Hunt Leibert & Jacobson, P.C. announced Tuesday that one of its partners, Richard M. Leibert, was selected for inclusion in the 2013 edition of The Best Lawyers in America in the field of mortgage banking foreclosure law.

An Arkansas judge dismissed a recording fee suit filed against Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., (MERS) by a Hot Spring County circuit clerk, MERSCORP announced Tuesday.

Safeguard Properties announced several appointments and a promotion within its executive and management teams.

According to the GSE's most recent Economic Outlook report, downside risks such as the European debt crisis, the fast-approaching fiscal cliff, and the recent slowdown in hiring have created a drag on the second quarter's modest economic growth. In addition, the summer drought is expected to compound the current slump, with food and agricultural prices rising. With gas prices also on the rise, headline inflation is expected to pick up, stifling consumer spending and possibly affecting consumer attitudes for the rest of the year.

The bank's Economics Group issued a special commentary in its Housing Data Wrap-Up for August 2012, examining the potential effects (or lack thereof) the Fed's new plan may have on housing and updating its forecast for the market. The Fed's influence should put downward pressure on long-term interest rates, but Wells Fargo says the benefits from such a move will be modest at best, citing already-low mortgage rates. The bigger issue at hand is the ""fiscal cliff,"" which has led to a slowdown in hiring and turned back gains in consumer confidence.

July saw a drop in foreclosure activity in the Bay State, The Warren Group reported Monday. The group released its July 2012 Foreclosure Data for the state, showing that a total of 1,198 foreclosures were initiated in July the lowest monthly level recorded so far in 2012.

As part of its ongoing series on economic issues in this year's election swing states, IHS Global Insight released a report on the Centennial State: Colorado. The report revealed that addressing housing and the economy in the state may not be the best tack for either major party candidate to take, as Coloradans have relatively little to worry about on both counts.

MISMO, a not-for-profit subsidiary of the Mortgage Bankers Association, (MBA) is seeking interested industry representatives to help guide policy development in three separate Development Workgroups (DWGs).

Two Maryland title companies announced that they have combined forces to create an REO powerhouse.

The Justice Department announced Thursday that it has reached a settlement with Bank of America over allegations of loan discrimination against disability income recipients. The bank was accused of violating the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act by asking disabled mortgage loan applicants to provide letters from their doctors to document the income they received from Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI).