Counsel's Corner is an ongoing series in which DS News talks with default servicing attorneys around the country about the most pressing issues facing the default servicing industry. This installment features Debbie K. Hoffman, Chief Legal Officer with Florida-based Digital Risk.

The U.S. Department of Treasury has priced auctions of preferred Capital Purchase Program (CPP) stock for five institutions as part of the government's strategy to wind down the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) and recover remaining CPP investments, according to an announcement from Treasury.

One of the reasons why Ocwen expressed surprise and disappointment at S&P's decision to downgrade its rankings was the recognition the servicer received from Moody's earlier this month, which were prompted largely by sales of nearly $100 billion in Agency mortgage servicing rights portfolios this year.

During his testimony this week before the full House Financial Services Committee, U.S. Department of Treasury Secretary Jack Lew stated when asked about GSEs and the conservatorship that the system should be restructured, but the time was not right for the conservatorship to end. Lew was testifying before the House Financial Services Committee on the 2015 Annual Report of the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC).

The market capacity for existing-home sales increased by 0.3 percent month-over-month and 12.5 percent year-over-year in May, while rising interest rates and a slight jump in unemployment countered equity-enhancing home price appreciation, according to First American.

"Given the strength of the housing market in most urban and suburban areas, and the connection many make to home prices and a strong economy, it's not too surprising that people living in those areas have a more positive economic outlook as reported by our survey," said Doug Robinson of NeighborWorks.

Non-foreclosure solutions continued to outpace completed foreclosures by a rate of approximately five to one in April while serious delinquencies continued their steady decline, according to data released on Wednesday by HOPE NOW, an industry-created private sector alliance of mortgage ...

Menendez's bill seeks to help both homeowners and lenders. In exchange for reducing the amount of principal owed, banks would be entitled to a portion of any future increase in value the home might experience. This gives the underwater homeowners relief on their mortgages while banks take a short-term reduction in exchange for a long-term gain pending the housing market recovery.

Also on Wednesday, the OCC announced that it has terminated foreclosure-related consent orders against three national mortgage servicers that have met the consent order requirements and imposed business restrictions on six banks that have not met the requirements. The six institutions that the OCC determined have not met all the requirements of the IFR were (alphabetically) Everbank, HSBC Bank USA, JPMorgan Chase Bank, Santander Bank, U.S. Bank, and Wells Fargo, and therefore the OCC issued orders to restrict their business activities.

The study found that only about 18 percent, or 1.3 million, out of the 7 million impacted consumers had recovered enough by December 2014 to meet agency credit underwriting guidelines. The study also determined, however, that 2.2 million of the remaining 5.7 million consumers could potentially meet those underwriting guidelines over the next five years.