The Lede

National Real Estate Investor, Feb. 14, 2018--Elaine MisonzhnikAs the annual MBA's CREF/Multifamily convention got underway this week in San Diego, attendees expressed a healthy level of appetite for originating new loans and a desire to lend the same amount or more this year than they did in 2017.

CNBC, Feb. 14, 2018--Diana OlickLast week's wild ride in the markets and another rise in interest rates were likely the cause of a 4.1 percent weekly drop in mortgage application volume. The seasonally adjusted count from the Mortgage Bankers Association was just 3.5 percent higher than a year ago.

The Real Deal (N.Y.), Feb. 14, 2018--Konrad PutzierThe mortgage real estate investment trust issued $1.2 billion in new loans in the fourth quarter and $4.8 billion over the entire year--up 37 percent from 2016.

Wall Street Journal, Feb. 14, 2018--Gretchen Morgenson (subscription)In a Feb. 13 letter to Timothy Sloan, Wells Fargo's chief executive, Elizabeth Warren, a Democratic Senator from Massachusetts, posed almost a dozen questions about the bank's troubled customer-remediation programs.

National Mortgage Professional, Feb. 14, 2018--Phil HallFannie Mae reported a net loss of $6.5 billion in the fourth quarter of 2017 and stated that it will need $3.7 billion from the Treasury Department. Timothy J. Mayopoulos, president and CEO of Fannie Mae, blamed the government-sponsored enterprise's dismal fourth quarter data on a "one-time accounting charge" tied to the recent tax reform legislation.

National Mortgage News, Feb. 14, 2018--Bonnie Sinnock (subscription)Jeffrey Taylor, a former Wells Fargo reverse mortgage executive and founder of Wendover Funding, has died following a battle with cancer, according to a funeral home notice online. He was 75.

HousingWire, Feb. 14, 2018--Kelsey RamirezThe bureau announced it is seeking comments and information from interested parties to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of its supervision program. The agency asks whether any changes to the program would be appropriate.

Orange County Register (Calif.), Feb. 14, 2018--Jeff CollinsConventional wisdom says home sales will slow this year as mortgage rates rise. But two reports out this week indicate rising rates--even if they go above 5 percent--are unlikely to have a big effect on home sales.

Mortgage Daily, Feb. 14, 2018Several dozen positions are being eliminated by Stearns Lending LLC at a mortgage facility in North Texas.

Wall Street Journal, Feb. 14, 2018--Lalita Clozel (subscription)The House on Wednesday approved a bill that would make the resale of high-interest loans more attractive to third-party buyers such as debt collectors-and bolster fintech firms' partnerships with banks.

Bloomberg, Feb. 14, 2018--Katia DmitrievaThe consumer price index rose 0.5 percent from the previous month, above the median estimate of economists for a 0.3 percent increase, a Labor Department report showed Wednesday.

MBA recognizes its Premier and Select Associate Members and thanks them for their continued support of MBA and the real estate finance industry.