The Lede

Urban Institute, Aug. 13, 2019--Sarah Strochak, Caitlin Young, Alanna McCargoDespite improvements in recent years, Hispanic homeownership still significantly lags behind non-Hispanic white homeownership. The Urban Institute examined the 100 US cities with the largest number of Hispanic households to show the size of the Hispanic homeownership gap and the scope of the affected population across selected U.S. metropolitan areas.

Wall Street Journal, Aug. 13, 2019--Harriet Torry (subscription)Mortgage balances rose by $162 billion in the second quarter to $9.406 trillion, surpassing the high of $9.294 trillion in the third quarter of 2008, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York said Tuesday.

CNBC, Aug. 13, 2019--Diana OlickJust 12% of adults said they plan to buy a home in the next year, according to a survey done in the second quarter of this year by the National Association of Home Builders. That is down from 14% in 2018.

National Mortgage News, Aug. 13, 2019--Brad Finkelstein (subscription)Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's corporate debt ratings shouldn't be downgraded in the near term as a result of the Treasury Department's to-be-released government-sponsored enterprise reform plan, Fitch Ratings said.

Wall Street Journal, Aug. 14, 2019--Laura Kusisto (subscription)The move, to be announced Wednesday by the Federal Housing Administration, could help revive the entry-level condo market for first-time buyers because FHA-backed loans require only a 3.5% down payment and lower credit score than conventional loans.

HousingWire, Aug. 13, 2019--Jessica GuerinA review of the nation's largest banks by the House Financial Services Committee reveals that not a single female or minority sits at the helm as CEO.