Technology

Safeguard Properties has partnered with the American Association of Code Enforcement (AACE) to offer a training and certification program free of charge to code enforcement officials. Available nationally, the program is conducted via an online, on-demand Webinar platform, the first offered by a mortgage field services company. It provides an overview of best practices pertaining to property preservation and tools to assist code officials with day-to-day responsibilities of maintaining the integrity of properties in their communities.

The National Association of Mortgage Field Services (NAMFS) and Lender Processing Services (LPS) have teamed up to develop a new online tool that the organizations say will facilitate communication and collaboration between code enforcement officials and national providers of field services to the mortgage servicing industry. The Web-based tool is called ALLIANCE. It will be launched May 1, and is free to both local code enforcement officials and participating national providers.

CoreLogic announced Monday that Arlene Hyde has joined the company in a newly created position -- SVP of strategic relationships for its business and information services division. In this role, Hyde will serve as a strategic resource for CoreLogic sales and business operations leaders, helping them to identify, conceptualize, and build-out new strategies, ventures, and business opportunities with some of the largest CoreLogic mortgage clients.

RxOffice, a default management technology platform from IndiSoft, was recently enhanced to meet the updated Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives (HAFA) eligibility rules and forms, such as the Dodd-Frank affidavit. Specifically, the RxOffice short sale module supports the capture of data needed to execute either a HAFA or traditional short sale.

The Oklahoma-based technology developer a la mode has teamed up with Real Property Insight to bring the industry a new valuation service for distressed assets. Real Property Insight is a specialized integrator of information and services focused on distressed asset disposition, and the company has selected a la mode's Mercury Network Vendor Management Platform to manage the valuation portion of its new product, the Real Property Insight (RPI) Report. a la mode estimates this valuation service will save the industry approximately $72 billion.

Field Asset Services (FAS) successfully processed more than 100 million photos in one year via FASconnect, its online photo management system for proof of performance reporting. The system captures, documents, and securely shares photos of work performed in the field. Powered by Pruvan, FASconnect GPS certification and time and date-stamping capabilities to provide lenders and service providers a ""certified"" performance guarantee of work completed on REO properties.

The California-based NID Housing Counseling Agency now requires its counselors to use HOPE LoanPort as the primary tool for submitting home retention applications to mortgage servicers. HOPE LoanPort, developed by the HOPE NOW Alliance, is a Web-based tool that streamlines home retention applications on behalf of borrowers at risk of foreclosure.

Florida-based PREO operates an online marketplace aimed specifically at turning distressed properties into family homes. On Wednesday, the company announced the official launch of its new Web site, which PREO says can shrink the timeline for short sales to weeks instead of months.

National Creditors Collections Inc. (NCCI), a provider of field contact, loss mitigation, and onsite inspection services, recently starting using the RxOffice loss mitigation portal from IndiSoft, a technology development firm specializing in default management. NCCI plans to use the technology to enhance its field contact efforts for hard-to-reach homeowners.

RealtyTrac on Tuesday unveiled new site features of its online foreclosure marketplace that allow users to see the amount of equity - or negative equity - in a property based on its estimated market value and total outstanding loans. The company says this additional information will help buyers and investors quickly determine which distressed properties represent good purchase opportunities for them, and will help real estate agents and brokers pinpoint potential listing opportunities.