In an effort to create a more consumer-friendly environment, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has announced a new pilot program, centered specifically on gathering data from partners using electronic closings (eClosings) to complete mortgages.

VRM Mortgage Services, a real estate solution provider focused on helping financial institutions adapt and excel, announced that Brandon Kirkham has been named SVP of Operations Support. Kirkham will be responsible for managing resources, as well as developing strategies to support VRM's operations.

Collateral Risk Solutions (CRS) has launched its new Desktop Evaluation Service, providing a response to demand from lenders for a reliable and economic alternative to field appraisals. According to CEO Joel Meredith, the new technology offering was designed to provide a USPAP compliant appraisal option for home equity lines of credit, loss mitigation, and quality control that meets all inter-agency evaluation and appraisal guidelines.

According to RealtyTrac's latest Residential and Foreclosure Sales Report for March and Q1 2014, U.S. residential properties sold at an estimated annual pace of roughly 5.2 million homes in March, a .4 percent increase from February, and up 8 percent from the previous year.

The Securites and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed fraud charges against a former Florida-based stock promoter, Robert J. Vitale, who is currently serving a two-year prison term for lying to SEC investigators. The SEC's complaint alleges Vitale defrauded investors in a Florida real estate venture, sold unregistered securities, and acted as an unregistered broker-dealer.

PCV Murcor, a provider of real estate valuations for the mortgage industry's lenders, servicers, and insurers, has joined the Shared Assessments Program. The member-drive industry body aims to create standardization, consistency, efficiency, and cost savings in the vendor risk management process.

In a letter sent Monday to Ocwen Financial Corporation's General Counsel Timothy Hayes, New York State Department of Financial Service’s (NYSDFS) superintendent Benjamin Lawsky questioned the financial giant on business dealings related to a relationship between Ocwen and Altisource Portfolio Solutions.

VRM Mortgage Services, a real estate solutions provider focused on helping financial institutions adapt and excel, announced that COO Cheryl Travis-Johnson will take part as a featured panelist on the "Breaking Thru the Iron Ceiling" panel. The panel is a part of this year's Women in Diversified Services (WinDS) Real Estate and Finance Fusion Conference in Henderson, Nevada.

Lenderlive Network Inc., an end-to-end mortgage services provider, announced that Claire Rhodes has joined the firm as regional account executive covering the northeast region for the company’s Correspondent Lending division. Rhodes will work with current and prospective clients, community banks, credit unions, and mortgage banks.

Delinquency and foreclosures rates have declined to levels not seen since October 2007 and 2008, respectively, according to Black Knight Financial Services "First Look" at March Mortgage Data. The company’s Data and Analytics division reported that the share of loans in foreclosure was down nearly 37 percent year-over-year.