The Lede

CNBC, Feb. 20, 2019--Diana OlickMortgage application volume increased 3.6 percent last week from the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association's seasonally adjusted index.

American Banker, Feb. 20, 2019--Kate Berry (subscription)The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau appears to have shifted away from requiring financial institutions to refund customers in response to enforcement actions.

Wall Street Journal, Feb. 20, 2019--Nick Timiraos (subscription)Federal Reserve officials agreed at their meeting last month to announce soon a plan to stop shrinking their $4 trillion portfolio of bonds and other assets later this year, according to minutes of the meeting released Wednesday.

HousingWire, Feb. 20, 2019--Jessica GuerinHome equity levels are climbing while mortgage interest rates are falling, and this has some experts predicting an inevitable boom in cash-out refinances.

National Real Estate Investor, Feb. 20, 2019--Liz WolfRetail properties can still get financing, capital markets experts say, but their sponsorship, location and metrics are under very close scrutiny.

The Mortgage Leader, Feb. 20, 2019MISMO has released remote online notarizations standards for a 60-day public comment period-in a bid to ensure lenders avoid the inefficiency of dozens of state-level protocols.

HousingWire, Feb. 20, 2019--Ben LaneChase Home Lending now claims it can close on a borrower's mortgage in as little as three weeks and it's putting its money where its mouth is to back up that claim.

New York Times, Feb. 20, 2019--Matthew Goldstein, Jim TankersleyThe flood of capital is raising hopes as well as concerns. Supporters believe the money can help distressed towns and neighborhoods that are still feeling the effects of the financial crisis and have barely benefited from the nine-year economic expansion. Skeptics worry that the funds will mostly target real estate and other projects that probably would have attracted investment even without the tax break, and may not deliver the returns being dangled.

National Mortgage News, Feb. 20, 2019--Elina Tarkazikis (subscription)A number of mortgage market trends are setting the pace for what to expect from originations this year.

MISMO®, the mortgage industry standards organization, seeks industry participants to collaborate on developing a standardized loan dataset that will correspond with the new Uniform Residential Loan Application.