The Lede

HousingWire, Aug. 18, 2017--Kelsey RamírezFreddie Mac announced Friday it is making buying a home a better experience for lender and homebuyers--by cutting the appraiser out of the process.

Bloomberg, Aug. 18, 2017--Sarah Mulholland; Erik SchatzkerCommercial real estate prices, hovering at record highs in the U.S. following a six-year boom, are sustainable even as Chinese regulators tighten restrictions on overseas investment, according to Brookfield Property Partners LP.

Chicago Tribune, Aug. 18, 2017--Jeff OstrowskiPresident Donald Trump's recent decision to pay off a $1.2 million loan on a home he owns in Palm Beach raises an intriguing question: why would a billionaire bother with a relatively tiny mortgage?

National Mortgage News, Aug. 18, 2017--Chris Masten (subscription)Mortgage holders could see their security interest wiped out if a borrower in Texas or Nevada gets a property tax loan where the lien has priority over the first mortgage.

Mortgage Daily, Aug. 18, 2017--Sam GarciaMortgage lead providers, which have become more prominent as easy refinance business has diminished, have recently launched new offerings and enhanced existing products.

Mortgage Daily, Aug. 18, 2017Freddie Mac's forecast for mortgage refinances during the second half of this year has been increased, though it was at the expense of the second-quarter estimate.

HousingWire, Aug. 21, 2017--Caroline BasileIn a recent LinkedIn post, Mortgage Bankers Association President and CEO David Stevens called on mortgage and real estate professionals to voice their opinions to the House of Representatives on the upcoming expiration of the National Flood Insurance Program.

National Mortgage News, Aug. 18, 2017--Brian Collins (subscription)"If you are a defender of the mission of HUD, you are going to want HUD to have a No. 2 chief operating officer like Pam [Patenaude] as deputy secretary and a general counsel in place so you can give Secretary [Ben] Carson more staff and more capacity to run the agency," said Bill Killmer, senior vice president for legislative and political affairs at the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Bloomberg, Aug. 21, 2017--Saleha Mohsin, Chris StrohmTreasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin emerged over the weekend as one of the staunchest defenders of Donald Trump in the Cabinet, bringing stability to the administration's economic policy agenda as it heads into what's expected to be an unpredictable debt-limit debate.

Sacramento Bee, Aug. 21, 2017--Angela HartCalifornia's high housing costs are driving poor and middle income people out of their housing like never before. While some are fleeing coastal areas for cheaper living inland, others are leaving the state altogether.

MBA Education presents its popular Multifamily Property Inspection Workshop in Washington, D.C. September 6-7.