The Lede

HousingWire, Jan. 11, 2017--Ramirez, Kelsey Ben Carson faces the Senate Banking Committee today on his nomination as HUD Secretary; Mortgage Bankers Association President and CEO David Stevens sent a letter to the Committee urging it to approve Carson.

National Mortgage Professional, Jan. 11, 2017--Hall, Phil While MBA and other trade groups have expressed support, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., seems skeptical of his ability to run HUD.

Wall Street Journal, Jan. 11, 2017--Andriotis, Annamaria Total mortgage applications dropped 21% from the third quarter, led by demand for refinances which fell 31%, according to Mortgage Bankers Association data.

CNBC, Jan. 11, 2017--Olick, Diana Total mortgage application volume increased 5.8 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis last week from the previous week, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported.

Baltimore Business Journal, Jan. 11, 2017--Blumenthal, Jeff Financial terms were not disclosed but Carey Kramer Pettit Panichelli & Associates brought all 15 of its employees and $2.7 billion in loans.

National Mortgage News, Jan. 11, 2017--Nazarro, Craig The mortgage industry will see guidance and regulations which address the issues raised in private-label servicing at the state level and/or the federal level, until then the industry should be very attentive to the risks associated with the practice and push for more guidance on the topic.

Wall Street Journal, Jan. 11, 2017--Chen, Stefanos Last year, 3.9% of potential home buyers backed out of the deal before closing, according to a Trulia analysis. Akron, Ohio, tops the list of luxury buyers who got cold feet.

Wall Street Journal, Jan. 11, 2017--Friedman, Robyn A. If your home is destroyed in a fire or other natural disaster, lenders and insurers have procedures in place to help clients through the recovery.

National Mortgage News, Jan. 11, 2017--Passy, Jacob Homeowners in predominantly black and Hispanic neighborhoods are more likely than their counterparts in predominantly white neighborhoods to be underwater on their mortgages, according to a report from Zillow.

HousingWire, Jan. 11, 2017--Swanson, Brena Democrats in Congress are banning together to make sure Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Richard Cordray won't be prematurely unseated amid strengthening calls from Republicans to have the director fired.

National Real Estate Investor, Jan. 11, 2017--Lynn, David  President-Elect Trump's plans for significant new infrastructure spending, higher exports, higher import tariffs, lower taxes and reduced regulation could spur inflation and lead to higher interest rates.

Mortgage Daily, Jan. 11, 2017 Annual loan securitizations ascended to a record high last year at Ginnie Mae, as did the company's book of business.

Mortgage Daily, Jan. 11, 2017 Quarterly mortgage originations were down from the prior period at Lake Michigan Credit Union, as was annual lending. The servicing portfolio grew, though.

HousingWire, Jan. 11, 2017--Lane, Ben For the second time in as many months, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac announced that they are increasing the benchmark interest rate for standard mortgage modifications.

Wall Street Journal, Jan. 11, 2017--Timiraos, Nick Steven Mnuchin, nominated to be the next Treasury secretary, stands to benefit as an investor from the revival of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac under a policy change he outlined to privatize the mortgage giants, though he has pledged to quit the positions soon after his confirmation.

The Mortgage Bankers Association and MBA Insights are accepting nominations for the MBA Insights 2017 Tech All-Star Awards. Nominations will be accepted through Friday, Jan. 27.

MBA Education presents a new webinar series, Introduction to E-Mortgages. The next webinar takes place Feb. 27.