REO

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of the Treasury released the February edition of the Obama Administration's Housing Scorecard on Friday. The report found that new home sales rose, foreclosure completion were down, and home prices remained stable.

In a move that could signal a sea change in the industry, mortgage banking law firm Butler & Hosch recently announced that it would acquire Atlanta-based McCurdy & Candler’s default practice.

LRES, a national provider of residential and commercial valuations and asset management for the mortgage, banking, credit union, and real estate industries, announced a new real estate owned (REO) operating model. The model is expected to increase efficiency and accommodate new clients.

Fannie Mae announced Thursday that homebuyers can now receive up to 3.5 percent in closing cost assistance. The help is available within the FirstLook period of Fannie Mae’s HomePath properties in 27 states. The incentive will offer qualified buyers up to 3.5 percent of the final sales price to pay closing costs.

RealtyTrac released its U.S. Foreclosure Market Report for January, 2014. The report noted an 8 percent increase of reported properties from the previous month, citing 124,419 properties in foreclosure filings (default notices, scheduled auctions, and bank repossessions). Year-to-year, January, 2014 represented an 18 percent drop from January, 2013.

National Field Network (NFN), a field service, property preservation, and REO management firm with headquarters in New Jersey, announced the addition of multiple new leaders to its team.

Pro Teck Valuation Services released on Tuesday January's Home Value Forecast (HVF), a measure of single family residential markets. The company ranked Long Island as the strongest market in the nation, citing its small share of foreclosures as total sales and its comparatively low housing inventory.

Vectra Field Services, a provider of pre-foreclosure and REO mortgage field services, and Valuation Vision, a company specializing in alternative valuation products and technology solutions, together announced the launch of RepairSmart BPO, a new property valuation report.

CoreLogic anticipates a substantial deceleration in home price gains this year. In fact, the firm predicts home price gains will fall just below the long-term historical norm of 4.5 percent appreciation annually, which has been maintained since 1975.

Joining the broadcast today to discuss the new qualified mortgage rules is Chris Whalen, Executive Vice President and Managing Director for Carrington Holding Company. Carrington operates in virtually every aspect of the real estate and mortgage space. Chris currently writes ...