The Lede

CNBC, Feb. 8, 2017--Diana OlickMortgage rates have been wavering in a tight range, but a slight decrease last week helped put some energy back into the mortgage market. "Since reaching a recent peak of almost 4.5 percent toward the end of December, rates have bounced around the 4.3 percent mark for the past six weeks," said MBA economist Joel Kan.

Kiplinger, Feb. 8, 2017--Benway, CharlesA newly designed Form 1098 gives the IRS more information, so be prepared to defend the deduction.

The Mortgage Reports, Feb. 8, 2017--Tim LucasThe Mortgage Bankers Association said lenders are loosening standards for every loan type, including popular government-backed mortgages like FHA and the USDA home loan. Even jumbo financing is getting easier.

Reuters, Feb. 8, 2017--Joy WiltermuthThe Department of Justice is investigating potential wrongdoing by individuals who worked in Deutsche Bank's mortgage unit in the run-up to the financial crisis.

National Mortgage News, Feb. 8, 2017--Jacob PassyA greater share of millennial women leveraged Federal Housing Administration loans than millennial men, Ellie Mae found in its latest Millennial Tracker report.

Wall Street Journal, Feb. 8, 2017--Rachel WitkowskiEight groups have filed applications in recent months with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. to open new banks, spurred by an improving economy and an expected deregulatory push by Republicans in Washington.

Wall Street Journal, Feb. 8, 2017--Laura KusistoThe divide between the prices of homes Americans want to buy and the inventory of such homes is growing, suggesting first-time home buyers and high-end sellers might have a difficult year ahead of them.

National Mortgage Professional, Feb. 8, 2017--Phil HallThe intersection of marriage and homeownership is growing wider, as a new data study from Zillow has found almost 15 percent of all homebuyers between the ages of 24 and 35 during 2015 were unmarried couples, up from 11 percent in 2005.

National Mortgage News, Feb. 8, 2017--Brad FinkelsteinGenworth Financial's U.S. mortgage insurance business had adjusted operating income of $61 million in the fourth quarter, up over 50% from the same period in 2015, as its new insurance written grew by 42% year over year.

HousingWire, Feb. 8, 2017--Brena SwansonThis week Reps. Ed Royce, R-Calif., Kyrsten Sinema, D-Az., and Terri Sewell, D-Al., introduced H.R. 898, the Credit Score Competition Act, which enables the GSEs to consider alternative credit scoring models when making mortgage purchasing decisions.

HousingWire, Feb. 8, 2017--Kelsey RamirezHome buyers are encountering difficulty in locating a home in their price range; 58.5% of Americans in the market to buy a home over the past two years said the process was either somewhat or very competitive, according to a new report from Trulia.

Mortgage Daily, Feb. 8, 2017Even though quarterly originations moved lower at Prosperity Home Mortgage LLC, an uptick was recorded for annual activity.

Mortgage Daily, Feb. 8, 2017A new government report indicates that cost estimates for the automation and modernization of the Federal Housing Administration have been deficient.

HousingWire, Feb. 8, 2017--Brena SwansonWhen HUD announced it suspended the reduction of FHA mortgage insurance premiums, it helped the private mortgage insurance market retain $10 billion in volume.

National Mortgage News, Feb. 8, 2017--Kevin WackThomas Pahl has been appointed acting director of the Federal Trade Commission's consumer protection bureau, the agency said Wednesday.

The Mortgage Bankers Association's National Technology in Mortgage Banking Conference & Expo takes place Mar. 26-29 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. Early registration deadline is this Friday, Feb. 10.