Morgan Stanley has now completed 77 percent of its consumer relief obligations per its legal settlement with the State of New York. With the recent approval of nearly $200 million in credit, the organization has now satisfied $309.1 million or the total $400 million it owes. The settlement stems from a 2016 case regarding residential mortgage-backed securities.

Single-family construction is up 1.2 percent over January and 3.4 percent over the year, according to recent U.S. Census data. Spending in this sector rose from $248 billion to $254 billion since 2016. Spending on multi-family and overall construction are both up as well.

Despite rising steadily in numbers over the last decade, the Asian American and Pacific Islander population is showing homeownership rates well below the national average. Rates are also below that of other demos, particularly of non-Hispanic whites. Experts say this data reveals untapped potential.

According to a recent analysis of West Coast software havens, Seattle is the clear-cut winner in terms of housing affordability, With more affordable condos and detached homes, it far outweighs nearby San Francisco—even with income and other costs of living considered. The median detached home price in Seattle is $610,000 compared to San Francisco’s $1.2 million.

In his speech at the Chamber of Commerce 11th Annual Capital Markets Summit, CFPB Director Richard Cordray touched on Dodd-Frank, the Bureau’s role in the financial marketplace, and its efforts to improve and adapt regulations based on industry comment and need. The CFPB recognizes the burden of regulatory compliance placed on today’s financial organizations and is actively working to alleviate that weight, Cordray conveyed.

According to a recent outlook report from Freddie Mac, total U.S. home sales will come in slightly under 2016’s numbers. This is due to a drop in refinancing activity, rising interest rates, and declining affordability. The outlook predicts originations will drop more than 25 percent in 2017.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have made headway on goals set forth in the 2016 Scorecard by the Federal Housing Finance Agency, according to the FHFA's Progress Report released on Wednesday. GSE efforts to improve credit access, assist borrowers, and reduce taxpayer credit risk were all noted in the agency's report. FHFA is currently soliciting comments on the Progress Report at FHFA.gov.

Comptroller of the Currency Thomas J. Curry touched on a few of the ways the OCC is preparing for the future during his speech at the National Community Reinvestment Coalition Conference in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday. Among the agency’s recent developments Curry mentioned were: the Office of Innovation, the Compliance and Community Affairs Department, and a supplement regarding FinTech national bank charters. The OCC is soliciting comments on the supplement through April 14.

According to the latest S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Home Price NSA Index released Tuesday, home prices hit a 31-month high in January. The Index was up 5.9 percent for the year and 5.7 percent for the month. Seattle, Portland, and Denver saw the biggest price increases.

The FHFA’s Credit Risk Transfer Report revealed a big uptick in GSE credit risk transfer for 2016. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac transferred a combined $18 billion in credit risk on $548 billion mortgages for the year. Risk was transferred via a variety of debt issuances, insurance and reinsurance programs, and front-end transactions.