The Real Deal blog recently chatted with Bill Killmer, MBA’s senior vice president of legislative and political affairs, about all things industry related. From pressing legislative tasks to Ben Carson, Trump and Dodd Frank, it was quite a thorough, informative interview. While I encourage you to read the post in its entirety, here are a few key takeaways that struck me.

1. Regulatory reform or, at the very least, clarity, is at the top of MBA’s priority list when meeting with Congress.
2. The organization is “comfortable” with HUD Secretary nominee Dr. Ben Carson, but is more concerned about the influencers he may surround himself with. MBA is confident he’ll choose a good group.
3. MBA is not against Dodd-Frank, but rather supports permanent changes that can ensure lenders they will not suffer undue stress over liability issues.
4. Everyone realizes Pres. Trump has a very strong real estate background, though the organization does not automatically assume this will translate into favorable policies. Killmer does, however, think his understanding of the landscape may influence his decisions once some of the larger issues on the agenda have been settled.
5. The ultimate goal: create a self-sustaining, high-functioning housing finance system that makes mortgages available to as many people as possible.