Paul A. Welcome, county appraiser of Johnson County, Kansas, has been elected to serve as the chairman of the board of trustees of The Appraisal Foundation, commencing January 1, 2009. The Appraisal Foundation board of trustees is responsible for appointing members to the Appraiser Qualifications Board (AQB) and the Appraisal Standards Board (ASB).

Fidelity National Financial, Inc. has terminated the previously announced deal to acquire LandAmerica Financial Group, Inc., the two companies said late Friday evening. Under the original merger agreement , Fidelity had sole discretion to terminate on or before November 21, pending due diligence review.

Fannie Mae (NYSE: FNM) and Freddie Mac (NYSE: FRE) both reported they have been notified by the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) that they have failed to satisfy one of the NYSE’s standards for continued listing of common stock.

Real Estate Disposition Corporation, LLC (REDC), a national real estate auction company, recently announced that it sold 713 homes for $68.3 million at its auctions in Arizona and Minnesota. Those auction results bring REDC’s 2008 production to 16,454 foreclosed homes sold for $2.

Titanium Holdings, Inc. today announced the addition of Tamara Buie and Michael Radesky to its management team. Titanium Holdings, Inc. is the parent company of Titanium Solutions, Inc., a provider of homeowner contacting and consulting services.

Wilmington, Delaware-based ING DIRECT, a national direct bank, announced today that effective immediately, it will suspend foreclosure sales on occupied single-family properties through the end of March 2009.

Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell is proposing a six-month suspension on all residential foreclosures in the state, as well as protection for some tenants whose landlords are in foreclosure, the governor’s office announced this week.

The Senate Judiciary Committee examined a proposal to alter federal laws this week, which would allow the courts to modify mortgage terms for homeowners filing for bankruptcy. The bill, sponsored by Senator Richard Durbin, would make it possible for bankruptcy judges to independently reduce mortgage debt and allow bankrupt homeowners to keep their homes.

REOMAC, a not-for-profit trade association serving the mortgage default industry nationwide, recently awarded more than 61 college scholarships valued at more than $56,000. Scholarship recipients attend higher education institutions from across the United States.

An estimated 42,293 houses and condos – including both existing and new – were sold in California last month, according to the latest report from research firm MDA DataQuick. That figure is up 4.