The federal government's Cash for Clunkers auto program ended on August 24, but a similar stimulus program for the housing industry has just been established by a Cincinnati-based short sale company.

San Diego-based MDA DataQuick, a division of MDA Lending Solutions in Delaware, announced Tuesday the expansion of its loss mitigation tools to include Collateral Monitor for portfolio management, review, acquisition, or sale.

The U.S. Department of Justice has asked a federal judge to stop New York-based Lend America from issuing mortgages insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA).

Just as the industry steps up efforts to convince Washington to extend the $8,000 federal tax break for first-time homebuyers, news has surfaced that the housing stimulus program could be fraught with fraud.

Banks booked some gains on formerly toxic assets in the third quarter as values improved, but uncertainties about underlying assets remain.

A surprising surge in housing activity helped push up home prices nationwide during September, according to the latest Campbell/Inside Mortgage Finance Monthly Survey of Real Estate Market Conditions released Monday.

Loan originators are recouping nearly 60 percent of what they're owed on foreclosed commercial real estate, according to an analysis by Real Capital Analytics (RCA).

First American CoreLogic:http://www.facorelogic.com, headquartered in Santa Ana, California, has introduced a free service that provides real estate and mortgage professionals as well as homeowners with updates on the value of their property, recent sales, price trends, neighborhood foreclosure activity, and public record filings.

Breaking from the norm that has prevailed for most of the year, there's only one bank failure to report on this week San Joaquin Bank in Bakersfield, California.

BB&T Corporation announced Monday that it recorded ""$157 million in net income"":http://bbt.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=766 for the third quarter, or $.23 per diluted common share.