The Lede

Although the number of distressed retailers will likely rise as the retail sector evolves, their credit effect on U.S. commercial mortgage-backed securities should remain limited, reported Moody's Investors Service, New York.

As of the fourth quarter, 63 percent of Freddie Mac refinance loans were cash-out refinances, based on data from its Quarterly Refinance Statistics

As of the fourth quarter, 63 percent of Freddie Mac refinance loans were cash-out refinances, based on data from its Quarterly Refinance Statistics

As of the fourth quarter, 63 percent of Freddie Mac refinance loans were cash-out refinances, based on data from its Quarterly Refinance Statistics

Black Knight, Jacksonville, Fla., said seasonal effects and continued hurricane-related improvements contributed to a 13% decline in the national delinquency rate in March.

DETROIT--Different models; different strategies; different successes. Regardless of the approach, executives here at the Mortgage Bankers Association's Technology Solutions Conference & Expo agree: technology is transforming their business.

DETROIT--Different models; different strategies; different successes. Regardless of the approach, executives here at the Mortgage Bankers Association's Technology Solutions Conference & Expo agree: technology is transforming their business.

DETROIT--Different models; different strategies; different successes. Regardless of the approach, executives here at the Mortgage Bankers Association's Technology Solutions Conference & Expo agree: technology is transforming their business.

Changes in technology, supply chains and consumer habits all continue to drive leasing demand for industrial properties, propelling the sector's vacancies to their lowest levels on record, reported Ten-X Commercial, Irvine, Calif.

The Mortgage Bankers Association announced Level I of its new Certified Mortgage Compliance Professional (CMCP) designation, the only certification and designation program geared exclusively towards compliance professionals in the mortgage finance industry.

National Mortgage News, Apr. 23, 2018--Brad Finkelstein (subscription)In 2016 the FHA denial rate among all minority groups was 14.4%. At the same time, the difference in denial rates between whites and minorities for conventional mortgages also grew over the same period.

Wall Street Journal, Apr. 23, 2018--Richard Rubin (subscription)Meet the new mortgage-interest deduction. It's smaller and much more concentrated among high-income households. In 2018, the deduction will save taxpayers $25 billion, down from $60 billion in 2017, according to estimates released on Monday by the Joint Committee on Taxation.

American Banker, Apr. 23, 2018--Kate Berry (subscription)Acting Director Mick Mulvaney has said hundreds of Consumer Financial Protection Bureau-related data breaches justified his announcement in December that the agency would halt collecting personally identifiable information from companies it supervises. But industry experts say such a data freeze is unusual in the government; more unusual, they say, is that the CFPB apparently resumed data collection after only a few weeks, without investigating or remedying the cybersecurity problems that it identified.

Scotsman Guide, Apr. 23, 2018--Victor WhitmanThe bill would require the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau director to issue legally binding guidance. The Mortgage Bankers Association and other industry groups have long complained that the bureau has left companies to interpret civil judgments and consent orders when companies are punished for wrongdoing, and that the bureau only has published informal advice in select cases.

Los Angeles Times, Apr. 20, 2018--James Rufus KorenThe penalty, announced by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, is the largest levied against a financial firm since President Trump took office and one of the largest against any U.S. bank not related to the financial crisis.

HousingWire, Apr. 20, 2018--Ben LaneThe company announced Friday that it is acquiring ClickPay, an electronic payment platform servicing 2.3 million units across the multifamily, HOA, condominium and co-op segments of real estate, in a $218 million deal.

Wall Street Journal, Apr. 20, 2018--Laura Kusisto, Arian Campo-Flores (subscription)MIAMI-Concerns over rising sea levels and floods are beginning to reshape one of the country's largest housing markets, with properties closer to sea level now trading at discounts to those at higher elevations.

Wall Street Journal, Apr. 20, 2018--Thomas Gryta (subscription)General Electric Co. reported a quarterly loss on a $1.5 billion charge related to a subprime mortgage business it once owned, but executives said they were making progress on their efforts to turn around its industrial businesses.

CNN, Apr. 22, 2018"It's a different world now," says Sara Singhas, associate regulatory counsel at the Mortgage Bankers Association, referring to the recent departure from rock-bottom interest rates. "Especially for people who are performing on their loans, we wanted to make sure we don't put them into a worse financial position than they were prior to the disaster."

The Buffalo News, Apr. 19, 2018--Matt GlynnKeyBank is ready to capitalize on the residential mortgage business it picked up from First Niagara Bank, but determined the insurance business it acquired in the same deal wasn't a good fit.

MarketWatch, Apr. 19, 2018--Andrea RiquierA survey published by the New York Fed this week sheds some light on how homeowners think about their mortgage payments when they're underwater--or at least how they say they think about it.

HousingWire, Apr. 18, 2018--Ben LanePoint, a financial technology platform that offers homeowners the opportunity take equity out of their home without taking on new debt, is set to grow thanks to a $150 million commitment from Atalaya Capital Management, a private investment firm.

National Mortgage News, Apr. 18, 2018--Brad Finkelstein (subscription)MGIC Investment Corp.'s first-quarter net income beat analysts' estimates due to favorable loss development and that should be seen with the other private mortgage insurers.

National Mortgage News, Apr. 18, 2018--Elina Tarkazikis (subscription)Blockchain technology promises to streamline how mortgages are managed at every point in their life cycle. But it will take an industrywide embrace for blockchains to reach their full potential.

HousingWire, Apr. 18, 2018--Sarah WheelerAt the Mortgage Bankers Association's Technology Solutions Conference, Stacey Caster, vice president of technology communications at Quicken Loans, discussed how she approaches this task, and what advice she would have for other companies.

Crain's Detroit Business, Apr. 18, 2018--Chad LivengoodQuicken Loans Chairman Dan Gilbert and Vice Chairman Bill Emerson spoke at a Mortgage Bankers Association conference in Detroit. Gilbert said Quicken Loans is more of a "data acquisition business" than a mortgage company.

Business Insider, Apr. 17, 2018--Wolf RichterBanks are ramping up the extension of commercial real estate loans. CRE prices peaked in 2016 and are now flat-lining, which is partially due to the downturn of malls and traditional retail. Office and lodging buildings have been hit hard too.

Mortgage Daily, Apr. 17, 2018While there was no month-over-month change in serious mortgage delinquency, there was a year-over-year improvement. Miami saw a significant increase.