8 things to look for at #MBAAnnual18

October 12, 2018 5:06 PM

Mortgage industry members are congregating in Washington from Oct. 14-17 for the 2018 Mortgage Bankers Association Annual Convention & Expo to get forward-facing perspective on hot-button issues.

Presenters will share insights and opinions on everything from the political climate and its effect on mortgages, to how companies are using artificial intelligence to automate their work.

Lenders will explore ways to combat tight inventory and rising rates, while also navigating new technology as the loan process turns increasingly digital. Attendees can also enjoy a performance from "Since U Been Gone" songstress Kelly Clarkson.

To stay up-to-date on all the happenings at the conference, follow National Mortgage News on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.

Janet Yellen

Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg

Strong opening

The general session kicking off the conference offers insight on how global economic trends touch real estate and housing policies. Janet Yellen, former chair of the Federal Reserve, will be interviewed by Fortune Magazine's senior editor-at-large, Geoff Colvin.

Mick Mulvaney, director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), listens during a Senate Budget Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2018. Mulvaney discussed the $4.4 trillion federal budget plan that would slash entitlements and other domestic programs in favor of higher spending on the military and immigration enforcement. Photographer: Zach Gibson/Bloomberg

Zach Gibson/Bloomberg

CFPB checklist

Acting Director Mick Mulvaney of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will break down real estate finance-related priorities for the bureau alongside MBA President and CEO Robert Broeksmit.

jhansen2 - stock.adobe.com

Politics and Policy

With the upcoming mid-term elections approaching, a panel of Washington experts debate and confer the crossing of policy and politics as it relates to the industry. The list of regulations and legislation affecting mortgages is extensive. Included in the panel is Bill Killmer, the MBA's SVP of legislative and political affairs.

Signage in front of the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac headquarters.

Working with GSEs

Christopher George, the 2018 MBA Chairman-Elect, will talk to the CEOs of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac about conducting business in the secondary mortgage market.

Gender stereotypes

While strides have been made on gender equality in the mortgage industry and media, there's still a long way to go. Oscar-winning actor and equality advocate, Geena Davis, shares her work on how to end stereotyping going forward.

Dave Newman - Fotolia

Capital ideas

Macro trends in home price growth outpacing wages could spell trouble for the credit environment. Lenders will navigate sustainable ways to ensure borrowers can qualify.

Federal Housing Commissioner and Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Brian Montgomery, speaks during a hearing of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee examining regulatory response to the current economic crisis, on Capitol Hill in Washington DC, Thursday, October 23, 2008. Photographer: Chris Kleponis/ Bloomberg News

CHRIS KLEPONIS/BLOOMBERG NEWS

Housing leaders

FHA Commissioner Brian Montgomery and the Treasury’s Craig Phillips give their opinions on housing policy on their agencies' behalves in light of the current regulatory and market landscape.

The 2018 Department of Defense Warrior Games Opening Ceremonies featured the introduction of athletes, the lighting of the Games torch and a concert by Kelly Clarkson at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. June 2, 2018. The Warrior Games are a Paralympic-style annual competition, established in 2010, to provide adaptive sports opportunities for wounded, ill and injured service members from all U.S. service branches and international military teams. (DOD Photo By: Marc Piscotty)

Miss Independent, Kelly Clarkson

Stepping back from all the mortgage talk, multiple-time Grammy winner Kelly Clarkson will perform for attendees on the evening of Tuesday, Oct. 16, at the Convention Center's Level 3 Ballroom.