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A new report by Trulia says the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has proven a powerful ally to borrowers across the economic spectrum. It’s also proven a valuable resource for military service members and older Americans. And taking it away could be more trouble than its worth.

Single-family starts fell six percent in March, to an annual rate of 821,000 from February’s rate of 875,000, which was the fastest monthly rate since the Great Recession. However, single-family permits posted the third largest annual pace since the recession. Permits in March grew 3.6 percent to 1.26 million from February’s 1.216 million, and grew year-over-year by 17 percent.

Two federal banks are forecasting a slowdown in GDP growth this quarter, with the Atlanta Fed predicting it to hit its lowest point in three years. The drop is a result of reduced consumer spending, the Fed reported. Predicted GDP growth has decreased significantly since the start of the year.

According to former Representative Barney Frank (D-Mass), the elimination of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau would be “very unpopular.” Rather than eliminate the bureau, he hopes that for legislation will be introduced to make minor changes to Dodd-Frank "that make it easier for the smaller and middle-sized banks without weakening the rules against great losses that people can't deal with."

Fannie Mae’s newest look at the economy over the next year-and-a-half is a positive, if not bullish one. The GSE sees housing as a major driver of the economy, but not at such a pace as to cause any bubbles. At the same time, potential political unrest domestically and internationally bring the enthusiasm down to a much quieter level.

“For seven years now, the Dodd-Frank Act has stifled the American Dream—for half of the country,” said U.S. Representative David Kustoff (R-TN) in an opinion piece on CNBC. According to Kustoff, Dodd-Frank requires rolling back, and it has caused plenty of harm since then. Though it saved plenty of big banks during the recession, its regulation has stifled many smaller banks.

During the recent meeting of the National Mortgage Servicing Association, Ray Barbone was installed as Chairman of the organization. Barbone, EVP of Mortgage Services at BankUnited will be taking the place of J.K. Huey, SVP of Lending Asset Management and Preservation at Wells Fargo.

In fall of 2015, the CFPB introduced new data reporting requirements which are set to take effect next year under the 1974 Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA), updating existing rules which will make lenders provide information on property value, the terms of the loan, the term of prepayment penalties and the duration of teaser or introductory interest rates. However, the increased amount of data which the CFPB requires lenders to report has led increased complications.

According to a report from the Federal Housing Finance Agency, total Refinance volume has dropped as mortgage rates have risen. In February 2017, borrowers completed 4,198 refinances through HARP, and since HARP’s inception in 2009, the program has made 3,456,422 refinances. HARP represented three percent of total refinance volume, and six percent of loans refinanced through HARP had a loan-to-value ratio greater than 125 percent.

PNC, Wells Fargo, and JPMorgan Chase all reported optimistic outlooks in their Q1 reports despite some declining revenue. All three banks found that their mortgage revenue has been declining. due to lower gains on residential mortgage servicing rights and lower mortgage loan revenues overall. Overall earnings for JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo were down slightly from the previous quarter.