Celink, a reverse mortgage subservicer, has implemented a single point of contact (SPOC) module for its clients' borrowers who are in default status. The company's servicing platform auto-assigns a borrower in default to a Celink associate. This associate works exclusively with the borrower until they remedy the default. They will remain the borrower's SPOC through the remediation or foreclosure process. Celink SPOCs are only assigned to a small number of accounts so that associates can provide personalized service.

Mortgage servicers completed 56,000 permanent loan modifications through their own proprietary assistance programs during the month of July, according to figures released Wednesday by HOPE NOW. July's tally represents an 11 percent increase over the 50,000 proprietary mods reported in June. At the same time, foreclosure sales fell by 11 percent month-to-month and newly initiated foreclosure actions slipped 5 percent. HOPE NOW also found that the redefault rate for proprietary modifications is 20 percent.

HOPE LoanPort recently announced that the organization has now registered over 3,000 HUD-certified, nonprofit housing counselors in a little over a year of full operation. Counselors from more than 630 organizations in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico are now using the system to assist struggling homeowners. HOPE LoanPort is also upgrading its technology to comply with the Federal Housing Finance Agency's new guidelines for managing the GSEs' delinquent loans.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is the second regulatory body to file a petition with the New York federal court that is reviewing Bank of America's $8.5 billion settlement proposal to Countrywide mortgage investors. FHFA has filed a Notice of Appearance and Conditional Objection in order to obtain additional information related to the proposal, but the agency says it sees ""no basis"" to raise a substantive objection to the settlement at this time.

WFG National Title Insurance Company has appointed Barry Owens as its new SVP and national sales manager within the firm's default services division. He is charged with growing the company's market for all default-related services and products, including owners and encumbrances reports, trustee sale guarantee and trustee work, and default title and escrow services. The company has also added Wendy Lunt to its ranks as VP of sales and marketing for its newly acquired Puget Sound division, serving the region that includes the Seattle and Tacoma, Washington markets.

The average mortgage loan in foreclosure has been delinquent for 599 days, according to Lender Processing Services (LPS). That's a record for the company's regular monthly study on mortgage performance trends. As of the end of July, LPS counted 2.2 million loans that were in foreclosure and nearly 1.9 million that were over 90 days past due but had not yet started the foreclosure process. The company also found that 38 percent of July's foreclosure starts were repeat foreclosures.

The National Association of Mortgage Field Services (NAMFS) has teamed up with the REO property preservation firm Field Asset Services, Inc. to provide its members with information on local code enforcement officials and homeowners association (HOA) contacts. The organization's database contains approximately 12,000 code officials and 2,500 HOA contacts nationwide and has been tied to interactive search tools available via the NAMFS website.

Home prices increased 3.6 percent over the second quarter of this year, after having fallen 4.1 percent in the first quarter, according to the latest S&P/Case Shiller index. With the second quarter's data, the national index reading recovered from the double-dip cyclical low hit at the end of the first quarter, but still posted an annual decline of 5.9 percent when compared to the second quarter of 2010. Nationally, home prices are back to their early 2003 levels, according to Standard & Poor's.

CoreLogic's board of directors is looking into various strategies to enhance shareholder value, including the possibility of selling the company. CoreLogic said Monday that its board has formed a committee of independent directors to explore a wide range of options to improve the position of its shareholders, which could take the form of cost savings initiatives, repurchases of debt and common stock, the disposition of certain business lines, or the potential sale of the company or a strategic business merger.

GCC Servicing Systems, a provider of mortgage servicing technology and solutions, has announced the availability of a new investor accounting and reporting component through the company's professional services suite. This new offering enables servicers to meet the accounting and reporting requirements of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), and the USDA's Rural and Community Development loan program. It also agency default reporting.