The Lede

Mortgage News Daily, Mar. 23, 2018--Jann SwaonsonPer-loan profits of independent mortgage banks fell dramatically in the fourth quarter, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported.

Scotsman Guide, Mar. 23, 2018--Victor WhitmanMichael Fratantoni, chief economist for the Mortgage Bankers Association, discussed the potential impact of rising rates and why he remains optimistic about the mortgage market and broader economy.

Washington Post, Mar. 23, 2018--Kenneth R. HarneyIt's one of the weirder documented facts about homebuying in America: Surprising numbers of people don't bother to shop for mortgage money, even though they could save tens of thousands of dollars through lower interest payments by doing so.

Wall Street Journal, Mar. 23, 2018--Emily Glazer (subscription)Wells Fargo told employees earlier this week that four of its top risk-management executives are retiring and laid out a reorganization to manage risk, according to employees and an internal memo.

National Mortgage News, Mar. 23, 2018--Bonnie Sinnock (subscription)A new settlement with Massachusetts resolves all outstanding administrative actions against Ocwen Financial Corp. by a group of 30 states, but two states' legal actions against the servicer remain outstanding.

HousingWire, Mar. 23, 2018--Kelsey RamirezThe bill allots $4.6 billion in additional funding compared to fiscal year 2017 for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. This is up $12 billion from President Donald Trump's proposed budget for the agency. But despite this increase in funding, some experts say the bill didn't go far enough in meeting the needs of the housing industry.

Bloomberg, Mar. 23, 2018--Oshrat CarmielHomes priced at $4 million or more that went into contract in the first 12 weeks of the year had their asking prices cut by an average of 10 percent, the most in data going back to 2012, according to Olshan Realty Inc.

Wall Street Journal, Mar. 26, 2018--Christina Rexrode (subscription)Refinancings make up a smaller portion of the mortgage business than at any time in the past two decades, posing a challenge for lenders who already fear higher interest rates and climbing house prices could eventually depress purchase activity.

Mortgage Daily, Mar. 26, 2018Retaining its standing as America's biggest mortgage lender, including retail and correspondent lending, was Wells Fargo--though Quicken Loans claimed the No. 1 retail lender spot.

Mortgage Daily, Mar. 23, 2018As of Feb. 28, there were a seasonally adjusted 305,000 new U.S. homes for sale--the most since March 2009.

Venture Beat, Mar. 24, 2018--Stephane KasrielThere's an unspoken rule virtually every startup in the last two decades seems to have followed: If you start hiring more people, lease or build bigger offices. It's time to discard this increasingly out-of-date workplace model and find new ways of building teams empowered by new technology.