The Lede

Washington Post, Feb. 22, 2018--Kathy OrtonMortgage rates were slightly higher this week as investors waited to see what they could decipher from the minutes of January's Federal Reserve meeting.

Washington Post, Feb. 22, 2018--Michele LernerPushback against overly tight credit after the housing crisis, a shrunken proportion of first-time buyers and worry about affordability as home values rose led to some tweaks to guidelines that could ease financing pressures for home buyers this year.

CNBC, Feb. 22, 2018--Diana OlickIt's another program from mortgage giant Fannie Mae designed to help more borrowers get better loans in today's tight mortgage market. Airbnb already tracks the income data and will now provide documentation for a mortgage application.

National Mortgage News, Feb. 22, 2018--Elina Tarkazikis (subscription)PMI carriers insured 157,000 loans for first-time homebuyers at the end of 2017, the best fourth quarter since 1994, due largely to more lenders and borrowers taking advantage of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's 97% loan-to-value mortgage programs.

National Mortgage News, Feb. 22, 2018--Brad Finkelstein (subscription)Total insurance-in-force for mortgage insurers--which included the three companies no longer actively underwriting--grew 10.6% last year over 2016, according to a Keefe, Bruyette & Woods report. FHA grew by 4.7% year-over-year.

Mortgage Daily, Feb. 22, 2018Changes to the reporting of public records on credit bureaus last year have begun to yield improvements to credit scores for some consumers.

National Mortgage News, Feb. 22, 2018--Kate Berry (subscription)Companies that have been investigated for wrongdoing by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau are giving acting Director Mick Mulvaney an earful about how he should roll back enforcement practices. The big question is: Are they seizing on a golden opportunity to reshape the regulatory landscape, or are they shooting themselves in the foot?

Reuters, Feb. 22, 2018--Lucia MutikaniInitial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 7,000 to a seasonally adjusted 222,000 for the week ended Feb. 17, the Labor Department said Thursday. Claims fell to 216,000 in mid-January, the lowest level since January 1973.

MBA Education hosts its popular School of Loan Origination II Instructor-Guided Online Course Apr. 3-19.