The Lede

Wall Street Journal, Feb. 19, 2019--Konrad PutzierFannie Mae and Freddie Mac are the dominant source for rental apartment mortgages. Critics argue that in a number of cases Fannie and Freddie's comparatively cheap loans intended to promote affordable rental housing have enriched landlords at the expense of tenants.

Bloomberg, Feb. 19, 2019--Christopher MaloneyMortgage loan servicers will be thrust into the spotlight as the success of the so-called Uniform mortgage-backed securities set to launch on June 3 is highly dependent on the continued convergence of prepayment speeds seen in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac securities.

Forbes, Feb. 19, 2019--Robert FarringtonGetting a mortgage is one of the most tedious financial activities out there. But technology is changing that, with several companies working to make getting a mortgage or refinancing your home a lot easier.

Urban Institute, Feb. 19, 2019; Corianne Payton Scally, Camille H. Anoli, Patrick SpausterThe NFMC program was designed and implemented by NeighborWorks America, a Congressionally chartered nonprofit organization. Based on our analysis of the NFMC program and its implementation, we identified four lessons that national policymakers can use as guide posts when responding to the next national crisis.

Mortgage Media, Feb. 19, 2019Kristy Fercho with Flagstar Bank, a former Fannie Mae SVP, talks about the various changes and challenges in the market, and how to meet them.

Reverse Mortgage Daily, Feb. 19, 2019--Martin OlsenAs more reverse mortgage companies continue to expand their operations into the forward space in response to business changes and new realities, a shift appears to be taking place in what was once seen as conventional wisdom: the separation of forward and reverse mortgage business practices, in order for originators to remain specialized in one of the fields so that more dedicated service could be provided one way or the other.

American Banker, Feb. 19, 2019--Victoria Finkle (free article)It's understandable and even expected that an administration wouldn't be entirely forthcoming while it's developing a policy for overhauling something as large as the mortgage finance market, given the potential impact to so many facets of the economy.But that doesn't explain away the competing narratives of the last few weeks--narratives that actually seem to contradict each other.

HousingWire, Feb. 19, 2019--Caroline BasileThe Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland President Loretta Mester said she expects strong economy may warrant another interest rate hike from the Federal Reserve in 2019.