The Lede

Philadelphia Business Journal, June 18, 2019--Kennedy RoseRegina Lowrie, former chairperson of the Mortgage Bankers Association, is now president and CEO of fintech company Dytrix, a cloud-based app created to help prevent wire fraud and business email compromise.

Reuters, June 18, 2019--Beth PinskerMortgage rates are nearing historic lows again in the United States, making it an ideal time to buy a home--or refinance.

National Mortgage News, June 18, 2019--Kate Berry (subscription)CitiMortgage has agreed to pay $7.8 million to more than 94,000 California homeowners for allegedly failing to pay 2% interest on escrow impound accounts, the state's financial regulator said.

HousingWire, June 18, 2019--Jessica GuerinNew Residential Investment has agreed to purchase the stock and assets of Ditech's forward mortgage originations and servicing business, while Mortgage Assets Management will acquire the stock and assets of Ditech's reverse mortgage business, Reverse Mortgage Solutions.

Bloomberg, June 18, 2019--Saleha Mohsin, Jennifer JacobsThe White House explored the legality of demoting Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell in February, leaving him as a Fed governor, sources said, in what would be an unprecedented move. A replacement would have to be nominated by Trump and confirmed by the Senate.

Wall Street Journal, June 18, 2019--Nour Malas (subscription)Alphabet Inc.'s Google said it would commit $1 billion to boost housing construction in the San Francisco Bay Area, the latest in a series of commitments by tech companies to address an affordability crisis in the region.

National Mortgage News, June 18, 2019--Jon Prior (subscription)The bipartisan proposal aims to renew banks' interest in low-income housing tax credits and bring more lower-priced homes to markets that badly need them.

HousingWire, June 18, 2019--Jessica GuerinAccording to documents filed recently by some of Live Well's creditors, Flagstar Bank and Mirae Asset Securities, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Securities and Exchange Commission are looking into Live Well.

American Banker, June 18, 2019--Hannah Lang (subscription)Today the FHFA's Office of Fair Lending Oversight is still somewhat under the radar. It has five employees, technically falls within the agency's Division of Supervision and has left some observers unclear about its mission. But the new office has offered hope to consumer advocates who were alarmed at efforts by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and HUD to cut back on fair-lending enforcement.