Well, we’re officially into the fall season. At least, as far as the mortgage industry is concerned. Although there may be some uncertainty out there about the lingering pandemic, the changing market and even conference season; think back to this time last year and compare (or contrast). We may not yet be back to “normal,” whatever that means. But we certainly are moving forward. That’s true here at LodeStar as well. We’ve been promising some big news for a few weeks. So now, without further ado, the Big Reveal…

Introducing The Three “C’s”

The mortgage transaction, as we’ve long said, is more confusing than it needs to be. Yes, yes, yes…regulations and varying customs from market to market have a lot to do with that. But not everything. Even regulatory efforts to clean up the mess—TRID guidelines, anyone?—have often ended up making the transaction less transparent, rather than more. 

We’re a segmented industry. Even though we’re all pulling towards getting the consumer through the process, from finding a REALTOR through the end of the closing, a lot happens in between. And much of that remains anything but transparent to the consumer or even the other firms involved in the transaction. We started our drive to transparency with a simple closing cost calculator. Now, we’re taking it up a notch.

Meet the “Three C’s” that drive the LodeStar brand and vision. We’re proud to announce that we will be working—both with our products as well as our content (more about that in a moment) 

Clarity is a big word, and it applies in a lot of ways. We’ll be talking a lot about this through the rest of 2021 and on. But for now, let’s just say that we are all in on bringing more clarity to the world of mortgage and real estate.

Connectivity means much, much more than having access to fast Internet. It’s also one of the driving forces behind our brand. Part of the lack of clarity in the mortgage transaction results from being, far too often, an industry of professional silos. Too many different service providers and parties try to communicate with other parties with disparate, unintegrated tools. As an industry, we lack connectivity. It results in built-in delays, detours, frustration and worse. We at LodeStar believe that needs to change, and part of our mission will be to help change that for the better.

Community is another great word that often gets pigeon-holed into obscurity. While a home or property or city might be the “where” that something happens, we believe a “community” is also part of the “why” and “who.” Although you might not realize it at times, the greater real estate and home financing industry—with all of its service providers (we see you, title agents and technology providers!)—is really a community. And while it may be our collective job to empower people to buy and sell real estate, our “why” is bigger than just profit. It’s the American Dream. And our “who” is growing, and diversifying, quickly—at least where it comes to consumers. It’s time for the mortgage industry to better reflect the people they serve. That means inclusion and diversity will be a big part of the LodeStar brand as well.

A new look and feel for LodeStar…plus new resources

If you haven’t been to the website in a while, stop reading this and go there right now. We’ll wait for you. Just come back when you’re done!

Back yet? Good!

A little different, no? Damn right it is. We’ve put a lot of time and effort into our new website. For starters, it looks a lot better. It should also be easier to use and navigate. We’ll be adding a lot more video and, even better, a lot more content overall that you can use. From mortgage compliance to primers on the differences between property taxes and recording fees from state to state, we’re gearing up to be a go-to for anyone involved in the TRID aspect of a mortgage transaction, and more.  And, of course, we’ll be getting bigger and bolder with our podcast, LLL. Right now, you’ll find our own Jim Paolino explaining what’s ahead on this new journey. And very soon, we’ll be welcoming back industry thought leader Regina Lowry of Dytrix. Finally, keep expecting new episodes of Deeper Thoughts each week as well. Same time; same channel.

Our call to action

We believe LodeStar means more than a closing cost calculator designed to help you avoid penalties for TRID violations, although, yes, that’s what our lead product does. The “3 C’s” will be the LodeStar by which we navigate. We’re one small part of a larger industry, but it’s time for us to step up and do our part to leave it a better place than we found it. So…let’s goooo!

By the way, more products coming soon. Really soon! But that’s for another Deeper Thoughts.

Got an idea or a topic for Deeper Thoughts or LLL? Feedback on the new site? Thoughts on content you’d love to see or hear? Send it our way! Email me at jpaolino@lssoftwaresolutions.com.