The Lede

National Mortgage News, Jan. 6, 2017--Finkelstein, Brad Independent mortgage banking and brokerage firms added 4,000 employees in November, even as rising interest rates took its toll on loan application volume.

Phoenix Business Journal, Jan. 6, 2017--Sunnucks, Mike CNBC analyst said mall and shopping center rents are a "substantial part" of the competitive problems facing Macy's, Kohl's and other brick-and-mortar department stores.

Chicago Daily Herald, Jan. 6, 2017--Woodard, James Today's younger homebuyers are leading the pack in home sales in the middle regions of the country, according to Ellie Mae's latest Millennial Tracker.

HousingWire, Jan. 6, 2017--Lane, Ben Rock Holdings, the parent company of Quicken Loans, announced Friday that it is expanding its portfolio the acquisition of LowerMyBills.com and ClassesUSA.com from Core Digital Media.

National Mortgage Professional, Jan. 6, 2017--Hall, Phil The data analysts at Zillow have looked into their crystal ball and announced that Nashville will be the hottest housing market for 2017.

National Mortgage News, Jan. 6, 2017--Passy, Jacob Initiatives aimed at a more inclusive credit box have long relied on costly approaches that are difficult to scale. Now, demographic shifts are intensifying industry demand for a more automated and efficient solution.

Reuters, Jan. 6, 2017--Dunsmuir, LindsayThe U.S. Federal Reserve may have to raise interest rates quicker than markets currently predict should the Trump administration's fiscal stimulus boost the economy, Richmond Fed President Jeffrey Lacker said in prepared remarks on Friday.

GoRion, Jan. 6, 2017--Schwartz, Faith The call for a liquid safe and sound secondary mortgage market system should "Trump" any variations that do not ensure this is the case. And the GSE's and FHFA have created the path forward on how to integrate CRT into the many variations of reform we may see in the upcoming administration.

UExpress, Jan. 6, 2017--Sichelman, Lew The foreclosure crisis that hurt so many homeowners may be waning, but now, more and more renters are facing eviction.

World Property Journal, Jan. 6, 2017 According to the Mortgage Bankers Association's Mortgage Credit Availability Index, U.S. mortgage credit availability increased in December.

Wall Street Journal, Jan. 6, 2017--Fung, Esther Vacancy rates in community shopping centers increased in 30 of 77 U.S. metro areas last year, compared with 24 in 2015 and 19 in 2014, according to data from real estate researcher Reis Inc.

National Mortgage News, Jan. 7, 2017 Here's a rundown of how housing performed in the first years in office of the past six commanders in chief, based on data from Freddie Mac, the Mortgage Bankers Association and the National Association of Realtors.

HousingWire, Jan. 6, 2017--Swanson, Brena Positions announced include chief of staff, chief information officer, chief financial officer, assistant director of consumer lending, reporting and collections markets, and assistant director for the Office For Servicemember Affairs. http://www.housingwire.com/articles/38897-cfpb-announces-handful-of-leadership-changes

Mortgage Daily, Jan. 9, 2017 Maintaining its position as the No. 1 mortgage lender in the country was Wells Fargo & Co. with a 12.3 percent market share. Bank of America Corp. dropped from fourth position in the second quarter to sixth in the latest ranking.

Mortgage Daily, Jan. 6, 2017 Bank of America, N.A., has been charged with treating Hispanic mortgage applicants in South Carolina worse than their non-Hispanic counterparts.

Mortgage Daily, Jan. 6, 2017 Just one week after plummeting to an all-time low, the U.S Mortgage Market Index rebounded, although it still remains well below recent norms.