria:
- To become an MLO, one must obtain a Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System (NMLS) license.
- This includes:
Completing a requirement of 20 hours of pre-licensing education covering the federal government’s laws, rules and regulations, ethics, and law of real estate originating business.
Clearing NMLS exam
applying with background and credit check
Specialization:
- Some MLOs specialize in conventional loans, which the federal government does not secure.
- Thus, they usually have much higher credit score requirements.
- Others focus on government loans like FHA, VA, and USDA, which many first-time buyers with low credit ratings use.
Non-QM and Alternative Financing:
- These products are more lax regarding who they give funding to, such as the self-employed or people with nontraditional forms of income.
- Understanding this will help penetrate broader markets.
Local Networking:
- Partnerships with local realtors, financial planners, and other professionals help generate leads.
- Getting involved in local real estate and mortgage associations can also provide networking opportunities.
One can also network professionally by participating in industry conferences and events that offer timely market information.
Growing Sales Expertise
Strong sales abilities enhance the chance of success. These include:
- Communication, listening, and negotiation skills.
- Selling a mortgage product to customers and guiding them through all the processes.
- Consultative selling technique – understanding the client’s needs and offering appropriate solutions.
Advertising and Lead Generation
Develop a comprehensive marketing campaign that is both digital and paper-based. This may mean:
- Setting up and liaising with a specialist firm to construct a company website and advertising through social media to attract and convert clients.
- Community activities and seminars for persons of visible professional stature.
- Regular newsletters and emails to previous leads and customers.
Ongoing Learning and Modification
- The cycle of progress in the mortgage sector never halts. To be competitive in this business, it is extremely important to continuously learn and keep track of industry changes, developments, and shifts in laws and policies over time.
- With the right attitude, a career as a mortgage loan originator is attainable.
- The shift in the market does not seem easy, but it can present a unique set of advantages for those with ambition.
New MLOs must adapt to new technology, know how to build rapport with clients and understand all the various loan options available in the market. This will surely ensure their success in such a competitive field.
https://gustancho.com/remote-mlo-career-opportunities/
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Remote MLO Career Opportunities
Gustan Cho Associates has remote MLO career opportunities for branch assigned loan officers and independent branch managers
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President Donald Trump has made it clear what steps he plans to take to improve affordability in housing and lower mortgage rates. Below are some of the things he stated:
Regulatory Reductions: Trump plans to remove the cost of housing associated with regulation. By lowering such expenses, he hopes to make homes more accessible.
Increasing Housing Supply: He intends to liberalize more federal land for housing and a lower construction regulation, which is expected to improve the availability of homes and reduce their cost.
Deportation Policies: Trump has consistently said that he intends to deport many undocumented migrants. According to him, that will reduce the demand for housing and subsequently lead to a decrease in the cost of housing.
Tariff Policies: While Trump continues to threaten tariffs on lumber as a construction raw material, which would significantly inflate construction expenses, his recent policy shifts may assist in controlling mortgage rates.
Emergency Price Relief: Trump has given executive orders granting emergency price relief on housing, aiming to lower the cost while increasing the supply.
Those are just a few of his efforts to improve the prices associated with home buying for the commoner. Are those steps effective?
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I can summarize or analyze any subject you’ve touched upon at a basic level with prior knowledge.
Here is what I was able to gather concerning the issues and events you have noted:
Summarized Key Headlines of January 24, 2025Donald Trump Presidency
Removal of Birth-Citizenship Policy:
- Regarding immigration policies, President Trump intends to make drastic changes by removing birthright citizenship immigration provisions that will employ a wide range of immigration policies.
Increase in Deportation Activities:
- The government is intensifying deportation activity coverage in metro areas like Chicago, Newark, and Boston, indicating a more aggressive approach to immigration enforcement.
Creation of JFK Assassination Class:
- Trump is declassifying files about the assassinations of significant individuals in US history, such as JFK, RFK, and MLK, to provide a greater level of government openness and transparency.
