The podcast, titled From the Bar: Inside Compliance with Roger Fendelman, will focus on the industry's toughest compliance issues. The program is meant to explain rulemaking by the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and to answer concerns that lenders have had.

PHH Corporation announced Monday that David E. Tucker has been appointed president of PHH Mortgage Corporation, a service and mortgage origination subsidiary of PHH. Tucker is succeeding Smriti Laxman Popenoe, PHH Mortgage's interim president since March 2012.

Stearns Lending, Inc., announced Tuesday that Gary B. Fabian has joined the company as its CFO.

Mortgage Contracting Services LLC (MCS) announced Tuesday the completion of its Type 2 SSAE No. 16 and SOC 3 examinations.

The report, put together by IHS U.S. Regional Economist Steven Frable, stated that Alaska, North Dakota, Texas, and Louisiana have all reached or passed their prerecession employment levels, with Alaska and North Dakota reporting peak employment in 2010-11. These four states are also experiencing the most benefits from the current energy boom. Many other states have bounced almost all the way back, coming within 1 percent of their employment peaks.

Memphis Invest announced Monday that it has sold 229 homes to out-of-town, independent investors since January in a run-up to a recent investor weekend. Memphis Invest hosted the investor weekend May 11-13 in order to showcase local single-family rental properties and to demonstrate Memphis' strengths as a rental market.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency closed down Alabama Trust Bank, National Association, of Sycalaugua, Alabama over the weekend, marking the first Alabama bank failure and the 24th national failure this year.

According to a survey conducted by Money Management International, struggling homeowners are reluctant to seek professional mortgage relief help. The survey found that half of respondents would first seek help from a family member or friend.

Rogers Townsend & Thomas, PC, has announced the election of Matthew T. McKee as a shareholder.

Gerner & Kearns, Co., L.P.A. announced recently that Michael Lubes has been appointed as an associate in the firm's Collections Practice Group.