The Lede

HousingWire, Apr. 6, 2017--Ben LaneThe bipartisan House and Senate bills received support from both the Mortgage Bankers Association and the California Association of Realtors.

Washington Post, Apr. 6, 2017--Kathy OrtonMortgage rates fell for the third week in a row, but their downward trend may be short-lived. "Markets appeared to hit pause last week as rates held steady on average, with little new information emerging about upcoming administrative or legislative policy changes," said Lynn Fisher, MBA vice president of research and economics.

National Mortgage News, Apr. 6, 2017--Brad Finkelstein (subscription)The Mortgage Credit Availability Index increased by 3.2% month to month in March to 183.4, as jumbo loan programs offered by lenders grew by 7.2%, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

National Mortgage Professional, Apr. 6, 2017--Phil HallIt was another week of declining fixed-rate mortgages, according to Freddie Mac's Primary Mortgage Market Survey. Meanwhile, the Mortgage Bankers Association said mortgage credit availability increased.

HousingWire, Apr. 6, 2017--Kelsey RamirezMillennials are now closing loans at the fastest pace since March 2016, according to Ellie Mae's latest Millennial Tracker. The average time taken to close a loan in February dropped to 44 days.

Bloomberg, Apr. 6, 2017--Patrick Clark; Kim BhasinIn February, a nonprofit called Mercy Housing Lakefront opened 181 units of affordable rental apartments in a building that once housed Sears's catalog printing plant.

Reuters, Apr. 6, 2017--Lucia MutikaniInitial claims for state unemployment benefits declined 25,000 to a seasonally adjusted 234,000 for the week ended April 1, the Labor Department said on Thursday.

Mortgage Daily, Apr. 6, 2017Past-due payments rose on three-out-of-four housing-related consumer loan types at banks--with mobile-home loan delinquency exploding.

Mortgage Daily, Apr. 6, 2917--Sam GarciaLong-term mortgage rates declined for the third week in a row and now stand at the second-lowest level this year. The outlook is for little change next week.

National Mortgage News, Apr. 6, 2017--Bonnie Sinnock (subscription)Commercial and multifamily mortgage bankers originated $490.6 billion closed loans in 2016, making it the third strongest year on record despite the pressure higher rates have put on volume, the Mortgage Bankers Association said.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Apr. 6, 2017--Robert PatrickA federal appeals court upheld a jury award of $500,000 to an Overland woman, saying that jurors had "ample evidence" to find that her mortgage services company, Nationstar Mortgae LLC, "acted with a reckless indifference to her rights."

National Mortgage News, Apr. 6, 2017--Ian McKendry (subscription)Observers are divided whether National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn's support for a modernized Glass-Steagall Act is purely opportunistic or a sincere wish to significantly reshape the financial services industry.

HousingWire, Apr. 6, 2017--Ben LaneA new report from Standard & Poor's Global Ratings shows that residential mortgage-backed securities-related issuance doubled in the first quarter compared to last year.

MBA Education presents a webinar, Current Expected Credit Loss: Beyond the Basics on Wednesday, Apr. 12 from 2:00-3:30 p.m. ET.

In this week's issue of MBA Insights: Steve Case and the ‘Third Wave' of the Internet.

The Mortgage Bankers Association's annual National Secondary Market Conference & Expo returns to the New York Marriott Marquis April 30-May 3.

The 30th World Congress of the International Union for Housing Finance takes place in Washington, D.C. June 25-27. MBA members can obtain a special discount registration rate.