Political Figures Divorce News
Harris Emhoff Divorce:
- Reports claim that Vice President Harris and her spouse, Doug Emhoff, are getting divorced, which might have consequences for Harris’s political career.
Obama Divorce Rumors:
- There are wild claims concerning the divorce of Barack and Michelle Obama being connected to some affair with Jennifer Aniston, which could attract public and media attention.
Wildfires and Climate Issues in California
Active Wildfires:
- New wildfires in California are reportedly in the containment stage, but the state has further problems regarding upcoming rains because of the risk of mudslides and poisonous runoff.
Geopolitical Updates
Russia and Ukraine War:
- A rumor puts President Putin in negotiations with President Trump for a United States attempt to end the Russia-Ukraine War on the condition that America sends Dr. Anthony Fauci to Russia for crimes against humanity.
New Executive Appointments
- Marco Rubio was appointed Secretary of State, which marked a new change in international relationships.
- Pam Bondi: Appointed as Attorney General, which furthers the emphasis on law.
- Pete Hegseth: Named Secretary of Defense, which implies shifts in offense and defense.
- John Ratcliffe: Appointed as Director of the CIA, they changed and ushered in new domestic security.
In the news issued on January 25, 2025, the reports from the United States are wide and busy. As with any other day in US politics, there is a new buzzword: policy blunders, an active drama concerning high-profile people, and new climate and international relations developments. Such changes can stimulate public conversation and even the country’s elections and policies. Knowing credible sources provide the truth about what’s happening worldwide is peaceful.
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Here is Barron Trump when he was three years old with mother Melania Trump:
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Kai Trump, Donald Trump’s daughter and President Donald Trump’s granddaughter makes a video clip about Grandpa Donald Trump:
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Coming into the market, a new insurer is observing how best to position its products in high-risk areas and is employing some very innovative strategies.
Here is how they are working on problems of high-risk areas like hurricanes, wildfires, flooding, and so on:
Unique Coverage Extensions
- Tailored Coverage: New insurers are developing unique insurance policies for homeowners in high-risk areas.
- These policies may have safe local risk coverage limits and flexible endorsements.
- Modular Policies: Some companies will sell modular policies that let the homeowners choose and pay for specific coverages depending on their risk profile.
Technology and Data Analytics Adoption
- Risk Analytics: Insurers are implementing geo-information, predictive analytics models, and advanced data analyses to assess risk for particular sighted areas.
- Smart Home Technology: Some insurers reward or subsidize homeowners who actively engage with smart home technologies (such as fire alarms and flood sensors, which can benefit loss reduction simply in case of incident) that mitigate risks.
Adaptive Premium Payment Plans
- Pay-As-You-Drive Policies: Focused market new entrants are testing pay-as-you-drive policies, where premiums are paid proportionately to the policies’ set risk exposure and monitored in real-time by changes to the data.
- This tiered pricing system is quite interesting. New insurers design premium payment systems to allow for lower premiums by taking on riskier policies and adopting methods to mitigate the risk.
Education and Risk Mitigation Programs
- Homeowners Education: Some new insurers concentrate on intensive homeowner education and provide them with a number of risk mitigation resources to help reduce probable risks.
- Incentives for Improvements: They can also reduce their premiums or provide some rebates to homeowners who make certain improvements to their homes, such as using fire-resistant materials or setting up flood barriers.
Collaboration with Local Governments and Organizations
- Community Partnerships: Insurers are teaming up with other local governments and organizations to develop community
- Or region-wide risk mitigation programs that upgrade community facilities or preparedness activities.
- Support for Resilience Projects: Other insurers may also fund investment for resilience-building projects at the local level to achieve minimum disaster impact and thus serve the communities they cover.
6. Focus on Reinsurance and Risk Sharing
Reinsurance Arrangements: Emerging market insurers are seeking creative reinsurance arrangements to enable them to bundle risks with big established firms with a reasonable assumption of financial loss to access areas with high market financial risks.
