The Lede

HOPE NOW reported 113,000 mortgage assistance actions by its members in October as foreclosure sales reached a nearly 10-year low.

Overall credit default rates, including first mortgage defaults, held steady in November, S&P Dow Jones Indices and Experian reported yesterday.

Another sign of the sea change taking place in the U.S. mortgage servicing industry is in the rapid growth of portfolios among smaller companies, said Fitch Ratings, New York.

National Mortgage News, Dec. 22, 2016-Berry, Kate Opposition is lining up against the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's arbitration plan. A Republican-controlled Congress is expected to overturn a final rule even as industry groups file lawsuits to stop it from going into effect.

National Mortgage News, Dec. 28, 2016--Stevens, David MBA President and CEO says the real risk is the uncertainty of continued, long-term conservatorship.  Congressional reform before recapitalization is the proper path forward.

Politico, Dec. 31, 2016--Woellert, Lorraine Comments from incoming administration officials spark a scramble to save the mortgage interest deduction.

American Banker, Dec. 30, 2016--McKendry, Ian The new year is shaping up to be the one in which sizable changes to the Dodd-Frank Act are finally enacted, thanks to Republican victories in the White House, Senate and House.

Washington Post, Jan. 1, 2016--Merle, Renae Nearly 1.6 million borrowers have seen their mortgage payments lowered through the Home Affordable Modification Program so far, but about a third of those people eventually fell behind on their payments again.

National Mortgage News, Dec. 22, 2016-Finkelstein, Brad Foreclosure starts increased nearly 7% in November from the previous month, but when compared to the previous year, they were down by over 9%, according to Black Knight Financial Services.

HousingWire, Dec. 21, 2016--Swanson, Brena One of the top GSE reform options on the table looks to the success of Ginnie Mae's model and was conceived by two industry stalwarts who have the respect and experience to give it a fighting chance. But in order to make the reform possible, says Michael Stegman of the Bipartisan Policy Center, there are key changes, especially financially, that would need to happen.

National Mortgage News, Dec. 21, 2016--Sinnock, Bonnie  Ginnie Mae, at the urging of the mortgage industry, has revised the wording of the acknowledgment agreements necessary to finance servicing rights. It hopes the move improves Ginnie MSRs' liquidity.

Mortgage Daily, Dec. 21, 2016 Monthly business was modestly higher at Freddie Mac, as was the government-sponsored enterprise's portfolio.

Mortgage Daily, Dec. 21, 2016 The share of mortgages backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that are originated or serviced by non-bank companies has risen sharply in the last five years.