The Lede

Top National News

U.S. Housing Market Recap: Sales Drop More Than Expected in April as Inventory Tightens
GoRion, May 31, 2017--Sam Bourgi Home sales fell in April, although the underlying trend continued to show favorable growth fueled by more plentiful jobs and pent-up demand.
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Largest U.S. Banks Grab A Bigger Share Of Shrinking Mortgage Origination Market
Forbes, May 31, 2017The five largest U.S. banks originated residential mortgages worth less than $111 billion in the first quarter--a figure considerably smaller than the $143 billion originated in the previous quarter.
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Weekly Mortgage Applications Fall 3.4% as Homebuyers Find Little For Sale
CNBC, May 31, 2017--Diana OlickMortgage applications fell 3.4 percent last week from the previous week. Demand for housing has been strong this spring, but the supply of homes for sale continues to drop.
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BPC: Here’s a Bipartisan Path Forward to Accomplish GSE Reform
HousingWire, May 31, 2017--Brena SwansonA lack of bipartisan support derailed any chance of reforming Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac for years, but the Bipartisan Policy Center is set on correcting this as talks for reform start to resurface.
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The Fed Could Deliver a September Surprise to the Markets
Business Insider, May 31, 2017--Pedro Nicolaci da Costa The Federal Reserve looks all but set to raise interest rates at its next policy meeting on June 13-14 and officials have indicated at least one more hike is coming before year end.
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Commercial Real Estate Lending Growth Remains Strong Despite Fed Rate Hikes
Forbes, May 31, 2017The Fed's ongoing interest rate hike process has had a negative impact on the rate of loan growth across U.S. banks over recent months, but commercial real estate lending activity has bucked this trend to grow at a faster rate than any other loan category.
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Down Payment Misconceptions Continue to Hinder Millennials from Owning a Home
Mortgage Professonal America, May 31, 2017--Anna Sobrevinas Misconceptions about down payments continue to hinder millennials from the possibility of owning a home. Industry professionals at a recent Mortgage Bankers Association conference cited the belief that a 20 percent down payment was required to get a mortgage as "the greatest cause of confusion among first-time homebuyers."
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MBA News

MBA Private Healthcare/Benefits Exchange for Member Companies
The Mortgage Bankers Association offers private healthcare exchanges and other employee benefits for its member companies.
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