The Lede

CBNC, Sept. 13, 2019--Diana OlickBad news for borrowers--the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage is now 20 basis points higher than it was on Monday and 36 basis points higher than its last low on Sept. 4. Mortgage applications to refinance a home loan were essentially flat last week, despite the low rates, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Wall Street Journal, Sept. 13, 2019--Andrew Ackerman, Nick Timiraos (subscription)For years after the 2008 mortgage-market meltdown, Republicans and Democrats agreed on little about what to do with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac except one thing: Get rid of them. A Trump administration housing-finance roadmap released last week would do the opposite.

Reuters, Sept. 13, 2019--Richard CowanThe Trump administration plans to unveil a tax cut plan in mid-2020, a top White House adviser said on Friday, saying it would be targeted to giving significant relief to the middle class.

UExpress, Sept. 13, 2019--Lew SichelmanFour longtime friends from the Kansas City, Missouri, area don't know it, but they are on the leading edge of a growing phenomenon in vacation homes. They are buying places collectively.

New York Times, Sept. 13, 2019--Stefanos ChenAmong the more than 16,200 condo units across 682 new buildings completed in New York City since 2013, one in four remain unsold, or roughly 4,100 apartments - most of them in luxury buildings, according to a new analysis by the listing website StreetEasy.

RE Journals, Sept. 13, 2019--Michael ZaranskyMoving to a future where people don't own cars may be hard to imagine, but many experts believe a transportation revolution is coming and real estate may be the industry most affected by these advances.

Wall Street Journal, Sept. 16, 2019--Ben Eisen, Telis Demos (subscription)Banks are getting back into the business of building mortgage bonds, laying the groundwork for a market that stands to grow as the Trump administration tries to reduce the government's role in housing finance.

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