Mortgage

McLean, VA - December 20, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Freddie Mac (OTC: FMCC) today instructed its servicers to delay initiating foreclosure for at least nine months for financially troubled service members who are released from active duty through the end of 2011 and have Freddie Mac-owned mortgages. Freddie Mac is one of the nation’s largest investors in conforming, conventional mortgages

JACKSONVILLE, FL—U.S. Attorney Robert E. O'Neill announces that a federal jury today found David Wesley Vickers (age 48, of Jacksonville) guilty of nineteen counts arising out of a mortgage fraud scheme, including conspiracy to commit mail, wire, and bank fraud. Vickers faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison for the conspiracy count and 20 years for each of the other counts. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

DALLAS, TX - December 17, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- MRG Document Technologies (MRG), a provider of mortgage document preparation software and compliance technology to banks, credit unions and other lenders nationwide, has developed the forms needed for compliance with upcoming 2011 regulations that mandate changes to both the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) and risk-based pricing disclosures. Both updates are meant to provide consumer clarification in regards to loan decisioning and final terms.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - December 17, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- On Thursday, December 16, 2010, the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) sent the attached letter to Ben Bernanke, Chairman, and Saundra Bernstein, Director, Consumer and Community Affairs Division, of the Federal Reserve, requesting written guidance to help the industry implement the Board’s final rule on loan originator compensation and steering published on September 24, 2010.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - December 17, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Federal Trade Commission staff has submitted comments to the Federal Reserve Board recommending ways the Board could strengthen the rules under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, which requires some mortgage lenders to collect and report loan data that the government uses to analyze whether they are complying with fair lending laws

Washington, DC - December 16, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- House Speaker-designate John Boehner (R-West Chester) issued the following statement in response to a report released by the Republican commissioners on the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission (FCIC) regarding the causes of the financial crisis:

NEW YORK, N.Y. - December 16, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mortgage rates soared again this week, with the average rate on the benchmark conforming 30-year fixed mortgage rate rising to 5 percent, according to Bankrate.com's weekly national survey. The average 30-year fixed mortgage has an average of 0.40 discount and origination points.

McLean, VA - December 16, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Freddie Mac (OTC: FMCC) today released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®), which found that both fixed- and short-term mortgage rates continued to rise this week. This was the fifth week in a row where fixed-rate mortgage rates were up

December 15, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- PREET BHARARA, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and JANICE K. FEDARCYK, the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation ("FBI"), announced charges against four defendants in a two-year scheme in which the defendants obtained fraudulent mortgages exceeding $3 million

WASHINGTON, D.C. - December 15, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) today released its Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending December 10, 2010. The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, decreased 2.3 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. On an unadjusted basis, the Index decreased 2.7 percent compared with the previous week.

McLean, VA - December 15, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Freddie Mac (OTC: FMCC) announced today that it will not issue a Reference Notes® security on December 15, 2010. The company’s 2010 Reference Notes calendar designates dates that it may use to announce the issuance of Reference Notes securiti

December 15, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- "ABA, along with other financial trade associations, filed an amicus brief yesterday in opposition to applying overtime regulations to most bank employees who originate residential mortgages. The amicus was filed in the case of Henry vs. Quicken Loans in the United States District Court of Eastern Michigan. "The amicus brief argues that the new Administrator's Interpretation marked a sudden and dramatic shift in the Dept. of Labor's position that is inconsistent with the regulations that it seeks to interpret, and that the sudden and dramatic reversal of course results in an unfair surprise to employers who have reasonably relied on the Dept. of Labor's prior interpretations.

WASHINGTON, DC - December 15, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Business Solutions, a subsidiary of the American Bankers Association, has entered into an exclusive two-year arrangement with U.S. Bank Home Mortgage that will provide member banks with a competitively-priced outlet for the sale of wholesale loans

VIENNA, VA - December 14, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) today released two mortgage fraud reports entitled Mortgage Loan Fraud SAR Filings, which together cover the first six months of 2010; one report covers January through March 2010, and the other covers April through June 2010.

