ViewPoint Bank, based in Plano, Texas, announced Monday that it has appointed long-time Dallas mortgage banker Ed Bratton as president and CEO of its mortgage subsidiary ViewPoint Bankers Mortgage. Bratton will bring over 25 years of North Texas mortgage banking expertise to his new position.

In an announcement Tuesday, Freddie Mac said its Conventional Mortgage Home Price Index (CMHPI) purchase-only series registered a 0.9 percent quarterly gain during the third quarter of 2009 for the United States.

The third quarter 2009 data submitted by Maine-chartered banks and credit unions shows a continuing modest increase in home foreclosures, Lloyd P. LaFountain III, superintendent of the Bureau of Financial Institutions, announced Tuesday. On a positive note, foreclosure activity in Maine appears to be lower than in many other states and does not pose a threat to the stability of Maine-chartered financial institutions, according to the Bureau’s report.

In an announcement Tuesday, the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC) said the government-sponsored Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) is not working.

On Monday, the State Regulatory Registry (SRR), a limited-liability corporation owned and operated by the Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS), announced the creation of the Mortgage Testing and Education Board (MTEB).

On Tuesday, Brookstreet Securities Corporation in Irvine, California and its president and CEO Stanley C. Brooks were charged with fraud by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for systematically selling risky mortgage-backed securities to customers with conservative investment goals.

The ever present pattern of decreasing rates for 30-year fixed mortgages has come to a halt.

Foreclosure sales activity is still going strong according to Real Estate Disposition Corporation (REDC), a real estate auction house based in Irvine, California. The company reported Monday that $68.8 million was generated from foreclosed property purchased this past weekend via live and online auctions.

In an effort to help brokers and correspondents place appraisal requests without concern for violating disclosure timeframes of the Truth in Lending Act (TILA), StreetLinks National Appraisal Services has announced TILA-Trigger, a technology solution that ensures lenders are in compliance with the new TILA disclosure regulation.

In November, fewer sellers in 27 major markets across the nation reduced home prices, and those who did reduced prices less in November than in October, according to a recent report by ZipRealty, a national real estate brokerage in Emeryville, California. As price reductions slowed, the overall average list price in these markets slightly declined.