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Real Estate Veteran Reveals Five Trends to Watch in a Struggling Market

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Greg Rand, a 20-year real estate veteran and author of ""Crash Boom,"" recently divulged five new trends in the struggling housing market. The secret to making sure your real estate doesn't turn into a money pit, he says, is to watch these trends so you can predict where prices will rise and where they won't. Rand contends that no matter how the markets change, no matter which way the winds shift, people will always need a place to live - an ideal that's been true of America since the first log cabin.

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Industry Insiders Weigh in on Case-Shiller Uptick

The closely watched S&P/Case-Shiller index showed its strongest positive movement since last summer with the release of Tuesday's report. The analysts at Standard & Poor's described the news as a ""welcome shift from recent months."" While it may fuel cautious optimism that at least a short-range upward trend is already in the making, industry experts and market analysts put the latest numbers into context and share their views on what to expect in the months ahead.

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Freddie Mac-Taylor Bean Settlement to Yield Pennies on the Dollar

Freddie Mac has entered into a proposed settlement with the now defunct Taylor, Bean & Whitaker (TBW). Under the terms of the agreement, Freddie Mac will be granted an unsecured claim in the TBW bankruptcy estate for just over $1 billion. The GSE estimates it will only see between $40 million and $45 million from that claim. While the settlement entitles Freddie to additional funds related to its mortgage loans, it also requires the GSE to pay TBW and its trade creditors to settle their potential claims against the GSE.

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Mortgage Fraud SARs Jump 31% as Investors Demand Loan Buybacks

A total of 25,485 suspicious activity reports (SARs) involving mortgage fraud were submitted to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network in the first quarter, up 31 percent from a year earlier. The agency attributes the increase to more demands from investors for lenders to repurchase poorly performing mortgages, which have prompted additional loan reviews. Officials also found a number of incidents involving foreclosure rescue scams, false claims of identity theft, and property flopping.

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Financial Literacy Solutions Deploys Mediation Tool for Counselors

Financial Literacy Solutions LLC (FLS) is providing a video solution for loan mediation to Consolidated Credit Counseling Services, Inc. FLS offers Web-based custom videos and automated forms and materials that enable the borrower to learn about the mediation process. Consolidated Credit says as more states across the nation enact regulations that require mediation as part of the default process, it has seen demand for counseling services rise dramatically.

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One in 10 NYC Mortgages Seriously Delinquent

One in 10 residential mortgages in New York City is more than 90 days delinquent or in foreclosure, according to an analysis conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The study also revealed that the ratio of New York City borrowers at least three months behind on their payments, but not in foreclosure, has improved from 5.4 percent in February 2010 to 3.8 percent as of March 2011. Mortgage performance statistics were also released for Long Island and Hudson Valley.

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Aklero Announces New SVP of Client Solutions

Aklero Risk Analytics Inc., a Pennsylvania-headquartered provider of automated data and document validity assurance for the mortgage industry, promoted Craig Riddell to SVP of client solutions. Previously, Riddell was the company's VP of product management and client relations. Aklero says its 500 percent percent growth is in large part due to Riddell's knowledge of the mortgage industry and his ability to translate client needs and market demand into value added solutions.

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Post Double Dip, Case-Shiller Index Edges Higher

One month after reporting its home price gauge had officially double dipped, Standard & Poor's says prices have inched up, in line with the expected seasonal boost that accompanies the spring buying season. The 20-city composite reading of the S&P/Case-Shiller index posted a 0.7 percent increase in April versus March. It's the first monthly gain in eight months, but the index remains 4.0 percent below April 2010. Looking at the monthly movement, even in the midst of the spring season, it wasn't all up and up. Six of the 20 metros showed new index lows in April.

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Florida Court Denies ACLU’s ‘Foreclosure Docket’ Petition

Florida's Second District Court of Appeal has denied a petition brought by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) alleging that the state's special ""mass foreclosure docket"" established to help clear Florida's case backlog doesn't allow homeowners an opportunity to defend their homes against foreclosure. The case before the appellate court was viewed as a pivotal one by the advocacy group, although state legislators did not renew funding for these special courts for the 2011-2012 fiscal year, which begins in July.

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Carrington Property Services Realigns Asset Management Operations

Carrington Property Services, LLC, a residential asset management company, recently restructured its operations to increase its capabilities in residential asset management services, a move expected to benefit lenders and servicers. The company has realigned its operations into three primary divisions - rental, REO administration, and centralized services.

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