One of the defining characteristics of American life, from the end of World War II, through the 1980s, was a focus on the future. Running parallel to the U.S./Soviet space race, children’s television programs like Buck Rodgers and The Jetsons envisioned a utopian future that included everything from ray guns and jetpacks to meals in pill form and push-button solutions to everyday challenges. While I’m still waiting for my own flying car, those of us who have spent our careers in the real estate finance industry have been excited to see seismic shifts in the business in recent years, and with each new product or service, we inch closer and closer to a truly digital mortgage experience. “Digital mortgage.” That’s a term that you’ve likely heard repeatedly over the past few years, and may even connect with existing companies or products (“Rocket Mortgage,” for instance). But what really is a ‘digital’ mortgage? Is it reality or still a sci-fi fantasy that’s years away from realizing? Read full article.