Varolii Corporation announced a new product to alleviate costs and streamline new processes servicers will have to adopt under the Single Point of Contact regulation requirements for all HAMP modifications. Varolii estimates its product will reduce servicer staffing requirements by 15 percent, while increasing borrower contact by 17 percent. The Varolii SPOC Mortgage Servicing Solution routes calls to the appropriate agents and incorporates borrowers' communication preferences.

An independent study conducted by Promontory Financial Group concludes that significantly more insured mortgages have survived the housing crisis than loans with ""piggyback"" second mortgages, which has been the most prevalent alternative to the use of mortgage insurance for the past decade. The study examined almost 5.7 million mortgages originated between 2003 and 2007. Compared with insured, low downpayment mortgages, loans with piggyback second mortgages were almost 21 percent more likely to go into default.

The Five Star Institute has announced a partnership with Fannie Mae to educate real estate agents on Fannie Mae's Short Sale Assistance Desk (SSAD). Fannie Mae's SSAD helps expedite the process by allowing real estate agents to reach out to the GSE directly for short sale approval of first-lien, Fannie Mae-backed loans. Agents can access the appropriate forms through multiple listing services. With 107,953 short sales in 2010, such transactions continue in significant numbers this year - 35,406 as of April, according to a federal report.

A Sacramento, California citizen has proposed an amendment to the California Constitution that would outlaw foreclosures. On claims that lending institutions have failed to provide a simple method of foreclosure prevention, David A. Benson's Foreclosure Modification Act would require lenders to provide principal reductions and interest rate reductions to help borrowers keep their homes. His proposal has already been cleared by the Secretary of State and now requires 807,615 signatures to make it onto the ballot.

At a Senate subcommittee hearing Tuesday, industry leaders voiced opinions on the creation of national mortgage servicing standards. While there was support for such a move on the grounds that it would protect homeowners and improve customer experience, witnesses expressed a variety of concerns, including the possibility of further complicating already complex standards from a variety of authorities; creating undue hardships for community banks; and negatively impacting responsible homeowners.

Consumers' overall satisfaction with primary mortgage servicers has decreased significantly since 2010, according to the results of a study released by J.D. Power and Associates Monday. Overall satisfaction fell from 747 in 2010 to 718 in 2011. J.D. Power and Associates measures customer satisfaction on a 1,000-point scale, taking four areas of servicing into consideration: billing and payment process; escrow account administration, phone contact, and website. A decline was present in all areas.

Short-sale disputes were designated as the most significant legal issue facing real estate professionals, according to a recent study by the National Association of Realtors. Almost 55 percent of survey respondents listed short sales as the cause of ""a significant number of disputes."" REO-related issues also ranked high on the legal barometer. NAR conducts its ""legal scan"" study every two years, combining legal data and research with survey results from key industry participants.

The Federal Housing Administration's (FHA) Mortgagee Review Board has announced sanctions against 240 FHA-approved lenders. The federal agency says these lenders failed to meet its underwriting requirements for home loans, which are designed to minimize the risk of default. Actions taken against the 240 lenders include reprimands, probations, suspensions, and civil money penalties. In addition, some lenders will have their FHA-approval revoked.

RE/MAX ranked highest for customer satisfaction among both buyers and sellers in J.D. Power and Associates 2011 Home Buyer/Seller Study released this week. On a 1,000-point scale, home buyers rated RE/MAX 805, while home sellers gave the company a rating of 791. Overall satisfaction among home sellers increased from 2010, up to 779 from 742. Overall satisfaction among homebuyers was 797, a slight decrease of six points since the 2010 J.D. Power study.

A recent report by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy found that delinquency and foreclosure rates among owner-occupants living in homes in Community Land Trusts (CLT) were consistently lower than overall market numbers. While 1.3 percent of CLT homeowners were seriously delinquent at the end of 2010, 8.57 percent of homeowners nationwide were seriously delinquent. CLTs are a type of shared equity homeownership -- a resale-restricted housing model designed to help low- to moderate-income families achieve homeownership.