Rogers Townsend & Thomas, PC announced one of its attorneys was appointed to the Lawyers Fund for Client Protection Committee. Michael Morris was selected to serve on the committee for a term that expires November 1, 2017. The committee, which was established by the South Carolina Supreme Court, reimburses clients for money or property mishandled by members of the South Carolina Bar.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced Friday it's granting more time for the industry to implement new mortgage disclosures required under Dodd-Frank and the Consumer Protection Act. The extension was provided ""in order to allow a more seamless integration with other mortgage disclosures that have been proposed by the Bureau,"" the CFPB said in a statement.

In October, home prices and sales increased compared to 2011 levels, while inventory remained a concern, RE/MAX revealed in a recent report. The median sales price in October 2012 stood at $158,900, a 3.7 percent decrease from September but a 2.1 percent increase from October 2011. Home sales managed to post increases both yearly and monthly in October, which RE/MAX says is ""an impressive performance since seasonal patterns typically see a slight drop from September to October.""

Agents who sell HomeSteps homes, or Freddie Mac-owned residences, are eligible for winter bonuses. Freddie Mac announced it will pay a $1,000 bonus to a selling agent and $500 to listing agents as part of a winter promotion. The promotion lasts until February 28, 2013 and is applicable in 20 states. HomeSteps.com is the official site for GSE’s REOs.

An industry veteran joined Equator to lead as VP of certification. Ashley Bean was selected for the position and is tasked with overseeing training, certification, and marketing programs for real estate agents.

Since the IRS will soon allow electronic signatures on Form 4506-T, Equifax announced it has enhanced proprietary verifications services in anticipation of the change.

Based on the stronger performance of the consumer distress index, CredAbility said the ""stage of strong holiday spending"" may be set. With a score below 70 indicating a state of financial distress, the distress index sat higher at 70.5 out of 100 in the third quarter. In the second quarter, the index was also above 70 at 71.3. For the first time since early 2008, the credit counseling agency says consumers have managed to stay out of financial distress for two consecutive quarters.

In the third quarter of this year, negative equity slipped further and now represents less than 30 percent of homeowners with a mortgage, Zillow revealed Thursday. According to a negative equity report, 28.2 percent of all homeowners with a mortgage remain underwater, a decrease from 30.9 percent in the second quarter. The 28.2 percent translates into about 14 million U.S. homeowners who owe more on their mortgage than their home's value.

The foreclosure inventory rate fell to 4.07 percent in Q3 to the lowest level since the first quarter of 2009, according to the latest delinquency survey from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). In addition, the national delinquency declined to 7.40 percent, and the serious delinquency rate fell to 7.03 percent. In a commentary, Capital Economics suggested the combination of fewer homes in foreclosure and seriously delinquent loans points to a decline in shadow inventory.

WFG National Title Insurance Company (WFG National Title) selected Rick Diamond as its VP of IT for agency operations. Diamond brings 24 years of industry experience to the company. In his new role, Diamond will oversee all IT initiatives in the company's agency operations nationwide.