The Lede

MarketWatch, Mar. 30, 2018--Andrea RiquierAs of the fourth quarter of last year, the share of all refinances that were cash-outs rose to the highest since 2008, according to Freddie Mac data. Rates have churned higher since the presidential election in late 2016, though they spent much of 2017 reversing the immediate post-election surge.

HousingWire, Mar. 30, 2018--Kelsey RamirezThe bureau is seeking comments and information from interested parties to assist in assessing the overall effectiveness and accessibility of its guidance materials and activities, including implementation support.

HousingWire, Mar. 30, 2018--Ben LaneThe report, published recently by the HUD Office of Inspector General, found that in 2016, the FHA insured an estimated 9,507 borrowers who were actually ineligible for FHA insurance because the borrowers had either delinquent federal debt or who were subject to federal administrative offset for delinquent child support.

HousingWire, Mar. 30, 2018--Sarah WheelerThe TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosure rule was conceived as part of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's noble goal of giving consumers information about their total loan costs before they signed documents that bound them in a 30-year contract. But for all the good intentions behind this rule, it's just not practical.

UExpress, Mar. 30, 2018--Lew SichelmanAccording to preliminary data from the Census Bureau, the square footage of new single-family homes in last year's final quarter continued its downward trend after years of marching ever higher.

Mortgage Daily, Apr. 2, 2018A month-over-month decline to a new 2-year low in agency issuance was led by Fannie Mae, even though Ginnie Mae's securitizations fell to a three-year low.

Mortgage Daily, Apr. 2, 2018--Sam GarciaIn addition to senior management appointments at several mortgage banking organizations, two companies have hired executives to head up their construction lending divisions.

Wall Street Journal, Apr. 1, 2018--Peter Grant (subscription)Empty space in regional shopping malls reached a six-year high in the first quarter, adding further stress to regions being hit by a retail earthquake that is shaking up the job market across the U.S.

Los Angeles Times, Apr. 1, 2018--Roger VincentLast year, Chinese investors interested in buying or developing property in Southern California peppered World Trade Center Los Angeles officials with questions about how best to break into the market. But questions such as those have nearly ceased as China's feared pullback from overseas investments has been borne out.

The National Association of Minority Mortgage Bankers of America will hold its annual CONNECT Conference in Atlanta Apr. 12-14.

MBA Education presents a three-part webinar series, Closing with Confidence, beginning Wednesday, Apr. 11 and continuing on Apr. 18 and 25 from 2:00-3:30 p.m. ET.

The Mortgage Bankers Association's annual National Advocacy Conference takes place Apr. 24-25 at the Capital Hilton in Washington, D.C.

The National Association of Minority Mortgage Bankers of America will hold its annual CONNECT Conference in Atlanta Apr. 12-14.

The National Association of Minority Mortgage Bankers of America will hold its annual CONNECT Conference in Atlanta Apr. 12-14.