Risk Pools: Cooperation among insurers to create risk pools can help mitigate the alarming financial impacts of catastrophic events, making insurance coverage in even the most high-risk regions possible.
Environmental issues
- Sustainability Initiatives: New insurers tend to focus more on promoting environmental sustainability by adding policyholder practices that include incentives for using energy-efficient appliances in upgraded homes and solar panels, among others.
New insurers creatively adjust their policies in high-risk zones using technology to offer holistic coverage. They are focusing on educational and preventive approaches to insurance. These companies hope to address the urgent concerns of natural disasters with creative, innovative approaches and collaboration with other community stakeholders to develop sustainable home insurance solutions.
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In January 2025, a diplomatic rift formed between the United States and Colombia regarding the deportation of Colombian citizens living in the U.S. Colombian President Gustavo Petro started the issue after declining two American military planes loaded with 80 deported Colombian prisoners. As they tried to land in Colombia, President Petro expressed his worries about the deportees being inhumane and undignified. He even suggested using the Colombian presidential aircraft instead.
In retaliation, U.S. President Donald Trump declared Colombian goods would be subject to a 25% tax, with the threat of raising it to 50% if they did not comply in a week. Travel bans and visa restrictions were enforced on Colombian government officials, and heightened scrutiny was placed on Colombian goods entering the U.S.
Due to these decisions, Colombia agreed to the unconditional acceptance of deported individuals, including those delivered on U.S. military planes. As a result, America lifted the tax and sanctions against Colombia, keeping the lifted measures in place only after the initial deportation flight.
This event highlights the difficulties of implementing national policies while maintaining good diplomatic relations with other countries.
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*As always with the US, things can change at any moment. When President Donald Trump stepped into office, he made huge shifts in policy AND executive orders. His actions in the first week had and continue to have long-lasting impacts across many sectors. Let’s dive deeper into this.*
Political Landscape in the US.
Focus for a second on how polarized the US has become. The actions that Trump decided to implement during the beginning of his presidency worsened both public and congressional division by a long shot and increased overall polarization. This was not a surprise to anyone. Given the history of how Trump was treated during his presidency, it is clear that there will always be a toxic political environment.
Opposition Groups Trump Policies:
- The polarisation did not end at division.
- Trump’s policies and actions shifted the entire approach toward United States conservatism.
- This shift focused a lot on systemized opposition, protests, and organized movements among progressive and liberal voters.
DACA and Immigration Policy
- As simple as it may sound, Trump’s shifts in immigration policy started a trend of aggressiveness toward immigration.
- This led to the appointment of officials who focused on increasing deportations and tightening border control, which was a clear turnoff for many immigration communities.
- The disputes around immigration don’t stop there.
The heated debate surrounding DACA, a sensitive area concerning children who are brought into the US without legal documentation, makes the situation much worse.
Economic and Housing Market Impacts
Mortgage Rates and Housing Affordability:
- Trump’s promise to lower mortgage rates opened and changed the windows of the housing market.
- While some policies were designed to improve affordability, fear regarding immigration and the economy made some dramatic changes and lessened buyer confidence.
Tax Reforms:
- His campaign statement promising to eliminate taxes on gratuities and concentrate on changing the economy started a wider conversation about who should bear the burden of taxation and how it should be spent, especially with regard to services and their eventual laws.
Foreign Relations and National Security
Shift in Alliances:
- His campaign assertion suggested that “America First” neglects a curated set of modern alliances.
- An embrace of Europe’s more conservative governments countered poor relations with established allies.
- This change reduced collaboration on major projects such as renewable energy and global security.
Increased Tensions:
- The withdrawal of domestic security measures and bone-hurling speeches about certain states worsened tensions worldwide, especially in states of northern Asia such as China and North Korea, sharpening the American approach to external affairs.
