The Lede

First American Financial Corp., Santa Ana, Calif., said the recent Day 1 Certainty initiative from Fannie Mae and incorporation of similar automated verification tools by Freddie Mac will have a "significant positive impact" on mortgage loan application defect and misrepresentation risk this year.

The Mortgage Bankers Association and MBA Insights are accepting nominations for the MBA Insights 2017 Tech All-Star Awards. Nominations will be accepted through Friday, Jan. 27.

With a new year comes new opportunities to start fresh. As 2017 approaches, now is the time for lenders to formulate a plan for loan quality success, and that plan starts, oddly enough, with a plan--an integrated corrective action plan, that is.

Mortgage Daily, Jan. 5, 2017 The transaction was announced Thursday by Mortgage Industry Advisory Corp., which placed the loans through its whole-loan desk.

Mortgage Daily, Jan. 9, 2017 Government funds used to pay for the Home Affordable Modification Program have reached nearly $23 billion as the program neared its sunset.

Commercial Real Estate Direct, Jan 9, 2017--Fink, Tom The commercial mortgage-backed securities market appeared to recover in 2015 and 2016, but new-issue bond spreads, which determine prices, continued to fluctuate.

HousingWire, Jan. 9, 2017--Lane, Ben In addition to unveiling new legislation that would grant the New York Department of Financial Services the authority to ban individuals from working in the financial services industry, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo also announced on Monday a series of new laws that would add financial protections for the state's senior citizens.

HousingWire, Jan. 9, 2017--Swanson, Brena The controversial position Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Richard Cordray sits in is only intensifying as government officials push to have him fired and policy groups urge consumers to defend him.

HousingWire, Jan. 9, 2017--Swanson, Brena The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency terminated its mortgage servicing-related order against HSBC Bank USA, lifting restrictions placed on the bank over its failure to comply with requirements of the Independent Foreclosure Review.

Mortgage Daily, Jan. 9, 2017 Private mortgage insurance companies are annoyed at the Federal Housing Administration's decision to lower mortgage insurance premiums.

The Hill, Jan. 9, 2017--Needham, Vicki HUD Secretary Julián Castro said the FHA will reduce the premiums for most borrowers by a quarter of a percent, dropping them to 0.60 from 0.85 for most new mortgages with a closing date on or after Jan. 27. MBA President and CEO David Stevens said the reduction is a good move but more work needs to be done to improve the FHA program.

GoRion, Jan. 6, 2017--Schwartz, Faith The call for a liquid safe and sound secondary mortgage market system should "Trump" any variations that do not ensure this is the case. And the GSE's and FHFA have created the path forward on how to integrate CRT into the many variations of reform we may see in the upcoming administration.

UExpress, Jan. 6, 2017--Sichelman, Lew The foreclosure crisis that hurt so many homeowners may be waning, but now, more and more renters are facing eviction.

Wall Street Journal, Jan. 6, 2017--Fung, Esther Vacancy rates in community shopping centers increased in 30 of 77 U.S. metro areas last year, compared with 24 in 2015 and 19 in 2014, according to data from real estate researcher Reis Inc.

Phoenix Business Journal, Jan. 6, 2017--Sunnucks, Mike CNBC analyst said mall and shopping center rents are a "substantial part" of the competitive problems facing Macy's, Kohl's and other brick-and-mortar department stores.

Marketplace, Jan. 3, 2017--Hartman, Mitchell One complicated legacy of the housing bust could finally be dealt with under the incoming Trump administration and Republican Congress: resolving the fate of the so-called government-sponsored enterprises: Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

HousingWire, Jan. 5, 2017--Lane, Ben The fight against neighborhood blight took a giant step forward this week, as Ohio just became the first state to ban the use of plywood on vacant and abandoned properties.

HousingWire, Jan. 4, 2017 The trend isn't letting up as borrowers once again prove they are getting better at paying their mortgage on time, according to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency's 2016 third-quarter report on mortgages.

Mortgage Daily, Jan. 4, 2017 Updates address 2 acquisitions, PMIERs financial requirements.

National Mortgage News, Jan. 4, 2017--Passy, Jacob Walter Investment Management Corp. has agreed to sell Green Tree Insurance Agency to a wholly owned subsidiary of insurance company Assurant.

National Mortgage News, Jan. 4, 2017--Collins, Brian National banks have experienced a dramatic drop in loan modification activity over the past year, according to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.

Washington Post, Jan. 4, 2017--Harney, Kenneth R. The authorization for this benefit to middle-income owners expired on Dec. 31, 2016. As a result, it will not be available for borrowers during 2017 and beyond unless reauthorized through congressional action.

HousingWire, Jan. 3, 2017--Lane, Ben American International Group officially closed the sale of its mortgage-guaranty unit United Guaranty to Arch Capital Group on Dec. 31, the companies announced Tuesday morning.

National Mortgage Professional, Jan. 3, 2017--Hall, Phil The total value of the U.S. housing stock grew to a record-high $29.6 trillion in 2016, according to data released by Zillow.

Mortgage Daily, Jan. 3, 2017 A new offering could provide the successful bidder with mortgage servicing rights on as much as $1 billion in government-sponsored enterprise loans.

Wall Street Journal, Jan. 3, 2017--Davies, Paul J. U.S. and European banks have long had their differences, nowhere more so than over how much capital they need to stay safe.