The Lede

Commercial/multifamily mortgage debt outstanding increased by $45.4 billion, or 1.5%, to $3.11 trillion in the third quarter as all four major investor groups increased their holdings over the second quarter, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported this morning.

The Mortgage Bankers Association and more than a dozen industry trade groups asked the Senate to leave the current ownership qualification period for exclusion on capital gains from sale of a principal residence.

CoreLogic, Irvine, Calif., said U.S. homeowners with mortgages saw their equity increase by nearly 12 percent year over year in the third quarter, representing a gain of nearly $900 billion.

Mortgage Bankers Association Chairman-Elect Chris George, in testimony yesterday before a House subcommittee, offered the association's support for two bills he said offer "practical solutions to improve the efficiency of mortgage market regulations."

Mortgage Bankers Association Chairman-Elect Chris George, in testimony yesterday before a House subcommittee, offered the association's support for two bills he said offer "practical solutions to improve the efficiency of mortgage market regulations."

Mortgage Bankers Association Chairman-Elect Chris George, in testimony yesterday before a House subcommittee, offered the association's support for two bills he said offer "practical solutions to improve the efficiency of mortgage market regulations."

Home flipping is still a lucrative business--just not quite as lucrative as it was a year ago.

The Senate Banking Committee yesterday approved a Mortgage Bankers Association-supported bill that would offer substantial regulatory relief on a number of fronts.

The Mortgage Bankers Association's National Mortgage Servicing Conference & Expo 2018 returns to the Gaylord Texan in Grapevine, Texas (Dallas) Feb. 6-9.

MBA Education and MBA Compliance Essentials announce availability of the Compliance Essentials Home Mortgage Disclosure Act Resource Guide.

MBA Education presents a workshop, Foundational Concepts in Residential Mortgage Servicing, on Tuesday, Feb. 6 in Dallas in conjunction with the Mortgage Bankers Association's National Servicing in Mortgage Banking Conference & Expo.

MBA Education offers its popular School of Mortgage Servicing instructor-guided online course from Feb. 26-Mar. 8.

The Mortgage Bankers Association's National Mortgage Servicing Conference & Expo 2018 returns to the Gaylord Texan in Grapevine, Texas (Dallas) Feb. 6-9.

The Mortgage Bankers Association's National Mortgage Servicing Conference & Expo 2018 returns to the Gaylord Texan in Grapevine, Texas (Dallas) Feb. 6-9.

National Mortgage News, Dec. 11, 2017--Elina Tarkazikis (subscription)Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will suspend the evictions of foreclosed single-family properties during the holiday season.

HousingWire, Dec. 11, 2017--Ben LaneCalifornia announced Monday it reached a $1.1 million settlement with Movement Mortgage to resolve allegations that the company serviced loans without a California state license and violated the state's per diem interest rules.

Mortgage Daily, Dec. 11, 2017Although overa1l issuance eased at Ginnie Mae, issuance of reverse mortgage securities was the highest it's been in 15 months.

HousingWire, Dec. 11, 2017--Ben LaneWalter Investment announced recently that Gary Tillett, who serves as executive vice president and chief financial officer, plans to retire in 2018. Replacing Tillett will be that Jerry Lombardo, who most recently served as a managing director & treasurer of the consumer and community bank at JPMorgan Chase.

National Mortgage News, Dec. 11, 2017--Brad Finkelstein (subscription)Bank of America is exiting the mortgage lien release business by entering into an agreement to sell this unit to First American Financial Corp.

National Mortgage News, Dec. 11, 2017--Glen Fest, Allison Bisbey (subscription)Many mortgage lenders oppose PACE, which creates a lien on a property senior to that of a first mortgage, and were loathe to take advantage policy.

HousingWire, Dec. 8, 2017--Ben Lane"PACE liens pose a real danger to secured lenders and to the MMI fund because they erode the underlying collateral due to their priority lien position in the event of default," MBA President and CEO David Stevens said in a statement.

Los Angeles Times, Dec. 8, 2017--Jim PuzzangheraPresident Trump on Friday denied a report that the federal consumer financial watchdog might drop sanctions against Wells Fargo & Co. for alleged mortgage lending abuses, and said the bank could face even tougher penalties.

National Mortgage News, Dec. 8, 2017--Ian McKendry (subscription)Two steps forward and one step back. That appears to be the current state of play regarding the effort to revamp the housing finance system.

