Government

A former U.S. Bank executive plead guilty to receiving bribes from Oxford Collection Agency over the course of several years in exchange for business, according to the Office of the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program. Wilbur Tate III served as the assistant VP at U.S. Bank from January 2004 through February 2011. He allegedly accepted bribes from Oxford starting in 2008--bribes which began as expensive cigars and escalated to cash payments disguised in cigar boxes.

Diane Nordin, a seasoned asset management executive, has joined Fannie Mae's board of directors, the company announced. Nordin most recently spent a year as a fellow at the Advanced Leadership Initiative at Harvard University. Before that, she worked for 20 years at Wellington Management Company, a private asset management firm.

Analysts expect to see a new face at the helm of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) now that Senate Democrats have changed the rules so that a filibuster can't be used to block presidential appointments. Now only needing a simple majority for confirmation, Mel Watt's 56 votes in the Senate's first decision on his nomination mean he has enough support to become director of the FHFA--a change analysts say raises policy risk but also credit availability.

While many Americans paused their homebuying plans during the federal government's partial shutdown last month, purchase activity rebounded once the government reopened, with buyer competition more robust than expected, according to a Redfin. Out of the 22 markets covered in the brokerage's report, San Diego experienced the biggest increase in multiple-bid offers on homes for sale, while Boston saw the biggest drop.

In the aftermath of the federal government shutdown and contentious debt ceiling negotiations, Fannie Mae predicts continued market volatility for at least the next few months. Consumer sentiment toward the economy and the housing market wavered last month, and the expects that to continue into the new year despite low mortgage rates and robust annual home price gains.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is issuing a rule Wednesday requiring lenders to use its disclosure templates to lay out mortgage terms for borrowers. The new ""Know Before You Owe"" mortgage forms will replace existing federal disclosures, and the CFPB says they'll help consumers better understand their options, comparison shop for the best mortgage deals, and avoid costly surprises at closing.

Republic Mortgage Insurance Corporation (RMIC) faces a $100,000 fine and enhanced supervision by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) for allegedly offering illegal kickbacks to lenders in the form of captive reinsurance policies in exchange for business referrals, according to an announcement from the CFPB. Such activities violate federal consumer laws and have become a target area for the bureau.

QuestSoft Corp., a provider of automated mortgage compliance software headquartered in Laguna Hills, California, announced it has added e-signature gateways from six providers, broadening options for customers using the company's IRS 4506-T and Social Security Administration SSA-89 verification services.

Rushmore Loan Management Services LLC made announcements of two positive corporate developments Thursday. Rushmore has received approval to act as a Freddie Mac seller/servicer--a nod the company says will significantly expand its business. In addition, Standard & Poor's assigned an average rating to Rushmore as a residential special servicer and residential primary servicer, ranking the company's management and operations as above average.

If you are a human being in the United States, chances are you know about the Affordable Care Act (ACA). But do you really know about the ACA? Strange as it might sound, as a Realtor or other small business owner working in the industry, it is important that you do. There is a large amount of diversity when it comes to the employment situations of those working in the mortgage and real estate sectors, and this guide takes a look at just what the law means in each of those situations.