The Lede

CNBC, Jan. 3, 2019--Diana OlickTotal mortgage application volume dropped 9.8 percent at the end of last week from two weeks earlier, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association's seasonally adjusted index.

Washington Post, Jan. 3, 2019--Kathy OrtonFor more than a month, mortgage rates have been in a free fall. Stock market volatility, global trade worries and the government shutdown are pushing rates down to their lowest levels since August. (MBA mention)

Bloomberg, Jan. 4, 2019--Jennifer A Dlouhy, Ari Natter, Alan LevinDecember and January are quiet months in the real estate industry, but "if this goes beyond another week, it's going to delay closings," said Pete Mills, senior vice president of policy at the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Orange County Register (Calif.), Jan. 3, 2019--Jeff LazersonLet's take a peek at the changing of the guard - that being the leadership at the Federal Housing Finance Agency or FHFA (Fannie Mae's and Freddie Mac's conservator and regulator), the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (your mortgage police), Fannie and Freddie.

National Mortgage News, Jan. 3, 2019--Kate Berry (subscription)Kathy Kraninger, the director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, said in an email to staff that the bureau will "vigorously enforce the law," but also must weigh the "costs and benefits to consumers" of enforcement activities and rulemakings.

HousingWire, Jan. 3, 2019--Jessica GuerinWhile some market analysts predict an uptick in 2019 home equity lending, Bank of America's David Doyle thinks otherwise.

HousingWire, Jan. 3, 2019--Jacob GaffneyEarly on into 2019, the government remains partially shutdown, and request-for-information emails to some federal housing authorities are getting bounced back, so it's an inauspicious start.

Dallas News, Jan. 4, 2019--Paul O'DonnellMr. Cooper Group Inc. is continuing to expand its mortgage servicing business with Thursday's purchase of IBM's Seterus platform.

Wall Street Journal, Jan. 4, 2019--Ben Eisen (subscription)More than 26% of mortgage borrowers who used Federal Housing Administration-insured loans got assistance from a relative to make the down payment in the 12 months through September, up from about 22% in 2011, according to data released late last year as part of the agency's annual report.

MBA Education presents a Webinar, Generating Purchase Business through Consumer Direct, on Wednesday, Jan. 9 from 2:00-3:30 p.m. ET.