The Lede

Washington Post, May 2, 2019--Kathy OrtonAfter a month of increases, mortgage rates retreated this week. According to latest data released Thursday by Freddie Mac, the 30-year fixed-rate average slipped to 4.14 percent with an average 0.5 point. It was 4.20 percent a week ago and 4.55 percent a year ago. (MBA mention)

Mortgage Orb. May 2, 2019--Patrick BarnardJolly joins the MBA from Capitol Hill, where he most recently served as Deputy Chief of Staff for Rep. Gregory W. Meeks, D-N.Y.

The Hill, May 2, 2019--Jordan FabianPresident Trump said Thursday conservative commentator Stephen Moore has decided to withdraw from consideration for the Federal Reserve Board amid staunch opposition from Senate Republicans.

USA Today, May 2, 2019--Aimee PicchiThis spring may prove challenging for some first-time homebuyers, who typically have fewer assets than current homeowners, who have built up equity in their homes. (MBA mention)

Washington Post, May 2, 2019--Michele LernerAdjustable-rate mortgages, known as ARMs, are back, despite having earned a bad reputation at the height of the housing crisis. Post-crisis borrowers saw them as risky because of their changing interest rates and blamed the glut of foreclosures on the inability of homeowners to handle higher payments when the loans reset.

DS News, May 2, 2019--Seth WellbornAfter the Mortgage Bankers Association sent a letter requested raising the threshold for requiring manual appraisals from $250,000 to $400,000, Collateral Analytics examined how raising this threshold would impact the mortgage industry as a whole.

National Mortgage News, May 2, 2019--Paul Centopani (subscription)Goldman forgave $85 million in principal on 819 first-lien mortgages, and $4.2 million on 30 amounts due and previously deferred first-lien mortgages during the period that has passed since its last update on March 1. Its latest contribution puts it more than three-quarters of the way to fulfilling the settlement's terms.

National Mortgage Professional, May 2, 2019--Phil HallThe commercial mortgage-backed securities delinquency rate published by Trepp LLC reversed itself after last month's one basis point uptick and resumed is ongoing decline in April by six basis points to a new post-recession low of 2.82 percent.