The Lede

Washington Post, Mar. 23, 2017--Kathy OrtonMortgage rates retreated this week after a one-week spike following the Federal Reserve's decision to raise its benchmark rate. "[But] rates can come up as quickly as they've gone down," said Mortgage Bankers Association Chief Economist Michael Fratantoni.

National Mortgage Professional, Mar. 23, 2017Ocwen Financial Corp. announced the company increased the size of the board from eight to nine, and has appointed Robert J. Lipstein to the board to serve until the company's next annual shareholder meeting.

Associated Press, Mar. 23, 2017--Christopher S. Rugaber; Josh BoakAmericans responded to higher mortgage rates by snapping up new homes in February at the fastest pace since July.

Wall Street Journal, Mar. 23, 2017--Ryan Tracy (subscription)Wells Fargo & Co.'s phony-account scandal shows that regulators need to emphasize cultural issues at banks as much as they look at capital, liquidity and other quantitative measures of risk, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco President John Williams said in an interview Thursday.

National Mortgage News, Mar. 23, 2017--Bonnie Sinnock (subscription)Servicers are finding they can borrow more against their Ginnie Mae mortgage servicing rights this year, according to a recent report.

National Mortgage News, Mar. 23, 2017--Bonnie Sinnock (subscription)Freddie Mac will allow automated underwriting of borrowers who lack credit scores but have other financial records starting in June.

HousingWire, Mar. 23, 2017--Ben LaneExperian, one of the nation's three major credit reporting bureaus, misled consumers by telling them that the credit scores they purchased from the company were the same ones that lenders used to make credit decisions, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said Thursday.

Mortgage Daily, Mar. 23, 2017Loan applicants who don't have a traditional credit scores will soon be able to obtain automated approvals using nontraditional credit.

Mortgage Daily, Mar. 23, 2017--Sam GarciaProspective home loan borrowers got a break on rates this past week. Odds are rates will stay down or dip a little further in the next report.

Mortgage Daily, Mar. 23, 2017Wells Fargo & Co. originated 6,928 commercial mortgages during 2016 that had an aggregate principal balance of $65.394 billion, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported.

Inman.com, Mar. 24, 2017--Steve CookSome studies suggest trended data--which exposes much more granular data about a borrower's payment history on a monthly basis than traditional credit scores--will benefit marginal borrowers and increase mortgage approvals.

HousingWire, Mar. 23, 2017--Brena SwansonUnder Dodd-Frank, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau must "use available evidence and data to assess all of its rules five years after they go into effect to ensure they are meeting the purposes and objectives of Dodd-Frank, and the specific goals of the subject rule."

National Mortgage News, Mar. 23, 2017--Lew Sichelman (subscription)With the big drop-off in refinancing, lenders are beginning to realize there is a whole world of would-be borrowers who have been unable to find financing for their deals, business they can address to offset lost production.

Commercial Observer, Mar. 23, 2017--Larry GetlenThroughout the New York real estate world, love for the Grateful Dead is ever-present, a mellow vacation and flipside to the hard-charging world of the real estate business.

MBA Education presents a webinar, Dodd-Frank Stress Testing: Approaches & Options for Lenders, on Wednesday, Mar. 29 from 2:00-3:30 p.m. ET.