The Lede

USA Today, Dec. 13, 2017--Paul DavidsonTogether, the rate hikes and the unwinding of the Fed's portfolio could increase mortgage rates by half a percentage point a year, says Lynn Fisher, vice president of research and finance for the Mortgage Bankers Association.

CNBC, Dec. 13, 2017--Diana OlickA slight increase last week caused total mortgage application volume to fall 2.3 percent, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association's seasonally adjusted report.

National Mortgage Professional, Dec. 13, 2017--Phil HallThere were fewer mortgage applications being completed last week and more agreement between homeowners and appraisers on property values, according to the latest housing data.

National Mortgage News, Dec. 13, 2017--Brian Collins (subscription)The House Financial Services Committee approved a bill Wednesday amending key provisions of the Secure and Fair Enforcement for Mortgage Licensing Act of 2008. Not a single lawmaker on the panel opposed the measure.

Reuters, Dec. 13, 2017--David Morgan, Amanda BeckerCongressional Republicans have reached a deal on final tax legislation, the U.S. Senate's top Republican tax writer said on Wednesday, with President Donald Trump saying he would back a sharply lowered corporate tax rate of 21 percent.

Mortgage Professional America, Dec. 13, 2017--Steve Randall The third quarter saw a resurgence of commercial/multifamily mortgage debt outstanding with a $45.4 billion increase to $3.11 trillion, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported.

Mortgage Daily, Dec. 13, 2017The search engine is VendorSurf.com, according to an announcement Wednesday from Vendor Surf LLC.

Scotsman Guide, Dec. 13, 2017--Victor WhitmanHouse Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling recently signaled that he is willing compromise on housing-finance reform, but MBA President and CEO David Stevens says the plan Hensarling now endorses could create issues for smaller lenders.

Wall Street Journal, Dec. 14, 2017--Emily Glazer (subscription)Wells Fargo & Co. laid off about 60 employees in its mortgage division as the bank continues to reshuffle parts of its business following heightened regulatory scrutiny.

Wall Street Journal, Dec. 13, 2017--Josh Mitchell (subscription)The number of Americans severely behind on payments on federal student loans reached roughly 4.6 million in the third quarter, a doubling from four years ago, despite a historically long stretch of U.S. job creation and steady economic growth.

HousingWire, Dec. 13, 2017--Ben LaneAccording to the state, the entity is ending unsolicited emails to residents, offering them loans. The emails originate from the email address: "impacmortgagecorp@gmail.com," and the scammer is using the name of Impac's CEO, Joseph Tomkinson.

Mortgage Daily, Dec. 13, 2017--Sam GarciaColumbia, South Carolina-based Homeowners Mortgage has been acquired by Towne Mortgage Co., a press release last month stated. Homeowners will add around $0.24 billion to Towne's $1 billion in annual originations.

The Mortgage Bankers Association and MBA Insights are accepting nominations for the MBA Insights 2018 Tech All-Star Awards. Nominations will be accepted through Friday, Jan. 19.  

Is your company flying blind by not using reliable data to support key business decisions? Join an elite group of lenders this spring that participate in the MBA and STRATMOR Peer Group Roundtables.

The Mortgage Bankers Association's Commercial Real Estate Finance/Multifamily Housing Convention & Expo 2018 returns to San Diego Feb. 11-14.

MBA Education presents its popular School of Loan Origination in a new way--a two-day Workshop at Everbank headquarters in Jacksonville, Fa. From Jan. 18-19.

The Mortgage Bankers Association's Commercial Real Estate Finance/Multifamily Housing Convention & Expo 2018 returns to San Diego Feb. 11-14.

The Mortgage Bankers Association's Commercial Real Estate Finance/Multifamily Housing Convention & Expo 2018 returns to San Diego Feb. 11-14.