The Lede

National Mortgage News, Feb. 7, 2017--Jacob PassyA homeowner's equity position is one of the many factors that drive property transitions between owner-occupied and rental status, according to a study from the Mortgage Bankers Association's Research Institute for Housing America.

National Mortgage Professional, Feb. 7, 2017--Phil HallDuring January, the Mortgage Bankers ASsociation's Mortgage Credit Availability Index increased 1.1 percent to 177.1 in January. Three of the four component indices saw increases.

Wall Street Journal, Feb. 7, 2017--Peter GrantSome prominent real-estate investors are reducing their holdings and getting more selective about new deals in a sign that the eight-year bull market for U.S. commercial property is coming to a close.

MarketWatch, Feb. 7, 2017--Andrea RiquierU.S. house prices rose at an accelerated pace in December, a sign that higher mortgage rates aren't yet diminishing outsize demand for properties.

HousingWire, Feb. 7, 2017--Brena SwansonThe move mostly points to an already existing act championed by House Financial Services Committee Chairman Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, to replace Dodd-Frank, a blog post from Mayer Brown attorneys Laurence Platt and Joy Tsai said.

HousingWire, Feb. 7, 2017--Joseph MurinMurin said Ginnie Mae has become a "driver" in the American economy.

Bloomberg, Feb. 7, 2017--Steven T. Dennis; Elizabeth DexheimerPresident Donald Trump's pledge to dismantle the Dodd-Frank financial overhaul is colliding with the same reality as his pledge to gut Obamacare: The Republican majority in Congress can't decide how to make it happen and Democrats are vowing to fight.

Mortgage Orb, Feb. 7, 2017--Peter G. MillerThere's always a demand for looser credit, especially among those who do not face losses in the event of a foreclosure. For mortgage lenders, investors and insurers, the big issue is how to balance risk and reward.

Wall Street Journal, Feb. 7, 2017--Ben LeubsdorfThe U.S. logged a $502.25 billion trade deficit in 2016, the largest in four years and a gap President Donald Trump is setting out to narrow to bolster the U.S. economy.

Wall Street Journal, Feb. 7, 2017--Josh ZumbrunThe monthly pace of hiring and job quitting has spent an entire year struggling to match the job-hopping pace that was notched at the end of 2015. The labor market's momentum didn't make progress through the end of the year, with the pace of hiring, firing and quitting little changed in December from previous months.

Mortgage Daily, Feb. 7, 2017For most depository institutions, credit standards for a range of residential lending programs haven't changed much over the past three months. Demand was mixed.

Mortgage Daily, Feb. 8, 2017Franklin First Financial LTD and top executives have settled allegations of concealing loan defaults on government-insured mortgages.

Mortgage Daily, Feb. 7, 2017With an acquisition deal negotiated, Flagstar Bancorp Inc. will be able to claim the title of the fourth-largest correspondent mortgage originator.

National Real Estate Investor, Feb. 8, 2017--Beth Mattson-TeigIt is business as usual for bank lenders, and many are anticipating that 2017 lending volumes will be on par with 2016.

National Mortgage News, Feb. 7, 2017--Jackie StewartJoseph Ficalora, New York Community's CEO, told analysts that his company could still have a chance to buy Astoria "down the road."

HousingWire, Feb. 7, 2017--Brena SwansonHouse Financial Services Committee Chairman Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, told Stuart Varney on Fox Business that "personnel is policy" and urged President Trump to immediately fire Richard Cordray, head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.