Mortgage

WASHINGTON, DC - March 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The economy continues to show increasing signs of self-sustaining momentum, however an unexpected jump in oil prices and the potential for further tightening of fiscal policy suggest less economic momentum than previously believed, according to the March 2011 Economic Outlook released today by Fannie Mae's (FNMA/OTC) Economics & Mortgage Market Analysis Group. Projected economic growth for the year was lowered to 3.5 percent — down slightly from 3.7 percent in February 2011, but up from 2.7 percent annual growth in 2010.

Washington, D.C. - March 21, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Seeking to increase investment in America's small businesses, Congresswoman Shelley Berkley (NV) and Congressman Devin Nunes (CA) have introduced H.R. 1147, The Community Recovery and Enhancement (CRE) Act. The bipartisan legislation provides a market-based incentive for private investments in distressed commercial property at a time when many owners and businesses are still struggling in the on-going economic downturn and are in need of new sources of capital.

WASHINGTON, DC March 21, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced that it will begin the orderly wind down of its remaining portfolio of $142 billion in agency-guaranteed mortgage-backed securities (MBS). Starting this month, Treasury plans to sell up to $10 billion in agency-guaranteed MBS per month, subject to market conditions

WASHINGTON, D.C. - March 18, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The operator of a defunct money-making scam has agreed to settle a federal court judgment the Federal Trade Commission obtained against him in 2007 for falsely claiming his “wealth building” program would teach consumers how to make substantial income in a short time by buying and selling privately held mortgages. Under the settlement, John Stefanchik will pay the FTC $900,000 plus the proceeds from the sale of his house and substantially all of his personal property.

Dover, DE - March 17, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Attorney General Beau Biden and bipartisan coalition of legislators unveiled five bills today to respond to the home foreclosure crisis in Delaware and help the economy grow . Recent years have seen a re...

McLean, VA - March 17, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Freddie Mac (OTC: FMCC) today released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey®> (PMMS®), which shows the 30-year fixed-rate dropping to 4.76 percent while the 15-year fixed-rate hit its lowest rate at 3.97 percent since December 2010.

Washington, DC - March 17, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The level of commercial/multifamily mortgage debt outstanding decreased by 0.5 percent in the fourth quarter of 2010, to $2.4 trillion, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) analysis of the Federal Reserve Board Flow of Funds data. On a year-over-year basis, the amount of mortgage debt outstanding at the end of 2010 was $67 billion lower than at the end of 2009, a decline of 2.7 percent.

Greenville, N.C. - March 16, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congressman G. K. Butterfield will hold a forum on mortgage foreclosure prevention on Tuesday, March 22. "There are tens of thousands of responsible American homeowners holding on to their homes by a thread,” Butterfield said. “And while there is some help available, many people do not know about it. This forum provides the opportunity to learn what you can do to help protect your home and family.”

WASHINGTON, DC - March 16, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Teresa Kelly, a former operations supervisor in Colonial Bank’s Mortgage Warehouse Lending Division (MWLD), pleaded guilty today to conspiring to commit bank, wire and securities fraud for her role in a fraud scheme that contributed to the failures of Colonial Bank and Taylor, Bean & Whitaker (TBW).

March 16, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- A Clarke County Grand Jury returned a three count racketeering indictment yesterday against Brian C. Dupree, Marc Canty and Rashid Wilson for conspiring to commit theft by fraudulently inflating real estate values in an Athens subdivision development

WASHINGTON, D.C. - March 16, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mortgage applications decreased 0.7 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association's Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending March 11, 2011

WASHINGTON, D.C. - March 16, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) today announced that John A. Courson, the association’s President and CEO, will be leaving the association, effective June 1, 2011. Courson will be replaced by David H. Stevens, Assistant Secretary for Housing and Commissioner of the Federal Housing Administration at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in May. Stevens had announced earlier that he would be resigning from his position at HUD. He will leave HUD on March 31, 2011.

March 15, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- An amendment by Congressman Gerry Connolly to continue providing emergency mortgage assistance to service members, veterans, and gold star families failed on a party line vote today as the House of Representatives passed legislation to strip assistance to homeowners in distress.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - March 15, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) attended a hearing of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs today entitled ‘The Administration’s Report to Congress: Reforming America’s Housing Finance Market.’ The hearing examined the progress the Obama Administration has made in reforming the mortgage During the hearing, Sen. Brown announced that he would file legislation to help Ohio homeowners avoid foreclosure through both affordable mortgage modifications.

TRENTON, NJ - March 15, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance has proposed regulations that will temporarily allow financially healthy companies offering mortgage guaranty insurance, which covers lenders for losses if a borrower defaults on a mortgage loan, to seek a waiver of some financial requirements. Granting that waiver will ensure the continued widespread availability of mortgage guaranty insurance, also known as private mortgage insurance (PMI), which is generally required for prospective home buyers who make less than a 20 percent down payment when purchasing their home, and will help stimulate the housing market.

