REO

The $25 billion, 49-state settlement awarded Ohio with $335 million to be used for recovery and prevention efforts. Through the creation of a grant program, the AG's office will set aside $75 million to fund the removal of vacant and abandoned properties, which decrease the value of surrounding homes. While the exact number in Ohio is unknown, the estimate is 100,000 properties.

Foreclosure sales on the West Coast started strong for the year 2012, with Washington as the exception, according to ForeclosureRadar. Arizona, California, Nevada, and Oregon are the other states included in the report - all of which saw increases in foreclosure sales to investors. Nevada experienced the largest month-over-month increase in foreclosure sales, up nearly 60 percent. California also saw a substantial increase at nearly 15 percent and underwent the most activity, with investors purchasing 3,964 properties for $766.2 million, according to ForeclosureRadar.

Stewart Lender Services (SLS) added Rental Management Solutions to its list of services to assist those in the mortgage industry with managing rental properties. ""It addresses pending government programs, offers a compliant rental solution to expediently place qualified renters into vacant homes, helps to alleviate the overhead of managing vacant REO properties, and aids in restoring communities heavily hit by the mortgage crisis,"" said Ken Blevins, CEO of PMH Financial, a Stewart company.

To alleviate issues of foreclosure in one of the hardest hit areas, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn launched two initiatives. One effort will connect homeowners to resources to keep them in their homes, and another will help revitalize areas affected by foreclosed and vacant properties. Illinois is consistently ranked among the top 10 states with the highest number of foreclosures.

Zillow forecasts home values will be on the decline through December 2012, but the decrease will be smaller than in 2011. Home values in the U.S. fell in the fourth quarter, with the Zillow Home Value Index sinking 1.1 percent after a less significant decline for the two previous quarters. Zillow's report also shows that the rate of homes foreclosed on increased slightly to 8.2 out of every 10,000 in December, compared to 8 out of every 10,000 homes in November.

Property code violations come in all shapes and prices, but Field Asset Services (FAS) narrowed the list down to the top 10. The list is based on FAS's 30 mortgage and asset management clients; the company services more than 130,000 active properties on an ongoing basis. ""Cities and local municipalities across the nation are becoming more vigilant towards issuing code violations to reduce blight and improve neighborhood conditions,"" said Dale McPherson, CFO of Field Asset Services.

Respondents from a Fannie Mae National Housing Survey for January 2012 expressed expectations for home prices to increase by 1 percent over the next 12 months, and most Americans continue to expect no change in mortgage rates. This marks the fourth month in a row consumer expectation was positive. The Fannie Mae survey polled 1,000 Americans through a telephone interview to assess attitudes towards different areas of the mortgage industry, including owning and renting, rates, homeownership distress, and the economy.

Analysts at Fitch Ratings expect to see a sharp rise in the cost to service mortgage loans. They describe the housing recovery in the U.S. as ""unhurried"" and as a result, they say lenders have been forced to shoulder higher foreclosure expenses. Fitch says increased foreclosure costs compounded by credit, compliance, regulatory, and other real-estate owned expenses are beginning to have a profound effect on the industry. The agency estimates the cost of servicing nonperforming loans is likely to double from pre-crisis levels.

A foreclosure report released by CoreLogic Wednesday revealed that the number of homes in foreclosure is decreasing nationwide. Completed foreclosures for 2011 totaled 830,000, compared to 1.1 million in 2010. The December 2011 completed foreclosures figure was also down to 55,000, compared to 67,000 in December 2010. CoreLogic's report also notes that in December of last year, servicers increased the rate at which they were able to process distressed assets, also known as the distressed clearing ratio.

Fannie Mae announced Tuesday that it has expanded its online system to accept purchase offers for all its REOs listed for sale. Real estate agents will now submit offers online on behalf of clients, receive receipt confirmation, and track the status of submitted offers through the HomePath.com website. In November 2010, Fannie Mae launched the HomePath Online Offers pilot in Orlando, Florida; San Diego, California; and Detroit, Michigan. Now, the Online Offers feature is available for all Fannie Mae-owned properties across the nation.