The Lede

CNN, Feb. 11, 2016--Long, HeatherFederal Reserve chair Janet Yellen said at a Congressional hearing Thursday that she would not take negative interest rates off the table.

National Mortgage News, Feb. 11, 2016--Stevens, David MBA President and CEO says given the exclusivity of its members, the Federal Home Loan Bank system is failing to serve the marketplace as well as it could.

Bloomberg, Feb. 11, 2016--Smythe, ChristieMorgan Stanley agreed to pay $3.2 billion to end a joint federal-state investigation into its handling of mortgage-backed securities, the fourth deal to be struck in a probe of the big U.S. banks' role in the subprime mortgage meltdown and the financial crisis it spawned.

Washington Post, Feb. 11, 2016--Haynes, Dion Mortgage rates slid for the sixth straight week, driven down nearly to last year's low by continued uncertainty and volatility in the global financial markets.

Wall Street Journal, Feb. 11, 2016--Martin, Anya Banks and other lenders are loosening 20% down payment requirements on jumbo loans-especially for Henrys. The acronym stands for "high earner, not rich yet."

HousingWire, Feb. 11, 2016--Lane, Ben Seeking to rid itself of two business segments that are dragging on the real estate investment trust's bottom line, Redwood Trust announced recently that it will be discontinuing the acquisition and aggregation of conforming loans for sale to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and will also discontinue commercial loan originations for distribution in commercial mortgage-backed securities.

Reuters, Feb. 11, 2016--Mutikani, Lucia Americans filing for unemployment benefits fell more than expected last week, suggesting the labor market remains on solid footing despite slowing economic growth and a stock market rout.

Reuters, Feb. 11, 2016--Cowan, Richard The Senate on Thursday passed legislation placing a permanent ban on states' taxing Internet access, sending the measure to President Barack Obama for signing into law.

SFGate, Feb. 11, 2016--Landes, Emily As San Francisco home prices continue to rise, a new report is calling the local market "overvalued" by about 16 percent.

HousingWire, Feb. 11, 2016--Barraza, Cynthia Even though new home purchases dropped 6% in December, for January the Mortgage Bankers Association's Builder Application Survey shows mortgage applications for new home purchases, increased by 14%.

Reuters, Feb. 11, 2016 The Federal Reserve bought $6.582 billion of agency mortgage-backed securities last week, but sold no securities guaranteed by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac or Ginnie Mae.

Wall Street Journal, Feb. 11, 2016--Zumbrun, Josh A growing number of corporate leaders and economists see mounting risk of the U.S. tipping into a recession, a nod to headwinds posed by the global growth slowdown and early-year convulsions in financial markets.

Buffalo News, Feb. 11, 2016--Glynn, Matt A newly launched website has some features of a conventional real estate website, but with a twist. But the descriptions take to task banks the site claims drag out the foreclosure process - sometimes for years--and prevent the properties from going back on the market.

The Mortgage Bankers Association's Single-Family Rental Finance Workshop takes place Thursday, April 7 in Washington, D.C. 

The Mortgage Bankers Association presents a new three-part webinar series discussing the new Federal Housing Finance Agency/Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac representation and warranty policies. The first webinar, Rep and Warrant Reform Part I: Overview takes place Thursday, Feb. 18 from 2:00-3:00 p.m. ET.