The Lede

HousingWire, Apr. 16, 2019--Ben LaneHome Point announced Tuesday it acquired the wholesale lending division of Platinum Mortgage, a mortgage company headquartered in Georgia.

The Mortgage Leader, Apr. 16, 2019For mortgage lenders there is a big battle to be one of the first people to reach a potential borrower. That's because statistics show that 88% of consumers go with the first or second lender they talk to. That's no surprise, how often do consumers really want to have a one-hour conversation regarding the same financial topics. Especially millennials. (MBA mention)

National Mortgage News, Apr. 16, 2019--Hannah Lang (subscription)Adolfo Marzol, a senior official at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, has been named the principal deputy director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency.

Reuters, Apr. 16, 2019--Matt Scuffham, Siddharth CavaleChief Financial Officer Paul Donofrio told analysts on a conference call that the bank anticipates its net interest income will rise by 3 percent in 2019, compared with 6 percent last year. "We've got some near-term headwinds," he said.

MarketWatch, Apr. 16, 2019--Andrea RiquierIn the mortgage market of 2019, borrowers can do just about everything online, never meeting the lender behind the process. And as comments from executives of America's biggest banks made clear last week, that person--or institution--making the loan is increasingly less likely to be a banker. (MBA mention)

Wall Street Journal, Apr. 16, 2019--Esther Fung (subscription)Strong retail numbers last year from department stores Macy's Inc. and Nordstrom Inc. raised hopes that the beleaguered mall industry would finally rebound. But recent developments this year are pointing to more trouble ahead.