The mortgage market has been testing people for three years. Barry Habib has been through far worse — and he has something to say about how you carry yourself through it.

Barry Habib returns to Batting 1,000 for his fifth consecutive season to break down what is actually happening in the economy, where rates are headed, and what loan officers should be doing right now to prepare for the opportunities ahead.

A #1 bestselling author, three-time Crystal Ball Award winner, and board member of Fannie Mae, Barry is the founder of MBS Highway and one of the most trusted voices in mortgage and financial markets. He was among the first to forecast interest rates below six percent in 2026 — and got it right while almost no one else did.

This episode goes beyond the numbers. Barry opens up about his cancer battle, eleven months in remission, and the mindset that carried him through multiple failed treatments without losing optimism or forward momentum. His message to loan officers navigating a difficult market draws directly from that experience.

In this Batting 1,000 conversation, Dale Vermillion and Barry cover the full picture — personal, economic, and tactical.

They cover:

• Barry's cancer journey, what finally worked, and why he's fighting to get the treatment more widely available
• The Iran conflict, oil markets, and what they mean for interest rates right now
• Why Jerome Powell has been one of the most damaging Fed chairs in modern history — and what Kevin Warsh changes
• The real state of the labor market and why unemployment claims no longer tell the full story
• How to use the strike rate strategy to lock in future refis before the window closes
• Why homeownership builds 44x more net worth than renting — and how to explain it to any borrower
• The leveraged return math that makes real estate unlike any other investment

If you want to understand the market, prepare your pipeline, and walk into borrower conversations with genuine conviction, this episode delivers the framework straight from the most accurate forecaster in the business.

Barry Habib, CEO of MBS Highway, is an American entrepreneur and frequent media resource for his mortgage and housing expertise.

• Amazon #1 bestselling author for his book “Money in the Streets”
• Director on Fannie Mae Board
• Widely credited with saving the Mortgage Industry in 2020 from Margin Calls due to Fed Actions. His presentation to the Fed created stability at a critical time.

Notable Awards

• The 2024 Crystal Ball Award by Fannie Mae, Pulsenomics, and Zillow for the most accurate real estate forecasts out of the 150 top economists in the US, marks his fourth win in seven years.
• 2019 Mortgage Professional of the Year
• Finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year
• Named to Mortgage Global 100 List
• 2024 Distinguished Industry Service Award by NAMB
• The St. Armand Ventures Businessman of the Year 2021
• Named to the list of 100 People to Watch in 2023

During his mortgage sales career, Barry personally originated over $2 Billion.

LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/barry-habib-6b001910/

Web → https://www2.highway.ai

Subscribe to MBS Highway → email Diana@mbshighway.com and mention Batting 1,000

Dale Vermillion, an industry icon, has trained over 1,000,000 lending professionals and worked with more than 600 organizations. He is a three-time HousingWire Vanguard, a member of the 2022 Global Mortgage 100, and the author of Navigating the Mortgage Maze. Dale is also the founder of Mortgage Professionals Providing Hope.

Connect with @DaleVermillion

LinkedIn → https://linkedin.com/company/dalevermillion

Facebook → https://facebook.com/dalevermillionofficial

X → https://x.com/dalevermillion

Website → https://dalevermillion.com

Email → listen@dalevermillion.com

Batting 1,000 with Dale Vermillion is a production of Mortgage Champions. The show is produced and edited by Jake Vermillion. Music by Envato Elements.

Copyright 2024 © Vermillion Consulting, Inc., All Rights Reserved.

Most loan officers are already doing the right things. They're just not building systems around them.

Cindy Ertman breaks down how she grew a personal production business to over $200 million — and what it actually takes to build a referral-driven mortgage business that scales without burning out.

Named one of Mortgage Executive Magazine's Top 100 Most Influential Mortgage Executives five years in a row and a top 100 loan originator for over a decade, Cindy is the CEO of The Defining Difference®, a leading coaching and training company for mortgage professionals. She has shared the stage with Tony Robbins, Darren Hardy, Magic Johnson, and former President George Bush.

Her approach is built on one conviction she discovered early in her career: the mortgage industry is not a mortgage business — it's a relationship business. Everything she teaches flows from that foundation, from how to communicate through every loan milestone to how to pursue a realtor partner for two years without hearing a single word back.

In this Batting 1,000 conversation, Dale Vermillion and Cindy break down what separates consistent top producers from everyone else — and why the gap has almost nothing to do with talent.

They cover: ‣ Why top producers aren't more talented — they just have better systems ‣ The 10-point milestone communication plan that wins realtor loyalty ‣ How to build and work multiple databases to generate business from every corner of your network ‣ The weekly time-blocking and call routines behind $200M in personal production ‣ The two-year pursuit story that landed a $1.4M loan and a career-defining referral partner ‣ How to make bold choices every day — and stop being tied to the outcome

If your business isn't where you want it to be, Cindy's message is simple: you're not in enough action. This episode gives you a clear, proven framework for changing that.

Schedule a complimentary coaching call with Cindy's team → cindyertman.com or thedefiningdifference.com

A new year is the perfect time to rethink what “success” actually looks like.

Kara Whitman shows how top producers can scale production past $100M without sacrificing their family, their energy, or their enjoyment of the business.

A multi-year Scotsman Guide Top 40 originator and one of the highest-producing consumer-direct loan officers in the country, Kara has built a career defined by sustained performance, not short-term wins.

With over a decade in the business and years leading production at a national lender, she is known for her ability to combine volume, service, and life balance at the highest level.

Her approach centers on mastering the fundamentals, simplifying complex decisions for borrowers, and creating a client experience that is memorable, consultative, and built on trust.

In this Batting 1,000 conversation, Dale Vermillion and Kara break down what truly separates elite loan officers from the rest—and why “rate” is rarely the deciding factor.

They cover:

‣ Why consistency is the real secret behind sustained top performance

‣ How to take control of the rate conversation and shift it to value

‣ The role of relationships in building a scalable, referral-driven business

‣ Practical strategies for managing high volume without sacrificing service

‣ How to win at work while still winning at home

If you’re looking to produce more, convert better, and build a business that lasts, this episode offers a clear, experience-tested framework from one of the industry’s most accomplished performers.