The Lede

CNBC, Sept. 27, 2017--Diana OlickThe start of the fall housing market usually offers a nice bump to the mortgage business. Not this year. Mortgage application volume fell 0.5 percent last week from the previous week. Volume on the Mortgage Bankers Association's seasonally adjusted survey is now 21.5 percent lower than a year ago.

Scotsman Guide, Sept. 27, 2017--Victor WhitmanOverall commercial and multifamily debt rose to $3.06 trillion at the end of the second quarter as three of the four major investor groups increased their holdings, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Wall Street Journal, Sept. 27, 2017--Christina Rexrode (subscription)Ginnie Mae is targeting lenders who aggressively push military veterans to refinance their home loans, leading the borrowers in some cases to rack up thousands of dollars in unnecessary fees.

National Mortgage Professional, Sept. 27, 2017--Phil HallMillennials are finding their efforts to become homeowners stymied by financial pressures, according to a new data analysis released by Zillow.

Bloomberg, Sept. 27, 2017--Anna EdgertonThere's "significant support" among Republican members of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee to create a special top income-tax bracket for the highest earners, a GOP member of the panel said.

National Mortgage News, Sept. 27, 2017--Brad Finkelstein (Free Content)The need to rebuild and repair houses following Hurricanes Harvey and Irma is likely to put a damper on new construction and aggravate the inventory shortage. The same crews that build new homes are also used to renovate existing ones, said Mark Fleming, Chief Economist at First American Financial Corp.

Politico, Sept. 27, 2017--Lorraine WoellertThe National Association of Home Builders split with industry allies to endorse a White House plan that reduces tax breaks for homeowners, increasing the vulnerability of a write-off that was once considered untouchable. David Stevens, president and chief executive officer of the Mortgage Bankers Association, said he was waiting for more details on the proposal.

HousingWire, Sept. 27, 2017--Brena SwansonSitting under the leadership of HUD Secretary Ben Carson, Patenaude will take over the true position of power at HUD, as Carson, like many other Cabinet positions, will handle the public facing obligations of the department.

Wall Street Journal, Sept. 27, 2017--Valerie Bauerlein (subscription)The city and its surrounding county, famed for its trail-blazing mall, is more exposed to 2017's brick-and-mortar carnage than almost anywhere in the U.S.

National Mortgage News, Sept. 27, 2017--Bonnie Sinnock (subscription)Ginnie Mae pledged to vet issuers more thoroughly after a government watchdog criticized its exposure to risks posed by nonbanks.

Mortgage Daily, Sept. 27, 2017On Wednesday, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued a consent order against Meridian Title Corp. for alleged violations of the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act. The bureau claims that the South Bend, Indiana-based firm steered consumers to a title insurer owned in part by several of its executives.

Mortgage Daily, Sept. 27, 2017According to the Vienna, Virginia-based firm, the loans will be pooled into Fannie Mae mortgage-backed securities. Since 2015, Navy Federal reports 5/5 ARM production has grown by 11 percent.

MarketWatch, Sept 27, 2017--Greg RobbThe economy is likely to remain on a slow-growth track with subdued inflation, meaning the Federal Reserve can hold interest rates steady, St. Louis Fed President James Bullard said Wednesday.