by Calculated Risk on 7/23/2013 09:17:00 PM

From the WSJ: Easing of Mortgage Curb Weighed

Concerned that tougher mortgage rules could hamper the housing recovery, regulators are preparing to relax a key plank of the rules proposed after the financial crisis.

The watchdogs, which include the Federal Reserve and Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., want to loosen a proposed requirement that banks retain a portion of the mortgage securities they sell to investors, according to people familiar with the situation.

The plan, which hasn't been finalized and could still change, would be a major U-turn for the regulators charged with fleshing out the Dodd-Frank financial-overhaul law passed three years ago.

We need to see the final rules, but it is important that the interests of the mortgage lenders align - at least a little - with the interest of those who invest in mortgage backed securities.

Wednesday:
• At 7:00 AM ET, the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) will release the results for the mortgage purchase applications index.

• At 9:00 AM, the Markit US PMI Manufacturing Index Flash for July. The consensus is for an increase to 52.8 from 52.2 in June.

• At 10:00 AM, New Home Sales for June from the Census Bureau. The consensus is for an increase in sales to 481 thousand Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate (SAAR) in June from 476 thousand in May.

• During the day: the AIA's Architecture Billings Index for June (a leading indicator for commercial real estate).