The Lede

Delinquency rates for commercial and multifamily mortgage loans were relatively flat in the second quarter, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association's latest Commercial/Multifamily Delinquency Report.

Fitch Ratings, New York, said U.S. non-bank mortgage lenders could face further margin pressure as interest rates continue to rise, owing to higher funding costs relative to banks with lower-cost, stable depository funding.

The commercial mortgage-backed securities delinquency rate declined for the third consecutive month due to steady new issuance and few new delinquencies, reported Fitch Ratings, New York.

Mortgage bank performance improved in the second quarter from a dismal first quarter, but fell from a year ago, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported yesterday.

Reuters, Aug. 31, 2018--Joy Wiltermuth, Natalie HarrisonCredit rating opinions on new types of residential mortgage bonds have become increasingly divided, making it harder for investors to gauge their risks.

National Mortgage News, Aug. 31, 2018--Kate Berry (subscription)The reg relief law, signed in May, exempts roughly 85% of banks and credit unions from reporting the expanded Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data points introduced for the 2018 reporting year. The mortgage industry lobbied heavily for the changes, particularly for an exemption from disclosures of all points and fees when a loan is originated.

American Banker, Sept. 3, 2018--Hannah Long (subscription)A decade later, nothing about the federal takeover of the mortgage giants seems temporary. It is the status quo. Efforts for comprehensive housing finance reform keep getting derailed, leaving many to wonder if it will take a disruptive event--a sudden change in political power, another crisis or something else--to force policymakers to set the GSEs on a permanent path forward.

Mortgage Daily, Aug. 31, 2018--Sam GarciaInvestors who acquire distressed home loans at a significant discount could raise the value of their investments with financial counselors who help borrowers increase their cash flow.

Mortgage Daily, Aug. 30, 2018The Mortgage Bankers Association presented the rankings as part of its Commercial/Multifamily Real Estate Mortgage Servicer Rankings Mid-Year 2018.

American Banker, Aug. 30, 2018--Rachel Witkowski (subscription)How to modernize the Community Reinvestment Act has long triggered intense debate and disagreement among all the parties as banks favor expanding CRA assessment areas and consumer groups worry that a broad expansion would simply make it easier for banks to score high CRA grades.

HousingWire, Aug. 30, 2018--Ben LaneReis currently provides analysis and forecasts for 275 metropolitan markets and 7,700 submarkets in multifamily, affordable housing, office, retail, student housing and senior housing.

Washington Post, Aug. 29, 2018--Kenneth R. HarneyFrom January through March of this year, the average credit score for new-home purchase loans was 672, according to FHA data. By contrast, the average was 701 during the same period in 2011. Refinancings where borrowers replace their existing FHA loans with new ones carried average FICO scores of 709 in mid-2012; earlier this year, that had plummeted to 661.

National Mortgage News, Aug. 29, 2018--Hannah Long (subscription)More than three years after a Supreme Court ruling validated "disparate impact" as a legal argument in fair-lending cases, the banking industry and housing advocacy groups are still at odds over how to interpret the decision.

Mortgage Daily, Aug. 29, 2018A more than 20-basis-point drop in delinquency on securitized commercial real estate loans left the rate at its lowest level in nine years, said Moody's Investors Service.

Wall Street Journal, Aug. 28, 2018--Lalita Clozel (subscription)The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency took the first step Tuesday toward rewriting rules for lending in lower-income neighborhoods, an effort that could allow institutions to redirect billions of dollars spent on loans and investments.

HousingWire, Aug. 28, 2018--Kelsey RamirezThe Federal Housing Finance Agency announced Tuesday its new proposed rule which would amend its rule on golden parachute payments in order to reduce compliance burdens.

Reuters, Aug. 28, 2018--Katanga JohnsonThe Securities and Exchange Commission said on Tuesday that it charged Moody's Investor Service with failing to clearly define and consistently apply credit-rating symbols in a first-ever ratings-related enforcement action by the regulator.