The Lede

Washington Post, Sept. 13, 2018--Kathy OrtonFreddie Mac said the 30-year fixed-rate average climbed to 4.6 percent with an average 0.5 point. It was 4.54 percent a week ago and 3.78 percent a year ago. (MBA mention)

CNBC, Sept. 13, 2018--Kate RooneyLew announced Thursday he will chair the advisory board of consumer-lending tech company Blend. The San Francisco-based start-up handles online mortgage applications for incumbents such as Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, U.S. Bank and Wells Fargo.

Bloomberg, Sept. 13, 2018--Emily Barrett, Christopher MaloneyA decade after the credit crisis, investors are returning to where it all began. The U.S. mortgage sector, blamed in large part for the near-collapse of the global financial system, is now seen by many as a high-quality market forged by fire. Yet along with new players, new worries are emerging.

Mortgage Daily, Sept. 14, 2018--Sam GarciaFive top-producing mortgage originators talked about their daily routines and practices at the NAHREP national convention in San Diego.

National Mortgage News, Sept. 13, 2018--Paul Centopani (subscription)The median down payment on single-family homes and condos purchased with financing reached its highest point since the data was first recorded in 2000's opening quarter, according to Attom Data Solutions.

Reuters, Sept. 14, 2018-Michelle Conlin, Robin Respaut"The markets that came roaring back are the coastal markets," said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics. He said land restrictions and sales to international buyers have helped buoy demand in those areas. "In the middle of the country, you have more flat-lined economies. There's no supply constraints. All of these things have weighed on prices."

American Banker, Sept. 13, 2018--Neil Haggergy (subscription)The House Financial Services Committee advanced a dozen bills Thursday, including bipartisan measures to revise the definition of deposit brokers and to require the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to establish a process for issuing guidance.

Mortgage Daily, Sept. 14, 2018More than $5 billion in residential loans are being moved out of the mortgage investment portfolio of Fannie Mae. The loans are nonperforming and reperforming.

MBA Education presents a webinar, MBA Education Effective Internal Audit Function: Beyond the Basics, on Wednesday, Sept. 27 from 2:00-3:30 p.m. ET.

MBA Education offers its popular School of Loan Origination Instructor-Guided Online Course from Oct. 1-25.