The Lede

Bloomberg, Nov. 26, 2018--Christopher MaloneyIn terms of excess return versus Treasuries, the performance of mortgage securities since September provided fixed-income investors little to brag about over the holiday dinner table. All of this begs the question--have mortgages cheapened enough for a turnaround?

National Mortgage News, Nov. 26, 2018--Hannah Lang (subscription)A risk-based capital plan for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac is only theoretical as long as the two mortgage giants remain under government control. But the Federal Housing Finance Agency proposal requiring the government-sponsored enterprises to prepare for future crises still elicits strong opinions. (MBA mention)

Wall Street Journal, Nov. 27, 2018--Nick Timiraos (subscription)Federal Reserve officials are moving into a more unpredictable phase of policy-making after two years of removing economic stimulus in regular, quarterly intervals.

American Banker, Nov. 26, 2018--Penny Crossman (subscription)When banks and fintechs offer mortgages online using automated underwriting, they charge creditworthy minorities more than white applicants - the same way human loan officers do. That's the conclusion of a study conducted by professors at the University of California, Berkeley.

HousingWire, Nov. 26, 2018--Ben LaneAltisource plans to discontinue its "Buy-Renovate-Lease-Sell" business, which focuses on buying, renovating, leasing and selling single-family homes to real estate investors.

National Mortgage Professional, Nov. 26, 2018--Phil HallReal house prices increased two percent between August and September and increased 15.3 percent from September 2017, according to the latest Real House Price Index report from First American Financial Corp.