The Lede

Black Knight, Jacksonville, Fla., said softening home prices in equity-rich markets led to the first decline in tappable housing equity since the housing recovery began.

Freddie Mac, McLean, Va., and Fannie Mae, Washington, D.C. yesterday announced nationwide suspension of eviction lock-outs between Dec. 17, 2018 and Jan. 2, 2019.

After nearly a decade of low levels of building, housing stock is well short of what the United States needs, said Freddie Mac, McLean, Va.

CoreLogic, Irvine, Calif., said homeowners with negative equity fell to just 81,000 in the third quarter, the smallest quarterly decline since 2010.

ATTOM Data Solutions, Irvine, Calif., said U.S. home flipping fell by 12 percent in the third quarter to the lowest level since 2015.

First American Financial Corp., Santa Ana, Calif., said its monthly Loan Application Defect Index declined nationally from a year ago, but cautioned that properties damaged by California's devastating wildfires this summer will likely increase loan defect risk in the near future.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency reported Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac sold 1,740 non-performing loans in the first half of 2018.

The Mortgage Bankers Association's National Mortgage Servicing Conference & Expo 2019 (Servicing19) returns to Orlando Feb. 25-28.

MBA Education presents its School of Mortgage Servicing instructor-guided online course Mar. 4-14.

MBA Education and the Compliance Essentials program present State Mortgage Servicing Rules Deep Dive Workshop on Feb 25 at the Hyatt Regency Orlando in conjunction with the MBA National Mortgage Servicing Conference & Expo.

The Mortgage Bankers Association's National Mortgage Servicing Conference & Expo 2019 (Servicing19) returns to Orlando Feb. 25-28.

The Mortgage Bankers Association's National Mortgage Servicing Conference & Expo 2019 (Servicing19) returns to Orlando Feb. 25-28.

Wall Street Journal, Dec. 10, 2018--Andrew Ackerman, Kate Davidson (subscription)The Trump administration is expected to soon announce that it plans to nominate Mark Calabria to become the director of the obscure but powerful Federal Housing Finance Agency, the regulator for the two companies. Calabria currently serves as chief economist to Vice President Mike Pence.

Reuters, Dec. 10, 2018--Dena AubinJPMorgan Chase Bank must face a lawsuit by California mortgage borrowers accusing it of violating state law by not paying interest on mortgage escrow accounts, a federal judge in San Francisco ruled on Friday.

HousingWire, Dec. 7, 2018--Ben LaneDelinquency rates on commercial and multifamily mortgages stayed nearly historic lows during the third quarter, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported this week.

Business Observer, Dec. 7, 2018Banks nationwide, by a big margin in some cases, are slowing down commercial real estate lending in most property categories.

National Mortgage Professional, Dec. 7, 2018--Phil HallMoody's Investors Service is forecasting a strong level of credit quality and performance of residential mortgage-backed securities in 2019, although the level of strength will be slightly weaker compared to this year.

National Mortgage Professional, Dec. 6, 2018--Phil HallThe National Flood Insurance Program was extended through Dec. 21 as part of Congress' two-week extension for the federal government's funding deadline.

American Banker, Dec. 6, 2018--Kate Berry (subscription)The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ordered Village Capital & Investment, a nonbank mortgage lender in Henderson, Nev., to issue refunds and pay a fine for allegedly misleading veterans about refinancing their mortgages.

HousingWire, Dec. 6, 2018--Ben LaneWells Fargo will pay more than $17 million to a series of Illinois pension funds after settling with the state over the bank's "misconduct in its marketing and sale of risky residential mortgage-backed securities leading up to the 2008 economic collapse," Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan announced.

American Banker, Dec. 5, 2018--Kate Berry (subscription)There is already intense focus on how the Democratic-run House Financial Services Committee may shine a spotlight on Trump administration-appointed regulators. But that light might shine brightest on one agency in particular: the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

National Mortgage News, Dec. 5, 2018--Lynn M. Fisher, Edward J. Pinto (subscription)American Enterprise Institute economists warn if the economy were to experience a downturn or worse in the next few years, home prices, which have boomed over the last six years, will surely realize a price correction and foreclosure rates could increase "dramatically."

Scotsman Guide, Dec. 4, 2018--Victor WhitmanThe delinquency rate on commercial/multifamily loans held by major investor classes remained exceptionally low in the third quarter, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Washington Post, Dec. 4, 2018--Kate RabinowitzUnder the Trump administration, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has seen its role diminished.

Wall Street Journal, Dec. 4, 2018--Esther Fung (subscription)Chinese investors offloaded more than $1 billion in U.S. real estate in the third quarter, extending their recent retreat from hotels, office buildings and other foreign property under pressure from Beijing to reduce debt and curb money sent abroad.

HousingWire, Dec. 4, 2018--Ben LaneThe U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced Tuesday that it reached a settlement with Rosicki, Rosicki & Associates, in which the law firm admitted to using its wholly owned affiliates, Enterprise Process Service and Paramount Land, to overcharge Fannie Mae and the VA for foreclosure and eviction-related expenses.