1.5.26 Wages Versus Affordability; STRATMOR Group's Garth Graham on M&A; Geopolitical Sway

Welcome to The Chrisman Commentary, your go-to daily mortgage news podcast, where industry insights meet expert analysis. Hosted by Robbie Chrisman, this podcast delivers the latest updates on mortgage rates, capital markets, and the forces shaping the housing finance landscape. Whether you're a seasoned professional or just looking to stay informed, you'll get clear, concise breakdowns of market trends and economic shifts that impact the mortgage world.In today’s episode, we look at wage growth versus home price appreciation. Plus, Robbie sits down with STRATMOR Group’s Garth Graham for a discussion on M&A activity in 2025, the plays that larger companies are making through acquisitions, and how deal flows change throughout market cycles. And we close by looking at what the events in Venezuela could mean for bond markets.Thanks to Polly. Polly operates the industry's only vertically integrated capital markets platform, purpose-built to maximize profitability through precision cost reduction, margin expansion, and real-time, loan-level attribution and profitability analysis.