The Lede

Washington Post, Mar. 8, 2018--Kathy OrtonAccording to the latest data, released Thursday by Freddie Mac, the 30-year fixed-rate average rose to its highest level since January 2014, climbing to 4.46 percent with an average 0.5 point.

National Mortgage News, Mar. 8, 2018--Brad Finkelstein (subscription)February's Mortgage Credit Availability Index was 180.7, compared with 182.9 in January and 177.8 for February 2017, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. January's value was the third-highest since the MCAI was introduced in June 2013.

Chicago Tribune, Mar. 8, 2018--Ally MarottiBefore the layoffs, the company employed about 3,600 workers nationally, about 1,1,00 of them in Chicago, spokeswoman Valerie Dolenga said. The employees were notified last week and early this week, and the terminations were immediate.

National Mortgage News, Mar. 8, 2018--Brad Finkelstein (subscription)For small and midsize lenders--depositories and independent mortgage bankers alike--wholesale lending has again become an attractive option to expand residential real estate lending.

Wall Street Journal, Mar. 8, 2018--Harriet Torry (subscription)The total net worth of U.S. households rose to nearly $100 trillion during the final quarter of 2017, as buoyant stock markets and rising property prices boosted Americans' wealth.

HousingWire, Mar. 8, 2018--Ben LaneMortgage servicers are about to have "more latitude" when it comes to dealing with borrowers entering or exiting bankruptcy, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced Thursday.

Mortgage Daily, Mar. 8, 2018The ability for prospective borrowers to qualify for a single-family loan was more elusive last month, and jumbo credit tightening led the contraction, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported.

Mortgage Daily, Mar. 8, 2018A delinquent borrower has paid for a billboard in Wilmington, North Carolina, in his effort to avoid a foreclosure on his delinquent loan with SunTrust Mortgage Inc.

Bloomberg, Mar. 8, 2018--Tiffany KaryLehman Brothers Holdings Inc.'s bankruptcy estate will pay $2.38 billion to compensate for its role in the previous decade's mortgage crisis, a federal judge decided, far less than the $11.4 billion some hedge funds had sought.

National Mortgage News, Mar. 8, 2018--Kate Berry (subscription)The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's final rule gives mortgage servicers a temporary exemption, for a single statement period, from certain timing requirements in sending periodic statements to borrowers entering and exiting bankruptcy. The rule is a technical revision to the CFPB's 2016 mortgage servicing rule.

Bloomberg, Mar. 8, 2018--Lauren Coleman-Lochner, Matthew Townsend, Eliza Ronalds-HannonToys "R" Us Inc. is making preparations for a liquidation of its bankrupt U.S. operations after so far failing to find a buyer or reach a debt restructuring deal with lenders.

MReport, Mar. 8, 2018--David WhartonHUD Secretary Ben Carson fired back against accusations that proposed changes to the HUD mission statement represented a rolling back of the agency's commitment to fair housing practices.

Reuters, Mar. 8, 2018--Lucia MutikaniU.S. economic growth for the fourth quarter is likely to be revised higher after data on Thursday indicated more spending on services than previously estimated by the government.