The Lede

CoreLogic, Irvine, Calif., said 268,000 homeowners regained equity in the first quarter, bringing the total mortgaged residential properties with to 46.7 million, or 92 percent of all mortgaged properties.

The Mortgage Bankers Association and more than a half-dozen industry trade groups, in a letter to Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Mel Watt, expressed reservations about a potential last-minute addition to the new Uniform Residential Loan Application.

As the housing market continues to recover, homeowners who are underwater on their mortgages are increasingly concentrated in the Rust Belt, while West Coast homeowners are less likely to be in negative equity, reported Zillow Inc., Seattle.

Independent mortgage banks and mortgage subsidiaries of chartered banks reported a net gain of $825 on each loan they originated in the first quarter, up from $493 per loan in the fourth quarter, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported this morning.

Fannie Mae said late Friday that it would delay release of its Version 10.0 of Desktop Underwriter, citing the need to conduct more testing. 

Commercial/multifamily mortgage debt outstanding increased by $35.3 billion in the first quarter, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported this morning, as three of four major investor groups increased their holdings, a 1.2 percent increase over the fourth quarter.

The U.S. commercial mortgage-backed securities delinquency rate rose in May for the second month, reported Fitch Ratings, New York.

National Mortgage News, June 7, 2016--Sinnock, Bonnie With the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau expected to clarify its TILA-RESPA integrated disclosure rules in July, one question that lenders, due diligence firms and investors look to have answered is how to remain compliant when unexpected changes come up right before a closing.

HousingWire, June 13, 2016--Lane, Ben When the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau began publishing consumers' complaints against financial services companies several years ago, many of those companies and other industry observers took issue with the fact that the complaints were, in many cases, unverified and unproven. But that could be about to change, thanks to a new bill that Congress is set to consider soon.

National Mortgage News, June 13, 2016--Finkelstein, Brad Marketing and advertising compliance have always been low-hanging fruit for regulators. After all, they get the same fliers in their mail at home and see the same television and newspaper ads that regular people do.

The Hill, June 13, 2016--Stevens, David MBA President and CEO David Stevens, CMB, said  recapitalizing the GSEs without first reforming the secondary mortgage market would threaten the very housing finance system that the industry has worked so hard to sustain.

New York Times, June 10, 2016--Lieber, Ron If you don't have a reverse mortgage and don't know anyone who does, your familiarity with the product probably comes from television commercials. So it may surprise you to learn that some community bankers are quietly offering the loans, too, bringing a kind of Main Street respectability to a product that has long lacked it.

UExpress, June 10, 2016--Sichelman, Lew Sometimes, lenders are smart not to do business with clients whose credit scores are below 650. But, many of those with scores below that magic number are acceptable credit risks, as long as they are properly underwritten.

Mortgage News Daily, June 10, 2016--Chrisman, Rob Are storm clouds gathering in the market for mortgage servicing rights? Some industry insiders are suggesting that it could be the perfect storm of the unintended consequences of regulation and a supply & demand mismatch.

Scotsman Guide, June 10, 2016--Whitman, Victor Several major groups representing the banking industry have come out against a proposed change that would require lenders to ask borrowers their language preference when applying for the nation's most popular home loans. The Mortgage Bankers Association is among the groups.

National Mortgage News, June 7, 2016--Passy, Jacob The second mortgage is on its way back, and some lenders could have an advantage in the competition for the piggyback loan business.

GlobeSt.com, June 9, 2016--Bubny, Paul The Mortgage Bankers Association's Jamie Woodwell cites "strong fundamentals and strong property prices, as well as still-low interest rates" underpinning commercial mortgages.

Scotsman Guide, June 7, 2016--Whitman, Victor Delinquency rates for commercial loans  held steady at low levels in the first quarter, while the number of troubled loans held in the much-watched category of commercial mortgage-backed securities fell steeply, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported.

Urban Institute, June 7, 2016--Lopez, Rodrigo; Still, Debra The authors--Lopez, chairman of the Mortgage Bankers Association; and Still, a past MBA chair--said MBA and its members believe that housing finance reform must address and support affordable rental housing, broad access to credit for qualified borrowers, and a commitment to supporting underserved markets.

HousingWire, June 8, 2016--Swanson, Brena The single-family rental market comprises 13% of all occupied housing and 37% of the total rental market and is only poised for more growth from here, a white paper from the National Rental Home Council said.

MarketWatch, June 8, 2016--Riquier, Andrea A lack of trust in institutions persists after the housing crisis, says book author David Dayen.

HousingWire, June 8, 2016--Tozer, Ted The author, president of Ginnie Mae, warned a lack of access to capital could severely limit the servicing capacity of independent mortgage bankers, which could in turn limit overall servicing capacity.

National Mortgage Professional, June 8, 2016--Hall, Phil Five industry trade groups expressed their concern to Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Mel Watt that any reforms to the secondary market should originate in Congress and not in his regulatory agency.

Urban Institute, June 9, 2016--Kaul, Karan Today, the guarantee fees borrowers pay on mortgages backed by the GSEs are set by the Federal Housing Finance Agency. The fees do not change with market conditions, largely insulating borrowers from significant mortgage rate volatility. But in a future housing finance system, private capital (rather than the government) will bear most credit risk.

National Mortgage News, June 9, 2016--Finkelstein, Brad Secondary market loan purchaser liability is probably the juiciest topic that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will address in its expected clarifications of TILA/RESPA integrated disclosure rules in July.