The Lede

CNBC, Feb. 3, 2016--Olick, Diana Mortgage rates fell last week, but so did record amounts of snow across much of the East Coast. That may be why total mortgage application volume dropped 2.6 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis for the week from the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

National Mortgage Professional, Feb. 3, 2016--Hall, Phil The latest round of Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey from the Mortgage Bankers Association offered a bit of wobbling, with the seasonally adjusted indexes performing poorly while the unadjusted indexes showed more stability.

Investor's Business Daily, Feb. 3, 2016--McEvoy, Ciaran Federal Reserve officials are increasingly uneasy about financial markets since they raised interest rates in December. Meanwhile, U.S. hiring remained solid to start 2016. The service sector continued to expand, but at its slowest pace in nearly two years.

The Hill, Feb. 3, 2016--Needham, Vicki Economists from several of the nation's largest banks said Wednesday that they don't expect the turmoil rippling through global markets to stymie U.S. growth.

New York Times, Feb. 3, 2016--Moyer, Liz Wells Fargo agreed to pay $1.2 billion to put to rest claims that it engaged in reckless lending under a Federal Housing Administration program that left a government insurance fund to clean up the mess.

U.S. News & World Report, Feb. 3, 2016--Mayotte, Betsy It's pretty clear that your student loan payments are going to affect how much and how quickly you're able to save a down payment for your first home, as well as the affordability of your mortgage payments. But they can also affect your eligibility for the mortgage in the first place.

Wall Street Journal, Feb. 3, 2016--Beilfuss, Lisa Private-sector hiring was better-than-expected in January, the latest indication that the U.S. labor market remains solid even as some pockets of the economy show signs of cooling.

Dow Jones Business News, Feb. 3, 2016--Light, Joe Flint, Mich., residents have a new concern on top of lead in their drinking water: Some mortgage lenders say home buyers must prove there is no contamination at a property or they won't make a loan for its purchase. "This isn't a question of the lenders arbitrarily choosing not to do loans in Flint," said David Stevens, president of the Mortgage Bankers Association. "It's a question of whether lenders are allowed to originate those loans based on government requirements."

Reuters, Feb. 3, 2016--Stempel, Jonathan Deutsche Bank AG must face a U.S. lawsuit seeking to hold it liable for causing $3.1 billion of investor losses by failing to properly monitor 10 trusts backed by toxic residential mortgages, a federal judge ruled on Wednesday.

Commercial Observer, Feb. 3, 2016--Balbi, Danielle Whether or not life companies will eat up more of the lending pie this year remains to be seen, but it seems like there will be more room at the table soon enough.

HousingWire, Feb. 3, 2016--Swanson, Brena Home Depot announced it will hire 80,000 seasonal workers, further cementing that the spring homebuying season is almost here.

Barron's, Feb. 3, 2016--Stone, Amey Mortgage real estate investment trusts have had a tough couple of years. But companies aren't standing still. Earnings season kicked off Monday with a report from American Capital Agency that is creating some optimism.