Impact on National Security and Intelligence
Changes in the Intelligence Community:
- The withdrawal of certain officials’ security clearances and as such, their protections shifted the balance of the Intel community, violating the trust of many people.
Public Trust:
- Such actions contributed to deteriorating public trust in government institutions, most noticeably in national security and intelligence activities.
Policies for Sustained Growth
Public Policies’ Focus on Deregulation:
- The Trump administration’s focus on deregulating several domains, including the environment, resulted in major shifts within various industries and public policy discussions concerning development and economic growth.
Market Instability:
- Outward economic predictions teamed with promises of welfare reform to boost the market.
- Pledges of directed government investment to stabilize the market initially fostered faith, but losses soon suffered.
Political and Social Consequences
Civic Activity Surge:
- The first week led to grassroots movements as organizations began tackling issues, such as civil, women, and immigrant rights, thus changing the social fabric for decades.
Media and Fake News:
- The administration’s relationship with the media was adversarial, and crafting counter-narratives fostered an environment of fake news that affected public engagement and trust in news systems.
The measures implemented in the first week of President Trump’s office resulted in lasting impacts on internal policies, external relations, and society. These impacts changed political conversations, altered economic policies, and shaped the general attitude, creating a legacy that will be remembered throughout Trump’s presidency and afterward.
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Global reaction to President Donald Trump’s first week’s international measures was neither smooth nor politically correct. It was mixed and often divided.
Here is what some chose to highlight about the other nation-states:
Allies having a positive approach toward Trump
Support from Right-Wing Countries:
- Right-wing governed countries strongly supported Trump’s bold steps owing to the focus on the value of sovereignty and immigration restriction policies.
- Leaders in Hungary and Poland, for instance, were satisfied with the anti-immigration and border security measures Trump embraced.
A few NATO members:
- Select NATO members were ready to welcome Trump’s focus on defense and national security in anticipation of greater military spending from other member states.
European Union officials expressing worry
EU Officials:
- EU officials were worried Trump’s relations with other nations were too aggressive.
- Policing policies and focusing on America’s First stance gave Trump great visibility.
- Still, it was a red flag for the EU leader, proactively calling for the chance to solve climate change and boost international trade.
- European leaders were afraid of the growing conflict with the competitive populism Trump has unleashed, which has resulted in Trump’s restrictionist immigration policy.
- There are reservations that this might harm links with Europe and cooperation on global security.
Mixed Reactions from Mid-Eastern Allies
Gulf States:
- Saudi Arabia and the UAE political heads were relatively keen on Trump’s management of international affairs, especially concerning Iran.
- In their estimation, his administration would serve as an ally in combating Iranian influence in the region.
Palestinian Authority:
- The Palestinian leadership greatly disapproves of the policies of Trump, mainly his approach towards Israel and funding prospects for the two-state solution.
Critical Responses from Enemies of the US
China and Russia:
- These nations have disapproved of Trump’s policies, especially his negative stance toward trade and security relations with both countries.
- China is worried about the sanctions and trade conflicts that could result.
- Russia regards these regimes as continuations of the Russian phobia that is inherent in these regimes.
North Korea:
- Officials from North Korea decried Trump’s statements, which hinted at the possible use of force as a way of resolving the conflict, raising alarms of conflict in the Korean peninsula.
Human Rights Violations
Other non-political entities:
- Organizations representing human Rights activists have expressed anger over the policies regarding revoking protection and unclassifying documents.
- These policies are likely to negatively impact accountability and transparency of governance.
Information Dissemination
Global Media:
- International media channels covered Trump’s first week in office in great detail, mostly portraying his actions negatively due to the fragmentation of the society created by his policies.
- Several articles tackled the issue of global peace and trade relations and the level of diplomatic relations that would be conducted with other states.
- Trump’s The international community responded to the first week in office with support and criticism.
Although some allies appreciated his national security policies, many were worried about their impact on global relations. As his administration progressed, the international community continued to monitor the potential effects of his actions.
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