The Lede

Wall Street Journal, Jan. 5, 2016--Stevens, David MBA president and CEO, in letter to Wall Street Journal, said credit-risk transfers conducted by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac require different approaches that minimize taxpayer risk.

Chicago Tribune, Jan. 5, 2015--Mertz Esswein, Patricia (Kiplinger's Personal Finance) Mortgage credit is still tighter today than it was during the lead-up to the housing bust, but it has loosened a little every year since 2009. Whether you're buying or refinancing, it's easier to get a mortgage at rates that are still at historically low levels.

Puget Sound Business Journal, Jan. 5, 2016--Stiles, Marc Seattle is back on the list of the top five U.S. cities for foreign commercial real estate investment, according to a new survey.

National Mortgage News, Jan. 5, 2015 As the mortgage industry begins the New Year, National Mortgage News takes a look at the biggest trends and topics that will shape 2016.

Wall Street Journal, Jan. 5, 2015--Glazer, Emily The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency said J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. would pay a $48 million civil penalty to end a regulatory order against the bank related to mortgage-servicing matters. EverBank, a Jacksonville, Fla., lender, also is exiting a so-called consent order with the OCC, paying $1 million as a civil money penalty to the bank regulator.

Houston Business Journal, Jan. 5, 2015--Takahashi, Paul Arch Mortgage Insurance Co. released its winter 2016 housing and mortgage market report, which found that energy-dependent cities such as Houston have a higher risk of experiencing lower home prices in the next two years.

HousingWire, Jan. 5, 2015--Swanson, Brena Existing home sales are projected to recover after a weak report in November due to the implementation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosure rule, according to the latest Auction.com Residential Real Estate Nowcast report.

Bloomberg, Jan. 5, 2015--Smialek, Jeanna Here's what to look for when the Federal Reserve releases minutes from the Federal Open Market Committee's Dec. 15-16 policy-setting meeting at 2 p.m. Wednesday in Washington.

CNBC, Jan. 5, 2015--Frank, Robert The average apartment price in Manhattan hit a record $1.95 million in the fourth quarter, as high-end real estate continued to defy volatile stock markets and slowing growth overseas.

Reuters, Jan. 5, 2015--Becker, Amanda Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, who has made reining in Wall Street a top campaign theme, warned on Tuesday that financial-sector greed is "destroying the fabric of our nation" and detailed his plan to break up big banks, his campaign said.

Miami Today, Jan. 5, 2016--Vianna, Carla The 2010 law has strung banks along a regulatory rollercoaster for five years, paving the way for new agencies and requirements that changed the way the nation's banks operated. This year, more regulations are expected from the five-year-old law.

Washington Post, Jan. 6, 2016--Lerner, Michele A new opportunity for home ownership is available to credit-worthy low- to moderate-income borrowers through Fannie Mae's new HomeReady mortgage program.