The Lede

The Real Deal (Los Angeles), Apr. 11, 2017Banks are aggressively lending on commercial properties even as developers and equity investors are starting to pull back amid fears of a downturn. Total U.S. commercial real estate lending volume decreased slightly to $491 billion in 2016--down 3 percent from 2015, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

GeekWire, Apr. 11, 2017--Nat LevyOnce someone's found that dream home, finishing the process remains a challenge. That's the problem a pair of former Redfin employees are trying to solve with their new startup, Approved. The San Diego company announced Tuesday a $1 million pre-seed round to help build out the service. The round was led by Social Capital and Precursor Ventures.

Wall Street Journal, Apr. 11, 2017--Peter Grant (subscription)Carnegie Hall Tower, the Manhattan office skyscraper that helped shore up the finances of the fabled concert hall, refinanced its debt with a $325 million loan from Metropolitan Life Insurance.

Wall Street Journal, Apr. 11, 2017--Shibani Mahtani, Andrew Tangel (subscription)The tide of companies moving back to big cities in search of talent and better transportation links is rising, reviving many downtowns at the expense of suburbs and smaller communities.

National Mortgage Professional, Apr. 11, 2017--Phil HallVacation home sales took a serious fall in 2016 while investment home sales were on the rise, according to new data.

National Mortgage News, Apr. 11, 2017--John Heltman (subscription)President Trump on Tuesday reiterated his pledge to roll back the Dodd-Frank Act and replace it with "something else," although the prospects of such a legislative overhaul remain remote.

National Mortgage News, Apr. 11, 2017--Andy Peters (subscription)A litany of bankruptcies among retailers has many lenders on edge as they and others try to predict how much damage it could do to bank earnings--and how soon.

HousingWire, Apr. 11, 2017--Kelsey RamirezHome values continued their upward climb, however not quite as fast as homeowners estimated, according to Quicken Loans' Home Price Perception Index.

National Mortgage News, Apr. 12, 2017--Lew Sichelman (subscription)Have millennials who have been slow to jump onto the housing ladder finally figured out the path to wealth their parents followed? A survey from Bank of America suggests they have - and that they are moving happily along their way toward being for-real grownups.

Mortgage Daily, Apr. 11, 2017Home-lending activity slowed on a quarter-over-quarter basis at Primary Residential Mortgage Inc., though year-over-year production held up.

Mortgage Daily, Apr. 11, 2017--Sam GarciaFinancial services firms continue to delve deeper into mobile technology to enhance the customer experience, and service providers are helping them along the way.

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Apr. 11, 2017--Brian BowlingPNC Financial Services Group Inc. has agreed to pay $16 million to settle a federal overtime lawsuit filed by current and former mortgage loan officers.

Reuters, Apr. 11, 2017--Lucia MutikaniJob openings, a measure of labor demand, increased 118,000 to a seasonally adjusted 5.7 million, the Labor Department said on Tuesday.

HousingWire, Apr. 11, 2017--Brena SwansonFormer Federal Housing Finance Agency Acting Director Ed DeMarco joins the Financial Services Roundtable leadership team as FSR's Housing Policy Council president, effective June 1.