Jerry E. Held and Stephen G. Collins, shareholders with the law firm of Sirote & Permutt P.C., have been selected for inclusion in the 2012 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Held was recognized for mortgage banking foreclosure law and real estate law, and Collins was recognized for mortgage banking foreclosure law. Selection is based on more than 3.9 million attorney peer evaluations.

The nation's unemployment rate fell to 8.6 percent during the month of November, as employers added 120,000 new jobs to their payrolls, the U.S. Department of Labor said Friday. By the government's calculations, the unemployment rate declined by 0.4 percentage point from 9.0 percent reported in October to hit its lowest level since March of 2009. Employment assessments for both October and September were revised upward. Analysts were expecting the economy to add 125,000 new jobs last month, but the rate to hold at 9.0 percent.

BOK Financial Mortgage Group announced Thursday that it is now accepting applications for the recently extended and expanded Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP). The program applies to homeowners who currently have a Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae mortgage and who meet certain other eligibility criteria. HARP 2.0 is designed to help borrowers, including those who owe more than their home's value, to take advantage of low interest rates and other refinancing benefits.

Data released by Lender Processing Services (LPS) Thursday shows mortgage delinquencies are continuing to decline, now nearly 30 percent below their January 2010 peak. Loans in the process of foreclosure, on the other hand, are steadily rising. LPS says foreclosure inventories reached an all-time high at the end of October, making up 4.29 percent of all active mortgages. The average days delinquent for loans in foreclosure extended as well during the month, setting a new record of 631 days since last payment.

Disenchanted with the lack of progress made after a year of negotiations between state attorneys general and the nation's five largest mortgage servicers, Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley has split from the pack and filed her own individual lawsuit. Coakley is suing Bank of America, Wells Fargo, JP Morgan Chase, Citi, and GMAC for what she says were ""illegal foreclosures."" The suit also names Mortgage Electronic Registration System, Inc. (MERS) and its parent company as defendants.

Juan Martinez is currently a member of the board of directors for the National REO Brokers Association (NRBA). In addition to his duties and participation with the NRBA, Martinez has also held several leadership roles with the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP). He was recently appointed to serve as vice chairman for NAHREP and 2012 president-elect.

Fixed mortgage rate averages remain near their all-time historic lows, fortifying high levels of homebuyer affordability throughout the country. Freddie Mac reported Thursday that the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage has averaged at or below 4.00 percent for five consecutive weeks now, while the 15-year fixed has hovered around 3.30 percent. Adjustable-rate mortgages ticked down slightly this week, averaging new record lows for the second straight week.

The Federal Reserve released a new market-gauging rendition of its Beige Book Wednesday. The publication recounts signs of slow to moderate economic growth across 11 of the 12 Fed districts. The St. Louis district was the lone dissenter, reporting a decline in economic activity. Residential real estate activity overall was described as ""sluggish,"" while commercial real estate activity was depicted as ""lackluster"" across most of the nation. Mortgage refinancing, however, was said to have grown at a rapid pace.

In conjunction with the changes to the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure (FRBP) which go into effect on December 1, Fiserv, Inc. announced Wednesday that its LoanServ solution offers the capabilities to help ensure mortgage servicers remain compliant amidst evolving regulations. The rules amend the procedures and policies for servicing loans in bankruptcy and aim to enhance transparency in the process. FRBP governs the filing of proofs of claim and notice issues related to payment changes, post-petition fees, and other accuracy checks related to servicer actions.

The mortgage banking law firm of Butler and Hosch, P.A. has announced the appointments of Christopher L. Carman as managing attorney, Shawn Berry as litigation attorney, and Brian Gensler as SVP of vendor relations. Butler and Hosch offers representation in the states of Florida, Georgia, Texas, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Mississippi. The firm's range of mortgage banking legal services include loss mitigation, foreclosure, eviction, and bankruptcy.