The Lede

HousingWire, Sept. 5, 2017--Ben LaneLast week, Mortgage Bankers Association President and CEO David Stevens sent a letter to Senate leadership, calling for approval of Pam Patenaude as deputy secretary of HUD. As it turns out, Stevens' call to confirm Patenaude has more than a little support from within the housing industry.

USA Today, Sept. 5, 2017--Kevin McCoySeeking class-action status on behalf of other Wells Fargo mortgage customers, the lawsuit ultimately could trigger damages that rival the financial fallout from the scandal over unauthorized accounts that has rocked the nation's third-largest bank by assets since the issue sparked national attention nearly a year ago.

National Mortgage News, Sept. 5, 2017 (subscription)The long-term recovery for thousands of Texans whose homes were decimated by Hurricane Harvey rests with a Trump administration government outsider who wants his agency's budget cut by billions of dollars.

National Mortgage News, Sept. 5, 2017--Brad Finkelstein (subscription)Rising prices are starting to keep potential purchasers from looking for homes and making an offer although interest remains near record levels, according to the Redfin Housing Demand Index.

HousingWire, Sept. 5, 2017--Kelsey RamirezThe Mortgage Bankers Association announced MISMO, the mortgage industry standards maintenance organization, is requesting feedback from the mortgage industry on its new closing instruction industry standards.

Bloomberg, Sept. 5, 2017--Matthew BoeslerFederal Reserve interest-rate increases may be "doing real harm" to the U.S. economy, which would help explain why inflation is low and job growth has slowed, said Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari, one of the central bank's most dovish policy makers.

Mortgage Daily, Sept. 5, 2017--Sam GarciaMortgage service providers have launched or updated mobile applications to help with appraisals, credit reports and production. A pair of reports offer insight into mobile technology.

Mortgage Daily, Sept. 5, 2017--Sam GarciaNew and upgraded offerings recently unveiled by service providers promise to help lenders comply with the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, the Ability to Repay rule and Fannie Mae's Day 1 Certainty initiative.

DS News, Sept. 4, 2017--Rachel WilliamsThe disparity between men and women in leadership positions and compensation is one of the most pressing issues facing the financial services sector today.

Wall Street Journal, Sept. 5, 2017--Peter Grant (subscription)Banks and other underwriters of commercial mortgage-backed securities are on track to issue more notes in September than any other month this year.

Wall Street Journal, Sept. 5, 2017--Esther Fung (subscription)Malls need to shift emphasis away from department stores and toward retailers that are less susceptible to competition from e-commerce, according to a report from real estate services firm CBRE Research.

HousingWire, Sept. 5, 2017--Brena SwansonAs the expiration date of the National Flood Insurance Program draws nearer, the Congressional Budget Office, a nonpartisan analysis for the U.S. Congress, calculated that the program has an expected one-year shortfall of $1.4 billion.

National Real Estate Investor, Sept. 5, 2017--Bendix AndersonMultifamily real estate investment trusts keep building new apartments and the analysts who track the companies are getting worried.