“There is little reason to worry about January’s housing starts decline. All the drop was in single-family starts, which is also where much of the recent strength has been. Apparently, there was a rush to get homes started in December, when the weather was unseasonably mild. Builders may have also held off from starting some projects because of the spike in lumber costs." --Mark Vitner, Senior Economist with Wells Fargo Securities, Charlotte, N.C.

The Mortgage Bankers Association recently launched a new campaign with its state and local association partners aimed at updating state law and rules to provide mortgage loan originators and their state licensed employers greater flexibility for remote location work arrangements during—and especially beyond—the coronavirus pandemic.