The Lede

CNBC, Feb. 13, 2018--Diana OlickHomes today are selling in about 40 days on average, almost two weeks faster than a year ago. But it is taking a lot longer for shoppers to find a home to buy.

Washington Post Writers Group, Feb. 13, 2018--Kenneth R. HarneyCould predatory lending practices affecting veterans also be inflating interest rates paid by thousands of unsuspecting homebuyers using Federal Housing Administration loans? Michael Fratantoni, chief economist for the Mortgage Bankers Association, said "it absolutely impacts interest rates" adversely when investors cut the prices they'll pay for Ginnie Mae bonds.

Commercial Property Executive, Feb. 13, 2018--Sanyu KyeyuneEnvironmental and engineering expert Dan Spinogatti outlines considerations to improve assessment of environmental risk to keep real estate deals on time and on budget, during the Mortgage Bankers Association CREF/Multifamily Finance conference in San Diego.

MarketWatch, Feb. 13, 2018--Greg RobbA decade later, echoes of the financial crisis still linger in mortgage debt data, according to research released by the New York Fed on Tuesday.

National Mortgage Professional, Feb. 13, 2018--Phil HallThe Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released a five-year Strategic Plan that offers a very different approach to regulatory oversight than the draft version initially released in October.

National Mortgage News, Feb. 13, 2018--Brian Collins (subscription)The Trump administration's new budget proposal shows the Federal Housing Administration mortgage insurance program should be very profitable in fiscal year 2019, but there are no indications that the FHA will reduce its mortgage insurance premiums anytime soon.

HousingWire, Feb. 13, 2018--Ben LaneNationstar announced Tuesday morning it is merging with WMIH Corp., the former parent company of Washington Mutual in a $3.8 billion deal.

Mortgage Daily, Feb. 13, 2018The Association of Independent Mortgage Experts was founded by Anthony J. Casa, who serves as the group's chairman. He also runs Garden State Home Loans Inc. as president.

Mortgage Daily, Feb. 13, 2018Annual business more than doubled at Arch Mortgage Insurance Co. thanks to its acquisition of United Guaranty Corp.

Urban Institute, Feb. 13, 2018--Jim Parrott, Michael Stegman, Phillip L. Swagel, Mark M. ZandiIn this analysis, the authors assess how well the multi-guarantor system proposed in the draft bill under discussion in the Senate Banking Committee (as of February) would serve these households, concluding that they would do considerably better than they do under the system we have today.

National Mortgage Professional, Feb. 13, 2018--Phil HallMortgage applications for new home purchases in January increased 18.4 percent from one year earlier, according to the latest the Mortgage Bankers Association Builder Application Survey. Compared to December, applications increased by 34 percent.

Associated Press, Feb. 13, 2018"While quite informative regarding the state of the lending market," the records analyzed by Reveal do "not include sufficient data to make a determination regarding fair lending," said the Mortgage Bankers Association's chief economist, Mike Fratantoni.

Marketplace, Feb. 13, 2018--Sabri Ben-Achour, Jana KasperkevicAmericans owe $8.88 trillion in mortgages loans. That's a good thing, according to Joelle Scally, the administrator of the Center for Microeconomic Data at the New York Fed. Household debt has been growing for five years but mortgage balance growth has been slow since it stopped declining in 2013. The recent jump in mortgage debt is a proof of recovery in the housing market.

MBA is proud to recognize its Premier and Select Associate Members and to thank them for their continued support of MBA and the real estate finance industry.