Technology

Consumer confidence dipped in September as Americans expressed doubt over the current direction of economic conditions. The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index, which picked up to 81.8 in August following a drop the month prior, fell to 79.

Default servicing technologies are solving the most foreboding of challenges and revolutionizing the way business is conducted. From enabling process servers to validate their work straight from the field to standardizing background checks for property preservation vendors, today's solutions reinforce the mobile nature of the business and demonstrate a commitment to regulatory compliance and consumer protection.

With home prices continuing to rise at accelerated rates, John Burns Real Estate Consulting is warning clients in certain areas--particularly in California and Florida--to be mindful of the artificial price boosts home flippers can bring to the market. In a recent report, one of the firm's analysts said the popularity of home flipping in the media is fueling exaggerated expectations of returns from amateur investors.

Mortgage Returns, a St. Louis-based provider of marketing and customer relationship management (CRM) solutions for the mortgage industry, announced the launch of its Business Analysis Report, an in-depth report offering information on production statistics, marketing return on investment (ROI), customer retention, and loan officer performance.

Even though both home prices and mortgage interest rates have been steadily rising, owning a home remains significantly cheaper than renting at the national level and in most major markets, according to Trulia. While the gap is closing between renting and owning, the company's Summer 2013 Rent vs. Buy Report indicates overall, owning is still 35 percent cheaper than renting.

While many in the industry laud the recent changes the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) made to the proposed Qualified Residential Mortgage (QRM) rule, one economist says the new proposed rule sets the stage for another housing crisis.

In Fort Worth, Axios Valuation Solutions now offers a Regulatory Review Program in its suite of services. Regulatory Reviews are designed to meet requirements outlined in the Texas Administrative Code

While Rep. Jeb Hensarling's (R-Texas) Protecting American Taxpayers and Homeowners (PATH) Act seems to be gathering little momentum, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-California) announced her intention to create an alternative bill regarding the future of the housing finance system and the government's role in it.

Equator, a Los Angeles-based provider of default servicing technologies, announced the launch of Loan Management, a comprehensive new compliance and decision tool for delinquent loans.

Moody's Analytics customers will now be able to access the full suite of Zillow real estate aggregate data and related indices, the companies announced.