The Lede

PALM SPRINGS, CALIF.--With the Mortgage Bankers Association forecasting a drop in mortgage originations in 2017 ($1.6 trillion, compared to $1.9 trillion in 2016), and shifts from a refinance market to a purchase market, it's time for independent mortgage banks to regroup and re-strategize.

Source: Office of Federal Student Aid; Mortgage Bankers Association. While the first-time homebuyer share of home sales has increased, it is still below typical levels, and many point to student ...

Source: Office of Federal Student Aid; Mortgage Bankers Association. While the first-time homebuyer share of home sales has increased, it is still below typical levels, and many point to student ...

Source: Office of Federal Student Aid; Mortgage Bankers Association. While the first-time homebuyer share of home sales has increased, it is still below typical levels, and many point to student ...

Wall Street Journal, Jan. 26, 2017--Tracy, Ryan; Witkowski, RachelHouse Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., told Republican lawmakers at a retreat that legislation aimed at relieving the financial sector from regulations will be a top priority in 2017, according to congressional aides.

HousingWire, Jan. 30, 2017--Brena SwansonA freeze on a final rule of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's Know Before You Owe mortgage disclosure rule, also called the TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosures rule, TRID, could become an unfortunate side effect of Trump's executive order on Monday.

Mortgage Daily, Jan. 30, 2017The outlook for refinance production during the first-three months of this year has been raised by Freddie Mac, though at the expense of subsequent quarters.

National Mortgage News, Jan. 30, 2017--Brian CollinsA federal appeals court ruled Monday that the Treasury Department will have to hand over more documents to investors of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac related to its profit sweep of the two government-sponsored enterprises.

Bloomberg, Jan. 30, 2017--Todd Shields; Jennifer A. DlouhyPresident Donald Trump set a daunting goal for government agencies bound by complex procedures, ordering his department heads to kill two regulations for each new one they issue.

National Mortgage News, Jan. 30, 2017--Kate BerryPHH Corp. is opposing an attempt by Democratic attorneys general in 16 states and the District of Columbia to intervene in an appeals court case that found the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's structure was unconstitutional.

National Mortgage News, Jan. 30, 2017--Jacob PassyNew Residential Investment Corp. is planning a public offering of more than 49.2 million shares of its stock to pay for its purchase of mortgage servicing rights from CitiMortgage.

HousingWire, Jan. 27, 2017--Lane, BenThe tale of Jesse Litvak may finally be moving toward an ending, as a federal jury on Friday found the former Jefferies managing director and mortgage-backed securities trader guilty on one count of fraud.

Reuters, Jan. 27, 2017--Leung, RichardThe U.S. Federal Reserve will stop reinvestments of its mortgage-backed securities holdings in April 2018 in an attempt to shrink its $4.2 trillion balance sheet that had ballooned from bond purchases to combat the last recession, Morgan Stanley analysts said on Friday.

Mortgage Daily, Jan. 27, 2017Quicken Loans Inc.'s home lending volume, servicing portfolio and employee count moved up both on a quarter-over-quarter and year-over-year basis.

Wall Street Journal, Jan. 30, 2017--Rexrode, ChristinaThe bank is expected to announce Monday that it is selling servicing rights of 780,000 mortgages backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to a subsidiary of New Residential Investment Corp.

Bloomberg, Jan. 29, 2017--Scully, MattJPMorgan Chase, Bank of America and Credit Suisse Group have given price data to the startup, New York-based Vista Capital Advisors, which rolled out the latest version of its pilot initiative this month.

HousingWire, Jan. 26, 2017--Lane, Ben Morningstar suggests that between the Fed's decision to raise rates and the indication that more rate increases are to come, mortgage-backed securities prepayments will fall throughout 2017.

HousingWire, Jan. 26, 2017--Swanson, BrenaThe Urban Institute posted a blog on the recent HUD announcement, stating that not only is the suspension a good idea but it should continue until the FHA Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund can build up more money.

HousingWire, Jan. 26, 2017--Lane, BenBut executive orders are just the preamble to the big initiatives that Trump and the Republican majority in Congress are expected to push for shortly. Chief among those is the "dismantling" of the Dodd-Frank Act.

National Mortgage News, Jan. 24, 2017--Berry, KateConsumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Richard Cordray sent his strongest signal to date on Tuesday that he has no intention of resigning ahead of his term expiring next year even if asked to by President Donald Trump.

Mortgage Daily, Jan. 26, 2017In addition to pushing its book of business past $2 trillion, Freddie Mac lifted secondary mortgage activity to a four-year high and cut delinquency to an eight-year low.

GoRion, Jan. 26, 2017--Wisniowski, Charles Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have entered the New Year one "significant" step closer to their near half-decade old initiative to issue a common mortgage-backed security.

Dallas Morning News, Jan. 25, 2017--Brown, SteveSen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said Fannie Mae's planned regional headquarters in Plano, Texas are "$24.2 million in excessive costs."

Mortgage Daily, Jan. 25, 2017Mortgage securitizations backed by nonprime loans are expected to see a substantial increase this year as lenders move away from prime refinances.

National Mortgage News, Jan. 25, 2017--Collins, BrianThe Federal Housing Finance Agency is seeking a significant amount of information from lenders that specialize in making chattel loans to manufactured homebuyers due to a lack of reliable data on the market.

HousingWire, Jan. 25, 2017--Swanson, BrenaThe implementation date of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's final mortgage servicing rule lies in question after the Trump administration announced a freeze on federal regulations.

New York Times, Jan. 25, 2017--Cowley, StacyThe expired Obama-era program--known as HAMP, the Home Affordable Modification Program--was widely criticized for its poor execution. "There's tremendous public good in having an industrywide approach," said Justin Wiseman, the director of loan administration policy at the Mortgage Bankers Association, a trade group. "No one wants things to revert to what we had before."

Wall Street Journal, Jan. 24, 2017--Fung, EstherMall landlords are increasingly walking away from struggling properties, leaving creditors in the lurch and posing a threat to the values of nearby real estate.

Mortgage Daily, Jan. 24, 2017The offering includes MSRs on 6,636 residential loans with an aggregate unpaid principal balance of $781 million as of Dec. 31, 2016.

Bloomberg, Jan. 24, 2017--Mulholland, Sarah A $90 billion wave of maturing commercial mortgages, leftover debt from the 2007 lending boom, is laying bare the weak links in the U.S. real estate market.

HousingWire, Jan. 24, 2017--Lane, BenBorrowers who had a mortgage serviced by Wells Fargo between May 6, 2005 and July 1, 2010 could soon receive their share of a $50 million settlement, which stemmed from charges that Wells Fargo overcharged borrowers for Broker's Price Opinions during the time period in question.

National Mortgage News, Jan. 24, 2017--Passy, JacobFederal banking agencies have levied a $65 million fine against Fidelity National Financial subsidiary ServiceLink Holdings over deficiencies in the foreclosure-related services provided by its predecessor company.

Bloomberg, Jan. 24, 2017--Scully, MattA bond-market startup is a step closer to reviving crisis-era derivatives that let investors bet on U.S. homeowner defaults.

Wall Street Journal, Jan, 24, 2017--Dezember, RyanFannie Mae agreed to backstop up to $1 billion in debt from the country's largest owner of single-family rental homes, the first time the government-sponsored entity has agreed to guarantee the debt of an institutional owner of single-family houses.