The Lede

Naional Mortgage Professional, June 26, 2018--Phil HallCommercial/multifamily mortgage debt outstanding rose by by $44.3 billion in the first quarter, according to new data from the Mortgage Bankers Association.

National Mortgage News, June 26, 2018--Elina Tarkazikis (subscription)Most mortgage lenders and banks do not maintain a comprehensive vendor management strategy, exposing institutions to increased compliance risk, according to a survey by vendor oversight platform Vendorly.

Wall Street Journal, June 26, 2018--Allison Prang, Bowdeya Tweh (subscription)Lennar Corp. said strong demand for new homes and higher selling prices drove earnings growth in the most recent quarter, as the nation's largest home builder reported it has so far shaken off concerns about rising interest rates and construction costs.

National Mortgage News, June 26, 2018--Brad Finkelstein (subscription)The CFPB had argued that Ocwen's narrative answers to how it managed escrow accounts should not be kept under seal because of the substantial public interest in the government's enforcement action plus they did not contain trade secrets, Magistrate Judge William Matthewman noted in his ruling in a case being tried in the U.S District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

HousingWire, June 26, 2018--Ben LaneImpac and Starwood Property Trust announced a deal that could see Starwood buying as much as $600 million in non-QM loans from Impac over the next 12 months.

Bloomberg, June 26, 2018--A. Gary Shilling (subscription)More investor-owned properties and rising construction costs are just two reasons homes are out of reach for many.

Mortgage Daily, June 26, 2018--Sam GarciaJust as relief was in sight for rapidly escalating home prices, new tariffs from the Trump administration added more fuel to the fire.

American Banker, June 26, 2018--Kate Berry (subscription)The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has been deliberating since April on whether Mick Mulvaney can continue as acting CFPB director. The three-judge panel appeared skeptical of the claim by Leandra English, the chief of staff under former CFPB Director Richard Cordray, that she is the rightful acting director. But the judges also raised questions about Mulvaney's dual role running the bureau and the Office of Management and Budget.

Mortgage Daily, June 26, 2018The nation's largest mortgage insurance company, Arch MI, will not automatically align its own guidelines with guidelines for a new manufactured housing program from Fannie Mae.

Orlando Sentinel, June 27, 2018--Bill ZimmermanA short supply of affordable homes and recent increases in home values have some owners looking to borrow against the equity they have so they can renovate rather than move, although the Mortgage Bankers Association reports the refinance share of mortgages continues to drop.

Wall Street Journal, June 27, 2018--Laura Kusisto (subscription)The U.S. apartment market suffered its worst spring since 2010, near the depths of the housing crisis, as a flood of new supply and weakening demand resulted in rising vacancy rates and little or no rent increases in many major cities.

Reuters, June 26, 2018--Lucia MutikaniU.S consumer confidence ebbed in June, with households a bit pessimistic about their short-term income prospects, suggesting that an apparent acceleration in economic growth in the second quarter was unlikely to be sustained.