How do you see the current status of the mortgage industry?

Hani Ali, senior vice president of mortgage lending, Guaranteed Rate: I feel like many consumers are pushing away from the big banks due to the horrible process of obtaining a mortgage. They are coming to people like me, meaning our non-bank lenders. In 2016, there were more loans originated by non-bank lenders versus the big banks, despite rates increasing and refinancing volume down. My purchase volume has tripled this year due to my dedication and keeping up with the industry guidelines.

Tricia Brouwers, AVP business development manager, Wintrust Mortgage: There is increased financial strain on individuals looking for affordability and down payment assistance options. Some of the things can be synonymous with things that were being provided and what happened in the marketplace back when the market crashed. We want to be very careful about the solutions we provide to make sure that it nets a positive outcome, not only for the consumer but for the industry as a whole. It’s about providing the right solutions with the right long-term outcomes.

TJ Flodin, vice president of residential lending and branch manager of the Chicago office, Draper and Kramer Mortgage Corp.: So far this year, I haven’t seen any major ups or downs in our business. Housing sales have fallen a bit in the Chicago market this year verses previous years, and interest rates have dropped some since the start of 2017 but are still up a bit from this time last year. The average 30-year-fixed mortgage rate has been between 3.75 percent and 4.25 percent, and I don’t anticipate any dramatic rate changes for the rest of the year.