Headlines

Property-centric technology solutions provider Aspen Grove Solutions (AGS), based in Frederick, Maryland, has announced the addition of Levittown, Pennsylvania-based property preservation and repair company Guardian Asset Management has been added to AGS' list of clients.

Foreclosure inventory also fell substantially year-over-year in March, declining by 25.7 percent down to about 542,000 mortgages (about 1.4 percent of all mortgages nationwide) – marking the 41st consecutive month of year-over-year declines, according to CoreLogic. In March 2014, there were about 729,000 residential homes, or 1.9 percent of mortgages nationwide, that were in some stage of foreclosure.

The Committee is accusing the U.S. Department of Justice, the Treasury Department, and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York of obstructing active investigations by withholding crucial information. According to the Committee's announcement, the three agencies were warned that their failure to comply with the Committee's request to turn over the information would result in the issuance of subpoenas.

The nearly two-month long court battle between the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) and Nomura Holdings came to an end Monday when a federal judge found the bank liable for selling shoddy mortgages to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac prior to the 2008 financial crisis.

California-based online real estate marketplace Auction.com has named Bin Xu as VP of engineering for the company's Silicon Valley office, according to an announcement from Auction.com.

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Director Jeremiah O. Norton has resigned from that position effective June 5, according to an announcement from the FDIC.

The government's Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) and Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) will be extended until the end of 2016, according to an announcement from FHFA Director Mel Watt on Friday. Speaking at the Greenlining Institute 22nd Annual Economic Summit, Watt announced a one-year extension of HARP, which was set to expire at the end of this year. The one-year extension until the end of 2016 for HAMP was previously announced in July. Both of the government's affordable housing programs began in 2009 in response to the housing crisis.

Where the effective tax rate on the banking sector is concerned, the increase of 2 percentage points in the leverage ratio of the banking sector, from 7.5 percent to 9.5 percent) in the post-crisis years of 2008 to 2014 can be transformed into an increase in the effective tax rate for the banking sector, according to Holtz-Eakin.

Provider of REO asset management and loss mitigation services for mortgage servicers, investment firms, and banking institutions, Green River Capital (GRC) recently named Katie Brewer as COO.

Burnsville, Minnesota-based default servicing law firm Shapiro & Zielke, LLP and First Financial Title Agency of Minnesota, Inc. has announced the addition of attorney Tracy J. Halliday to its team.