Leaders from a number of housing industry groups flocked to Capitol Hill on Wednesday to weigh in on how mortgage financing giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac should be structured. The two GSEs own or guarantee 56 percent, or $5.

Minneapolis-based Wolters Kluwer Financial Services announced on Tuesday that it has named Ed DiRocco VP of sales for the company’s PCi compliance analytics and GainsKeeper solutions. Wolters Kluwer Financial Services provides regulatory intelligence, policy and process management, and oversight to help financial services organizations and the mortgage lending industry address compliance needs.

For the first quarter of 2009, only six states saw an increase in home sales, and Florida was among the lucky few. According to Central Florida real estate agent Amy Ruff thanks to the lower price entry for quality homes and the $8,000 tax rebate for new homebuyers, it looks like buyers are making their way back into the market to snap up extraordinary deals on Central Florida homes.

Sales of single-family homes and condominiums in Connecticut fell by double-digit percentages in April, according to a new report released today by the New England real estate research firm The Warren Group.

Freddie Mac’s HomeSteps REO sales unit has renewed its agreement with Vendor Resource Management (VRM), an REO disposition provider headquartered in Irving, Texas, and a subsidiary of the national real estate valuation company PCV Murcor.

As foreclosure numbers across the country continue to climb and temperatures heat up, the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), headquartered in Fairfax, Virginia, is reminding homeowners and the industry to remain vigilant of an ancillary issue stemming from continued increases in vacated homes – potential mosquito infestations in the summer months, especially in and around those foreclosed properties with backyard pools.

Bethesda, Maryland-based Overture Technologies announced on Tuesday that its board of directors has appointed Russ Carlson as CEO. Company founder, Bill Kelvie, has transitioned out of the chief executive position and will serve as chairman of Overture’s board.

Clark Street Capital, a Chicago-based provider of asset management and advisory services, announced on Monday the launch of its Bank Asset Network. The company says the online portal is the first buyer-centric database of its kind offering a secure, tailored venue for the investing public to purchase REO properties.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has initiated rulemaking proceedings to address loan modifications and mortgage servicing. The agency’s Mortgage Assistance Relief Services rulemaking addresses the proliferation of loan modification and foreclosure rescue services in the current economy.

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) laid out the details of a new policy Mortgagee Letter 2009-15 ] on Friday that will allow first-time homebuyers to apply the $8,000 federal tax credit toward the purchase costs of an FHA-insured home.