The Lede

The Mortgage Bankers, in a series of letters to federal agencies, offered recommendations to the Federal Housing Finance Agency on its proposed capital requirements for the government-sponsored enterprises (Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac); the FHFA proposed rule on the GSEs' Uniform Mortgage-Backed Security; and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency's proposed rule to revamp the Community Reinvestment Act.

Commercial property market supply and demand fundamentals remained relatively stable in the second quarter, said Moody's Investors Service, New York.

More than two dozen industry trade groups joined the Mortgage Bankers Association in a letter to House and Senate leaders, urging them to extend the National Flood Insurance Program beyond its latest expiration date (Nov. 30).

A new paper from the Urban Institute, Washington, D.C., said uniform data standards for mortgage servicers would benefit consumers, increase data accuracy, lower risk of errors and offset "skyrocketing" servicing costs.

CoreLogic, Irvine, Calif., said 4 percent of mortgages nationally were in some stage of delinquency in August, the lowest rate since 2006.

TransUnion, New York, said despite slowing mortgage originations, the U.S. home lending market is showing other signs of recovery, with delinquencies dropping every quarter since 2009.

Amazon's decision to select New York City and Arlington, Va. for its new headquarters properties will affect more than just those areas' office sectors, analysts say.

MBA President and CEO Robert D. Broeksmit, CMB said policymakers should take a balanced approach to GSE reform to avoid market disruptions and enable a smooth transition.

MBA Education presents its popular Advanced Risk Management for Mortgage Pros Workshop, in conjunction with the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, in Washington, D.C. June 3-5. 2019.

National Mortgage News, Nov. 19, 2019--Bonnie Sinnock (subscription)Subprime originations are climbing in multiple consumer loan categories, including mortgages, but the increase is much smaller in the home loan sector than it is in other markets, according to TransUnion.

National Mortgage News, Nov. 18, 2018--Hannah Lang (subscription)Since 2015, Republicans have largely presided over congressional attempts to reform housing finance, or the lack thereof. Come January, House Democrats will have more say about where to place Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac on the agenda.

National Mortgage News, Nov. 16, 2018--Bonnie Sinnock (subscription)Ginnie Mae is adding steps to its process for evaluating new issuers, including new notification requirements related to subservicer advances, servicing income, and borrowing facilities secured by mortgage servicing rights.

Wall Street Journal, Nov. 16, 2018--Harriet Torry (subscription)Household indebtedness continued to climb in the third quarter, with balances continuing to rise for almost all types of borrowing, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported Friday.

The Hill, Nov. 18, 2018--Thomas VartanianNone of the four non-bank companies originally designated as systemically important financial institutions between July 2013 and December 2014 are still SIFIs. The designations of GECC, AIG and Prudential were all eventually rescinded, and MetLife successfully challenged its designation in federal court.

Scotsman Guide, Nov. 15, 2018--Victor WhitmanChanges are likely to come soon that will make it harder for prospective borrowers to obtain Federal Housing Administration loans. Mortgage Bankers Association President Robert Broeksmit said HUD's scrutiny of FHA's credit standards was "prudent."

American Banker, Nov. 15, 2018--Neil Haggerty, Kate Berry (subscription)Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell filed a motion that could bring the administration's choice for Consumer Financial Protection Bureau director , Kathy Kraninger, up for a vote before the full Senate later this month.

HousingWire, Nov. 15, 2018--Ben LaneWells Fargo announced Thursday it is eliminating 1,000 positions nationwide in its Consumer Lending and Payments, Virtual Solutions and Innovations groups.Of those, 900 cuts will be in the company's home lending division.

National Mortgage News, Nov. 15, 2018--Brad Finkelstein (subscription)Fannie Mae completed 10 traditional and front-end credit risk insurance transactions during 2018 sharing $2.6 billion of risk, including $192 million in its final deal of the year.

San Bernardino Sun (Calif.), Nov. 15, 2018--Jeff LazersonServicers are authorized to suspend or reduce homeowner's mortgage payments for up to 90 days without any contact with the homeowner if the servicer believes the homeowner has been affected by a disaster.

NPR, Nov. 15, 2018--Jim ZarroliWith Democrats assuming control of the House in January, Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., is about to become more visible than ever before, with the power to slow down an important part of Trump's agenda and even shine a light on his company's finances. "Waters is a skilled legislator, and she has devoted considerable energy to issues affecting the mortgage industry, such as affordable housing, and we look forward to continuing to work with her," says Robert Broeksmit, president of the Mortgage Bankers Association.

HousingWire, Nov. 13, 2018--Alcynna LloydOn Tuesday, Amazon finally announced it selected Long Island City, N.Y., and Crystal City in Arlington County, Va., as the split locations for its HQ2, and data suggests that the real estate markets in these areas saw a surge of interest when speculation of their selection first arose last week.

Wall Street Journal, Nov. 14, 2018--Richard Rubin, Ruth Simon (subscription)Wealthy investors, fund managers and real-estate developers are racing to take advantage of a tax incentive meant to spur economic growth in neglected areas.

National Mortgage Professional, Nov. 13, 2018--Phil HallA new data analysis from CoreLogic determined 48,390 homes with a total reconstruction cost value of $18 billion are at high or extreme risk of wildfire damage from ongoing fires in California.