Framingham, Massachusetts-based ForeclosuresMass.com, a provider of Bay State foreclosure data, released its 2007 May Massachusetts Market Analysis Report this week, which shows foreclosure filings jumping 32.

Houston-based law firm Hughes Watters Askanase L.L.P. says three of its attorneys will speak at the upcoming Bankruptcy Law and Procedure from Start to Finish seminar in Dallas on September 14. The participating attorneys include Steven Shurn, Dominique Varner and Brendetta Scott.

The Governor of Pennsylvania is urging homeowners with adjustable-rate mortgages to prepare for rate increases that could push them over their financial limits. A vast number of home buyers entered into adjustable-rate mortgages in 2004 and 2005 and the low introductory ‘teaser’ rates on those loans are beginning to expire, said Pennsylvania Governor Edward G.

Pompano Beach, Florida-based Fisher Auction Co., Inc. is on the cutting edge of the auction trend that is getting more play in today’s volatile real estate market. The Florida auction company recently sold 50 of 53 luxury town homes that were up for grabs in the town home community of San Simeon in Fort Myers, Florida.

Vero Beach, Florida-based Opteum Inc., a real estate investment trust, has completed the sale of its majority-owned subsidiary, Opteum Financial Services, LLC. The complete transaction signals Opteum’s exit from the retail mortgage loan origination business.

EMC Residential Mortgage Corp., a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Bear Stearns Companies Inc., has hired Jeff Wise to serve in the role of senior vice president of seller approval. In his new role, EMC says, Wise will play a senior role in the seller approval and monitoring process of EMC’s whole mortgage loan related business, granting loan purchase lines or limits and providing the ongoing monitoring of the appropriateness of purchase lines given the seller’s financial condition and operational and loan performance.

Federal banking regulators released their final Statement on Subprime Lending:http://www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/press/bcreg/2007/20070629/default.htm this week, which includes directives saying subprime ARM loans should be underwritten at fully-indexed rates with fully-amortizing repayment schedules.

Get out of the house and take your clothes off!, was the last thing REO Broker Ed Manfredi expected his wife to say when he arrived home from work. Manfredi had just listed a quaint, 1800’s-style, single-family home in an urban area of Rhode Island.

Cleveland, Ohio-based Safeguard Properties, Inc. is testing a new initiative called artistic boarding in an effort to help loan servicing clients maintain curb-side appeal when dealing with foreclosures or vacant properties.

The Pew Charitable Trusts, an organization that aims to improve public policy on relevant issues, announced plans this week to provide the Center for Responsible Lending with a $1-million investment that will be used to curve irresponsible subprime lending.