The Lede

Wall Street Journal, Nov. 5, 2015--Dulaney, Chelsey Fannie Mae said profit was halved in the third quarter, as declines in long-term interest rates hurt the value of the mortgage-finance company's derivatives.

Washington Post, Nov. 5, 2015--Orton, Kathy Home loan rates began moving higher after the Federal Reserve signaled last week that a December interest rate hike was a possibility.

Mortgage Daily, Nov.5, 2015 The availability of credit in home lending expanded last month, has eased four consecutive months and stands at the highest point in six years.

Bloomberg, Nov. 5, 2015--Mulholland, Sarah Barry Sternlicht's Starwood Capital Group and Stephen Schwarzman's Blackstone Group LP are in talks with Freddie Mac to finance two transactions totaling more than $10 billion.

Reuters, Nov. 5, 2015--Mutikani, Lucia New U.S. applications for unemployment benefits last week recorded their largest increase in eight months, but remained at levels consistent with a fairly healthy labor market. Other data on Thursday showed a surprise gain in productivity in the third quarter after a drop in self-employment contributed to overall hours worked falling for the first time in six years.

Reuters, Nov. 5, 2015--Cornwell, Susan House Republicans approved Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas on Thursday as chairman of the powerful, tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee, succeeding Paul Ryan, who took over the House speakership last week.

National Mortgage Professional, Nov. 5, 2015--Hall, Phil For those who see the proverbial glass as being half-full, today's new housing data offered a reason for cheers And for those that see the glass as being half-empty, there are new reasons to drink away one's sorrow.

HousingWire, Nov. 5, 2015 Fees charged by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to guarantee loans will likely not go to pay for new roads, after the House voted overwhelmingly to remove a controversial portion of a massive transportation bill that would have used g-fees to offset the cost of the bill. The Mortgage Bankers Association praised the House action.

Market Realist, Nov. 5, 2015--Sheldon, Lara The labor market remains volatile in the manufacturing sector with the ups and downs of the business cycle.

Winston-Salem Journal (N.C.), Nov. 5, 2015--Craver, Richard Wells Fargo & Co. will have to pay $81.6 million in remediation costs for its "repeated failure" to provide homeowners with legally required notices, the Justice Department said Thursday.

Just Released: MBA's most popular Resource Guide has just been updated to reflect new developments since the Know Before You Owe (TRID) rule took effect on October 3.

MBA Education, the education arm of the Mortgage Bankers Association, presents the second of a two-part webinar series, Understanding the Mystery of Secondary Marketing, on Nov. 18.