It’s remarkable what technology can do, isn’t it? Think back to the 80’s when the Internet was just starting to become publically accessible. Now fast forward to 2014, when a social networking site used by hundreds of millions of people is paying two billion dollars for a virtual-reality headset to become integral into its social experience. The Oculus Rift (the aforementioned virtual-reality headset) is like something out of a Back to the Future movie, and the fact that the technology is publically available when 25 years ago 8-bit was considered the pinnacle of video games, is astonishing.

We are excited to announce that Don Kracl, vice president of mortgage tools for Zillow, has been selected by the Mortgage Bankers Association to speak at the organization’s upcoming Technology in Mortgage Banking conference. The conference, being held in Los Angeles, California from March 18-21, will feature Kracl on a panel of experts speaking about effective mortgage loan lead sourcing and management as the industry moves back into a purchase money lending environment.

There was a time when many of the expenses involved in putting a mortgage loan together were of very little interest to the lender. After all, the lender didn’t set these fees, nor collect them, nor pay them. They were all passed on to the borrower and cleared up at the closing table, if not before. However, now that lenders must carefully document that they’re not exceeding the CFPB’s fee cap, they are taking renewed interest in the numbers. If the lender isn’t careful, this rule can seriously impede the firm’s ability to profit.