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A surge in increased calls to the Homeowners HOPE Hotline, which helps distressed homeowners navigate financial challenges, could signal a possible new wave of foreclosures according to a report released by the Homeownership Preservation Foundation (HPF). The independent nonprofit reported that calls to the hotline from homeowners who are current with their mortgages are up 70 percent this year. Of those counseled, half stated that ""mounting instability"" to continue payments could cause them to default. More than 75 percent of those current borrowers had credit scores above the subprime threshold when they took out the loan.

The 30-year fixed averaged 3.56 percent (0.7 point) for the week ending July 12, down from 3.62 percent the previous week. At the same time in 2011, the 30-year fixed averaged 4.51 percent. This week marks the 16th straight week that the 30-year average has stayed below 4 percent. The 15-year fixed also fell, averaging 2.86 percent (0.7 point), a drop from 2.89 percent last week. A year ago, the 15-year fixed averaged 3.65 percent.

As of Wednesday, Fannie Mae has blanket delegation of authority on behalf of all servicers from CMG Mortgage Insurance Company.

First-time claims for unemployment insurance fell 26,000 for the week ended July 6 to 350,000 the lowest level since March 2008, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The prior week's total was revised up to 376,000 from the originally reported 374,000.

In the first half of this year, over 1 million U.S. properties received a foreclosure filing, according to a midyear foreclosure report released by RealtyTrac. The exact figure - 1,045,801 - marks a 2 percent increase from the previous 6-month period and an 11 percent decrease from the first half of 2011. Second quarter foreclosure starts totaled 311,010, a 9 percent increase from the previous quarter and a 6 percent increase from a year ago. The increase is the first yearly rise in quarterly foreclosure starts since the fourth quarter of 2009.

CoreLogic and FICO joined forces to create a consumer credit risk score that is expected to improve how lenders makes decisions and boost the number of mortgage loans made.

Mortgage origination fraud may be on the decline, but incidences of collusion appear to be trending up, according to a report released Wednesday by LexisNexis Risk Solutions. After noticing a rising trend in collusion, LexisNexis created a new index specifically to measure incidences of collusion. Collusion has been on the rise since 2009, according to Tim Coyle, senior director of real estate and mortgage solutions at LexisNexis. He noted during a conference call that prior to 2009, collusion reports remained just below 5 percent. By 2010, the rate had almost doubled.

Based on its database, YouWalkAway.com foresees an inevitable decrease in property values due to backlog and delays in processing foreclosures. In Florida, 45 percent of YouWalkAway.com clients are in pre-foreclosure status, and on average, they are 17 months past due and still have not received their first formal foreclosure notice. In California, 59 percent of the agency's clients are in pre-foreclosure status, and on average, they are 15 months behind and still haven't received a foreclosure notice. ""This data points to significant backlog, eventual foreclosure activity and predicts a drop in value for home prices,"" said YouWalkAway.com CEO Jon Maddux.

The Homeowner Bill of Rights so far consists of a series of related bills containing provisions that prohibit certain practices by lenders that have been attributed to the state's foreclosure crisis. Chief among the banned practices are robo-signing (signing of fraudulent mortgage documents without review) and dual-track foreclosure (starting foreclosure proceedings while the homeowner is in negotiations to save the home). The bill imposes civil penalties on perpetrators of these activities. In addition, it guarantees struggling homeowners a single point of contact at their lender who has knowledge of their loan and direct access to decision makers.

While home prices in Las Vegas saw an increase in June, the Greater Las Vegas Association of Realtors (GLVAR) is wondering if the boost is just the result of a temporary effect of tight supply. The organization released statistics Tuesday indicating that existing home prices in June increased for the fifth straight month as the supply of local homes for sale tightened more.