HousingWire, Dec. 8, 2017--Ben LaneOn Friday, the DOJ announced that IBERIABANK Corporation, IBERIABANK and IBERIABANK Mortgage, agreed to pay a fine of $11,692,149 to resolve allegations that the companies violated the False Claims Act by falsely certifying that loans originated by the companies were eligible for FHA mortgage insurance.

Mortgage Daily, Dec. 8, 2017--Sam GarciaA regulator is helping lenders prepare for upcoming changes to Home Mortgage Disclosure Act reporting. Two mortgage firms are using service providers to help them with quality control.

Mortgage Daily, Dec. 7, 2017On Thursday, the government-owned corporation announced restrictions for streamline and cashout refinances being pooled into Ginnie Mae I Single Issuer Pools and Ginnie Mae II Multiple Issuer Pools.

Orange County Register (Calif.), Dec. 7, 2017--Jeff LazersonAccording to the Mortgage Bankers Association, compliance costs have increased $1,000 per file in the 2012 through 2015 timeline. MBA cites its members' difficulties with regulation by enforcement. It would rather have clear guidance on what the CFPB expects.

Bloomberg, Dec. 7, 2017--Joe LightThe actions, which were announced Thursday, stem from a probe by Ginnie Mae, a government-owned corporation that guarantees payment on $2 trillion-worth of mortgage-backed securities. Its bonds include loans made through the Department of Veterans Affairs as well as other federal programs meant for low-wealth or rural borrowers.

Mortgage Orb, Dec. 6, 2017--Marcus Balocca, John PermejoTax servicing is a complex but important part of loan servicing. There are more than 24,000 tax agencies or taxing authorities across the country and U.S. territories, each with their own rules, processes and guidelines for providing tax information and collecting and processing tax payments.

National Mortgage News, Dec. 6, 2017--Rob Blackwell, Ian McKendry (subscription)House Financial Services Committee Jeb Hensarling shifted tactics on housing finance reform Wednesday, acknowledging that a bill he's pushed for years to virtually eliminate the government's role in the mortgage market lacks the support to become law.

Bloomberg, Dec. 7, 2017--Joe Light, Prashant GopalThe $64 billion mortgage-interest deduction has long been touted as fuel for U.S. homeownership. Yet as the real estate industry fights the Republican tax plan that's set to diminish its use, finding economic supporters of the perk is tough, even among affordable-housing advocates.

Reuters, Dec. 6, 2017--Sharon Bernstein, Howard SchneiderThousands of homeowners in Republican-leaning areas could be hit by the elimination or reduction of tax breaks for homeowners, a Reuters analysis of federal mortgage and tax data shows, potentially opening those districts to a Democratic challenge in the November 2018 mid-term elections.

Reuters, Dec. 6, 2017--Pete SchroederBank examiners can continue working inside the banks they supervise, Comptroller of the Currency Joseph Otting said on Wednesday, in a policy reversal for the U.S. banking regulator.

Mortgage Daily, Dec. 6, 2017Issuance of residential mortgage-backed securities filled with jumbo mortgages, nonprime loans and reverse mortgages is forecasted to rise next year, while credit standards are likely to ease, said Moody's Investors Service.

National Mortgage News, Dec. 5, 2017--John Heltman (subscription)A Senate panel on Tuesday morning approved Federal Reserve Gov. Jerome Powell's nomination to chair the Fed beginning early next year, putting President Trump's pick one step closer to assuming one of the nation's most important executive offices.

Mortgage Daily, Dec. 5, 2017The banking subsidiary of CIT Group Inc. has agreed to settle claims by the servicing subsidiary of Ocwen Financial Corp. that it should have been reimbursed for servicing errors.

Mortgage Daily, Dec. 5, 2017Nationstar Mortgage LLC, which now does business as Mr. Cooper, agreed to a more than $9 million settlement that resolves allegations it overcharged borrowers for interest and collected illegal fees.

HousingWire, Dec. 5, 2017--Ben LaneRealPage, a provider of software and data analytics to the real estate industry, announced Tuesday that it completed its $300 million acquisition of Lease Rent Options and related assets from The Rainmaker Group.

Forbes, Dec. 5, 2017--Bobby MantagneTraditional mortgage funders may be put off by properties that require extensive remodeling or structural repairs, creating a growing market for private money lenders.

HousingWire, Dec. 5, 2017--Jacob GaffneyReducing the amount a homeowner, facing default, owes on their mortgage sounds like it would be a great idea to include in a mortgage modification. But it's likely just a feel-good factor, according to newly released research from JPMorgan Chase Institute, a think tank arm of the bank.