The Lede

First Time Since January

Will Remain at $36.5B in Purchase Volume Next Year

Comprehensive Guide to New HMDA Rule

National Mortgage News, Nov. 23, 2016--Passy, Jacob Federal Housing Finance Agency's choice to raise conforming loan limits in 2017 is being met with enthusiasm. "[The increase] reflects the reality that we are in an improving housing market driven by an improving economy,"  said Mortgage Bankers Association President and CEO David Stevens, CMB.

Nasdaq.com, Nov. 25, 2016 The Federal Housing Finance Agency announced that the maximum limit for the mortgage loans backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will be $424,100 for most of the U.S. in 2017.

HousingWire, Nov. 23, 2016--Lane, Ben Billion-dollar Settlement Now Dead.

New York Times, Nov. 24, 2016--Cowley, Stacy Mild-mannered, lawyerly and with a genius for trivia, Richard Cordray is not the sort of guy you picture at the center of Washington's bitter partisan wars over regulation and consumer safeguards.

Washington Post Writers Group, Nov. 26, 2016--Harney, Kenneth R. Republicans controlling the tax-writing committees in the House and Senate say they have no plans to extend expiring tax code provisions such as mortgage debt forgiveness for financially troubled owners, mortgage insurance write-offs used by moderate-income first-time buyers, and deductions for purchases of energy-saving windows, insulation and other improvements. All three benefits terminate Dec. 31. 

Wall Street Journal, nov. 28, 2016--Tracy, Ryan; Carney, John Big banks hoping a Trump administration will defang one of Dodd-Frank's most-controversial pieces.

New York Times, Nov. 24, 2016--Urbina, Ian Homeowners are slowly growing wary of buying property in the areas most at risk, setting up a potential economic time bomb in an industry that is struggling to adapt.

Bloomberg, Nov. 27, 2016--Schwartzkopff,  Frances The world's largest mortgage-backed covered-bond market is shrugging off the specter of real estate mogul with big spending plans Donald Trump running the U.S.

Honolulu Civic Beat, Nov. 27, 2016--Blair, Chad A LawnStarter analysis (it's a company concerned about, well, lawns) of recent Census data shows "nearly 23 percent of mortgaged owner-occupied homes in the Honolulu metro area had a second mortgage or a home equity loan in 2015."

National Law Review, Nov. 22, 2016--Phillips, Laura The FCC denied a Mortgage Bankers Association petition that sought an exemption from the FCC's prior express consent requirement for non-telemarketing mortgage servicing calls to wireless numbers. MBA had urged the grant of such an exemption for mortgage servicing calls.

National Real Estate Investor, Nov. 22, 2016-Bell, Diana  As alternative lenders step up their activity this year, the stretch senior loan is a hybrid product that borrowers can turn to.

Wall Street Journal, Nov. 28, 2016--Kirkham, Chris Housing units earmarked for low-income residents have virtually no impact on surrounding property values in major U.S. metro areas, according to an analysis of home-price data that runs counter to the conventional view that such projects cause nearby property values to decline.

Mortgage Daily, Nov. 29, 2016 Although mortgage delinquency rose for the second consecutive month, foreclosures starts were the lowest in more than a decade, report says.