Reston, Virginia - March 15, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of Bronx on March 3 held that the mortgage document granted broad powers to MERS to act as an agent for the lender, including the power to foreclose on the loan and to assign it.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - March 15, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- As the April 18 federal income tax filing deadline approaches, many American home owners are realizing the financial benefits of homeownership—savings that can add up to tens of thousands of dollars over several years."The mortgage interest deduction is one homeownership tax incentive that has been part of the tax code for nearly 100 years," said Bob Nielsen, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders and a home builder from Reno, Nev. "Incentives such as this have helped millions of American families be able to afford a home of their own."

CLEVELAND, OH - March 15, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- County Prosecutor Bill Mason and the Cuyahoga County Mortgage Fraud Task Force operating under authorization of Ohio Attorney General and Ohio's Organized Crime Investigations Commission announced a 46 count indictment against Donna Sherman and her title company, Sherman Title Agency, located in Northfield, Ohio.

Jefferson City, MO - March 11, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- As serious discussions between the banking industry and the 50-state multigroup get underway in Washington, Attorney General Chris Koster said today that any settlement with the nation’s large banks should include substantial mortgage loss mitigation measures. Koster also said he is pleased that the fifty-state investigation into violations of law related to “robo-signing” has developed into a broad effort to stabilize the housing mortgage market.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - March 11, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Responding to widespread evidence of improper accounting, unwarranted fees, false documentation, and arbitrary foreclosure decisions, the 50 state Attorneys General are crafting a long-overdue plan to hold the mortgage servicing industry accountable. The plan would address accusations that banks and servicers have engaged in illegal and negligent servicing practices that have been a continued drag on the U.S. housing market and economy.

Washington D.C. - March 11, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) --Yesterday Rep. John Lewis spoke out on the floor to help save the American Dream for millions of families. Rep. John Lewis made this impassioned statement on the floor of the House yesterday in an effort to defeat this termination of support for people who need it the most. The U.S. House of Representatives was preparing to vote on the Emergency Mortgage Relief Program Termination Act (H.R. 836) and the FHA Refinance Program Termination Act (H.R. 830).

WASHINGTON, DC - March 11, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- HOPE NOW, the voluntary, private sector alliance of mortgage servicers, investors, mortgage insurers and non-profit counselors, released its January 2011 loan modification data, which shows that an estimated 101,000 homeowners received permanent, affordable loan modifications from mortgage servicers in the first month of the year.

WASHINGTON, DC - March 10, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) today introduced an amendment in the House Financial Services Committee to H.R. 839, "The HAMP Termination Act of 2011" sponsored by Patrick McHenry (R-NC), whose bill would abolish the “Housing Affordable Modification Program” which was established to assist three to four million homeowners in achieving mortgage modifications. The Maloney Amendment would extend the program to accommodate 500,000 more mortgages before it ends.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - March 10, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, U.S. Senators Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina) and Bob Corker (R-Tennessee), both members of the Senate Banking Committee, and Tom Coburn, M.D. (R-Oklahoma), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, introduced legislation to end the Housing Affordable Modification Program (HAMP).

WASHINGTON, D.C. - March 10, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, U.S. Senators Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina) and Bob Corker (R-Tennessee), both members of the Senate Banking Committee, and Tom Coburn, M.D. (R-Oklahoma), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, introduced legislation to end the Housing Affordable Modification Program (HAMP).

NEW YORK, N.Y. - March 10, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mortgage rates showed little change this week, with the benchmark conforming 30-year fixed mortgage rate now 5.04 percent, according to Bankrate.com's weekly national survey. The average 30-year fixed mortgage has an average of 0.42 discount and origination points.

McLean, VA - March 10, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Freddie Mac (OTC: FMCC) today released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®), which shows mortgage rates holding steady and below 5.0 percent.

March 10, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Earlier today in federal court in Minneapolis, two brothers pleaded guilty to orchestrating a $4 million mortgage fraud scheme that defrauded 24 area lenders. Baretta Dean Bork, age 35, of Mound, and Xavier Willis Bork, age 32, of Eden Prairie, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mortgage fraud through the use of wires and income tax refund fraud. The pleas were entered before United States District Court Judge Ann. D. Montgomery. The defendants were charged on January 31, 2011

WASHINGTON, DC - March 10, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Business Solutions, an American Bankers Association subsidiary, today announced that its Mortgage Solutions programs saved bankers over $27 million in 2010. The programs, designed to help community banks participate more successfully in the residential mortgage markets, were launched in 2001. Since that time, the banks have produced more than $160 billion in loans through the programs. In 2010, more than 1,000 ABA member banks elected to be a part of one or more of the 12 programs available through Mortgage Solutions.

NEWARK, NJ - March 9, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Office of the Attorney General and State Division of Consumer Affairs this week filed administrative actions against 11 unlicensed businesses offering “mortgage loan modification” services for homeowners in dire financial straits. State law requires that anyone providing these services in New Jersey be licensed as a Debt Adjuster by the Department of Banking and Insurance, or be otherwise authorized