Comptroller of the Currency John C. Dugan recently toured two Dallas neighborhoods where low- and moderate-income homebuyers are being given affordable opportunities to own a home. Dugan described one of these neighborhoods in South Dallas as being hit hard by foreclosures.

Waltham, Massachusetts-based Pro-Teck Services recently issued a statement endorsing the Broker Price Opinion (BPO) Standards and Guidelines (BPOSG) introduced by the BPO Standards Board late last month.

Scottsdale, Arizona-based National Short Sale Center says more than 50 percent of the homeowners it is working with to secure short sales have been approached by circumspect individuals or companies proffering fraudulent foreclosure rescue services.

New York Gov. David A. Paterson has proposed legislation that would build upon the state’s subprime lending reform law enacted last year. The measure centers on providing additional protections for homeowners and tenants, establishing safeguards against foreclosure rescue scams, and preventing urban blight caused by foreclosed homes.

Federal regulators completed unprecedented stress tests of the largest banks’ balance sheets last month, and found that 10 of the 19 institutions screened had enough capital on hand to not only sustain lending in the current environment, but could continue lending even if economic conditions worsen.

The U.S. Federal Reserve’s plan to buy up mortgage-backed securities (MBS) has proven to be a high-ticket project. According to a recent Wall Street Journal:http://www.wsjonline.com report, which cited analysis by JP Morgan Chase, the Fed is underwater on its MBS portfolio by about one percent, and it would have to take approximately $5 billion in losses if it were to mark its portfolio to the market.

New York-based NewOak Capital has announced the appointment of Shad Quraishi as vice chairman and head of business development and strategy for its integrated advisory, asset management, and capital markets businesses.

Denver, Colorado-based Integrated Asset Services, LLC (IAS) says its latest study on home prices indicates some return to normalcy in markets that have been hit hardest by the housing downturn. The company’s IAS360 House Price Index for April reflects the first non-declining numbers in 10 months.

Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco has begun acquiring bank-owned homes as part of its new Neighborhood Revitalization Program. The nonprofit organization says its program is the first of its kind to combat the foreclosure crisis in the San Francisco Bay Area.

A new mortgage insurer in Radnor, Pennsylvania, has secured $500 million in equity funding from a group of financial services investors. Essent US Holdings, Inc. said its parent company, Essent Group Ltd.