The Lede

CNBC, Mar. 30, 2016--Dhue, Stephanie Spring home buying season has kicked into high gear, but it wasn't enough to boost mortgage applications, which fell by 1 percent last week from the previous week, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported.

Wall Street Journal, Mar. 30, 2016--Martin, Anya Some home buyers should brace themselves for sticker shock: not from the price of the house, but from the property taxes they'll pay when the deal closes.

HousingWire, Mar. 30, 2016--Swanson, Brena The mortgage portfolio of the top banks in the market has steadily dwindled over the past two years, according to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency's quarterly report on mortgages.

Wall Street Journal, Mar. 30, 2016--Tracy, Ryan A federal judge overturned U.S. regulators' determination that MetLife Inc. poses a threat to the financial system, granting the insurer a victory in its quest to avoid stricter rules and potentially undermining a central part of the 2010 Dodd-Frank law.

Wall Street Journal, Mar. 30, 2016--Brown, Ken Banks are probably safer than people believe, and real estate, the sector investors are rushing to, has become riskier.

National Mortgage News, Mar. 30, 2016--Collins, Brian Bankers are fighting back against a plan that would allow Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to invest in low-income housing tax credits, arguing they are critical for meeting Community Reinvestment Act requirements.

CU Insight, Mar. 31, 2016--Harbinack Shapiro, Michelle The annual conference brings together mortgage technology experts, vendors and customers to discover, learn and discuss emerging technologies, trends and issues affecting the industry.

Philadelphia Inquirer, Mar. 31, 2016--Heavens, Alan J. The concept behind such mortgages is that while newly minted doctors and dentists are carrying a lot of debt and not making much money, they are guaranteed to be high earners in the future.

DS News, Mar. 30, 2016--Honea, Brian Fannie Mae's gross mortgage portfolio resumed its contraction in February following a rare month of expansion in January, according to the GSE's Monthly Volume Summary for February 2016.

Wall Street Journal, Mar. 31, 2016--Kusisto, Laura As young, high-earning workers flock to the San Francisco Bay Area, they are pushing up housing costs for everyone. But particularly hard-hit are people like 80-year-old Lois Plymale.

National Real Estate Investor, Mar. 30, 2016 A recently released 10-year benchmark study commissioned by the CREW Network found that women in commercial real estate are more satisfied with their career progression than they were a decade ago, a significant leap for an industry that's still known for being predominantly white and male.

GQ, Mar. 30, 2016--Moore, Jack These are end times.