The Lede

CNBC, Oct. 18, 2017--Diana OlickJust a slight drop in interest rates pushed refinance applications higher after they had fallen for the last month. That helped increase total mortgage application volume 3.6 percent for the week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Washington Post, Oct. 18, 2017--Kenneth Harney A recent legal settlement between the federal government and a title insurance agency is drawing fresh attention to one of the murkiest, least understood and costly items you get charged for in a real estate closing: title insurance.

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Oct. 18, 2017--Paul GoresThird-quarter profits more than doubled for MGIC Investment Corp. as mortgage delinquencies continued to decline and the quarterly results comparison benefited from a one-time loss in last year's third period.

Mortgage Professional America, Oct. 18, 2017--Francis MonfortMortgages are the leading source of complaints to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau among consumers 62 years old and older, according to a report by the US Public Interest Research Group and the Frontier Group.

Wall Street Journal, Oct. 18, 2017--Robyn A. Friedman (subscription)Some mortgage servicers have a bad reputation for service: In a survey released earlier this year, unhappy mortgage customers said their servicers were more focused on profit than on their customers.

Mortgage Daily, Oct. 18, 2017While quarterly mortgage earnings and originations held up from the prior period at U.S. Bancorp, both retreated from a year ago. Residential holdings expanded, though.

HousingWire, Oct. 18, 2017--Ben LaneIn a release, the company says that the moves are designed to "reposition the segment for sustained profitability by focusing on the core products and services that Radian believes have higher growth potential, produce more predictable and recurring fee-based revenues, and better align with customer needs."

Mortgage Daily, Oct. 18, 2017Freddie Mac's underwriting guidelines require that a new appraisal is obtained when the settlement date is more than 120 days after the note date. But in an effort to streamline appraisal policies, the McLean, Va.-based government-sponsored enterprise is eliminating that requirement.

National Mortgage News, Oct. 18, 2017--Elina Tarkazikis (subscription)The percentage of refinance loans rose to 38% in September as interest rates dipped to their lowest level in 2017, according to Ellie Mae's Origination Insight Report. Last month, refinances comprised 35% of total loans.

HousingWire, Oct. 18, 2017--Brena SwansonA push towards embracing alternative credit scoring models has gained steam in recent years, and as the discussion starts to grow, VantageScore Solutions, the company behind the VantageScore credit scoring models, plans to be right at the forefront of it.

DSNews, Oct. 19, 2017September saw a rise in mortgage delinquencies, mainly as a result of hurricane impact, to 4.40 percent according to Black Knight.

Wall Street Journal, Oct. 18, 2017--Sharon Nunn, Sarah Chaney (subscription)The pace of growth was split between moderate and modest among the Fed's 12 districts, the central bank said Wednesday in its latest gathering of anecdotal information about regional economic conditions, known as the beige book.

National Mortgage News, Oct. 18, 2017--John Heltman (subscription)The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released non-binding principles Wednesday for third parties that use consumer financial data to help guide the development of innovative but safe fintech solutions.

Reuters, Oct. 19, 2017--David MorganThe budget resolution contains a legislative tool called reconciliation, which would enable Republicans, who control the 100-seat Senate by a 52-48 margin, to move tax legislation through the Senate on a simple majority vote. Otherwise, tax reform would need 60 votes and would likely fail.