Robert Morgan, one of the largest landlords in the country, was hit with multiple charges this week by both the DOJ and the SEC for allegedly running a Ponzi-type scheme that involves shuffling around money from investors and falsifying loan documents. The charges are the culmination of a cross-agency investigation into a massive multifamily mortgage fraud scheme that raises serious questions about GSE regulations for multifamily financing.

When a top executive at Walmart told Wall Street analysts last week that tariffs on Chinese goods would lead to higher prices for his customers, people who follow the housing and mortgage industry felt a sense of foreboding. Higher consumer prices lead to higher inflation, which leads to higher mortgage rates.

The Congressional Budget Office released a report Thursday exploring four proposed solutions for lessening the cost and risk of the reverse mortgage program to the federal government. And, the report explores the potential impact of each solution on lenders, borrowers and the budget. Here’s a recap.

Stephen Calk, the CEO and founder of the Federal Savings Bank of Chicago, was indicted Thursday for approving $16 million in mortgage loans for Paul Manafort in exchange for the former Trump campaign chairman’s help in landing a senior post with the administration. The move was unsuccessful, in more ways than one. Click the headline for the full story.

HousingWire Editor-in-Chief Jacob Gaffney interviews Norm Creveling, the chief lending officer for Wings Financial Credit Union. In this episode, Creveling talks about the emergence of digital mortgages, the current housing market, and trends in consumer credit scores. Don’t miss it!

The leaders of the FHA, VA, USDA and Ginnie Mae who spoke on the government lending update panel at the MBA Secondary Conference on Tuesday are well aware that lenders and investors find working with their agencies discouragingly hard. Their session reflected the work they’re doing to change that experience, and outlined important policy revisions.

HUD Secretary Ben Carson had a bit of a rough day on Tuesday. Carson appeared on Capitol Hill to testify before the House Financial Services Committee, and during questioning from the committee member with the most housing knowledge, turned himself into a punchline by confusing a common housing industry term with a cookie. Yes, you read that right.

The Bankruptcy Court of the Southern District New York denied Ditech’s motion Friday to dismiss the formation of a consumer committee to protect the interests of mortgage borrowers who have loans with Ditech or its subsidiaries – including those who have reverse mortgages with its subsidiary Reverse Mortgage Solutions – ensuring these borrowers will not suffer too great a loss as the mortgage giant restructures.