News

Serious mortgage delinquencies fell in Colorado from the fourth quarter of 2013 to the first quarter of 2014, according to the Colorado Division of Housing. Mortgage delinquencies of 90 days or more fell to 1.3 percent in the first quarter, down from 1.5 percent to close out 2013.

Mortgage Capital Management (MCM) announced that Karen Herr has joined the company as SVP of sales and marketing. In this executive role, Herr will coordinate the company's efforts in growing new business while expanding existing relationships by providing customer support, information, and guidance.

SunTrust Banks, Inc., announced it has struck a nearly $1 billion deal with the government to settle allegations of misconduct in both its lending and servicing practices. In an agreement reached with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Justice Department, HUD, and attorneys general in 49 states and the District of Columbia, SunTrust agreed to provide relief to consumers and payments to the government totaling a combined value of $968 million

Appearing before the Senate Banking Committee for his nomination hearing, Julian Castro, whose work in San Antonio includes an initiative to spark private investment for the production of thousands of additional housing units in the city in 2014 alone, opened his testimony with reassurances that his leadership would have HUD focusing on "outcomes, not only inputs."

HOPE NOW released its latest data on loan modifications, noting that in April approximately 42,000 homeowners completed a modification for their home's mortgage. All told, the organization reported that more than 7.02 million homeowners have completed home mortgage modifications since the third quarter of 2007.

Ocwen, the nation's fourth largest mortgage servicer, has agreed to pay $3.7 million to resolve allegations that it failed to give notice to homeowners, and that the company unlawfully foreclosed on properties in Massachusetts. The announcement came from the state's Attorney General Martha Coakley, who alleged the non-bank servicer failed to follow Massachusetts law when handling certain mortgage loans.

The National Association of Home Builders' (NAHB) Housing Market Index (HMI), released Monday in collaboration with Wells Fargo, registered 49 this month, up from 45 in May. A value below 50 indicates more builders view market conditions as "poor" rather than "good." Despite falling one point short of the benchmark, the moderate uptick in sentiment "is a welcome sign and shows some renewed confidence in the industry," said NAHB chairman Kevin Kelly.

The national default rate declined again from the previous month, according to data through May 2014 released by the S&P Dow Jones Indices and Experian for the S&P/Experian Consumer Credit Default Indices. The indices offer a comprehensive measure of changes in consumer credit defaults.

LRES announced that Ann Song has been named VP of REO asset management. In her new role, Song will be responsible for managing the company's REO portfolio of up to 2,000 assets and growing the number of REO specialists in the company's Orange County and Phoenix locations.

The housing market took an unexpected dip in May, with home sales dropping year-over-year despite a surge in new listings. A report published by Redfin's Research Center indicated that home inventory was up 9.1 percent in May. That number represents the highest number of new listings to come onto the market in the last four years.