WASHINGTON, DC - December 14, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congressman Randy Neugebauer (R-TX), House Financial Services Oversight Subcommittee Chairman, released the following statement today regarding his December 13, 2010 letter to FHFA Director DeMarco

December 14, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- NRMLA, last week, published independent research showing high levels of satisfaction among seniors with reverse mortgages and equally positive numbers indicating borrowers understood the transaction they were getting into and felt no pressure getting a loan.

Washington, DC - December 14, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The level of commercial/multifamily mortgage debt outstanding decreased in the third quarter, to $3.2 trillion, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) analysis of the Federal Reserve Board Flow of Funds data.

WASHINGTON, DC - December 14, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Independent mortgage banks and subsidiaries made an average profit of $1,423 on each loan they originated in the third quarter of 2010, up from $917 per loan in the second quarter of 2010, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA)’s 3rd Quarter 2010 Mortgage Bankers Performance Report released today.

MILFORD, CT - December 14, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Hartford National Title, Inc., a leading provider of national title and closing services, announced today that in order to accommodate its rapid growth and expanding clientele it has moved its headquarters to a larger, state-of-the-art office facility located at 344 West Main Street Milford, CT

December 10, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Two mortgage brokers and one real estate appraiser were indicted yesterday in federal court in St. Paul for allegedly orchestrating a mortgage fraud scheme in which they induced lenders to loan more than $1 million to purchasers to buy properties at inflated prices. The excess money was then shared among those involved in the scheme.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - December 10, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Department of Justice $2 million settlement with PrimeLending spotlights serious problems on loans insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). The case found inconsistent and abusive pricing on loans to African-American borrowers, revealing that it’s far too easy for lenders making government-backed loans to overcharge home buyers.

Las Vegas, NV - December 9, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Last week, The Myers Team officially announced the addition of Deanna Collins to their team of Nevada Short Sale Experts. Ms. Collins was named an "authorized short sale lender" by Francoise Myers, owner of The Myers Team.

McLean, VA - December 9, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Freddie Mac (OTC: FMCC) today released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®), which found that once again, both fixed- and short-term mortgage rates rose this week. This was the fourth week in a row where fixed-rate mortgage rates were up.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - December 9, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Michael D. Berman, CMB, Chairman of the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) and John A. Courson, MBA's President and CEO, announced today the MBA has assembled a task force of key MBA members to examine and issue recommendations for the future of residential mortgage servicing. The Council on Residential Mortgage Servicing for the 21st Century will be led by Debra W. Still, CMB, President and Chief Executive Officer of Pulte Mortgage LLC of Englewood, CO and MBA's Vice Chairman.

WASHINGTON, DC - December 9, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced today that it is launching multiple investigations into the practices of certain mortgage lenders to determine if their home loan policies illegally deny qualified African American and Latino borrowers access to credit.

WASHINGTON, DC - December 8, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- PrimeLending, a national mortgage lender with 168 offices in 32 states at the end of 2009, has agreed to pay $2 million to resolve allegations that it engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination against African-American borrowers between 2006 and 2009.

WASHINGTON, DC - December 8, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- HOPE NOW, the private sector alliance of mortgage servicers, investors, mortgage insurers and non-profit counselors, released its October 2010 survey data today which estimates the industry completed more than 1.54 million permanent loan modifications for at-risk homeowners from January through October 2010.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - December 8, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) today released its Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending December 3, 2010. The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, decreased 0.9 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. On an unadjusted basis, the Index increased 22.8 percent compared with the previous week, which included the Thanksgiving Holiday.

MISSION VIEJO, CA - December 7, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Hammerhouse LLC, an expanding national recruiting and strategic growth firm for the financial services industry with mortgage sales and leadership placement at its core, announced today that Managing Director, Drew Waterhouse was named to National Mortgage Professional Magazine’s 2010 list of the top “40 Most Influential Mortgage Professionals Under 40.” National Mortgage Professional is one of the mortgage industry’s leading media trade outlets with a monthly print magazine, online news site and daily news distribution services through NMP Daily and Mortgage News Ticker.

NORFOLK, VA - December 7, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Shanita Lacy, age 34, of Chesapeake, Virginia, pleaded guilty today in Norfolk federal court to conspiring to commit mail and wire fraud in connection with a scheme to fraudulently obtain home mortgages