Mortgage solutions company Calyx Software has announced the addition of a new account sales representative. Calyx recently revealed that Jim Dymek has joined its roster of sales professionals. [IMAGE] In his new role for the company, Dymek will focus on small-to-midsize lenders.

The Mortgage Litigation Index for the final quarter of last year jumped to a record high according to recently released statistics. Findings from the index revealed that a rise in legal activity for the areas of criminal, servicing, and mortgage fraud served as the catalyst behind swelling litigation numbers. The total number of mortgage litigation cases during the fourth-quarter of 2011 increased to 244, representing just over a 10 percent uptick quarter-to-quarter. On a year-over-year basis, the case load rose dramatically from 151 during the fourth-quarter of 2010.

Residential Finance Corporation has hired a new director of operations for the company's recently opened location in Charlotte, North Carolina. The national mortgage lender has named industry veteran Leslie Bondy to the leadership position for RFC. With more than 20 years of industry experience, Bondy will be responsible for all mortgage lending operations in RFC's Charlotte branch. Her duties encompass processing, underwriting, and closing loans for the company. Bondy joins RFC from her previous role as a senior program manager and operations director for Zenta Mortgage Services.

In Idaho, DocuTech has added two new team members within its mortgage document compliance division. The company recently hired Sandra Griebe to head up DocuTech's integration team, along with appointing Gregg Holsapple as vice president of product management. Griebe joins DocuTech as the company's director of integrations for its mortgage document compliance software. In her new role, Griebe will be responsible for managing and improving integration operations with national technology partners, ensuring that users benefit from simple access methods and product offerings.

A new study from FICO revealed that banking professionals are raising their expectations for loan repayments and credit availability. The survey, which was conducted by the Professional Risk Managers' International Association (PRMIA) on behalf of FICO, showed a reversal in sentiments among U.

Massachusetts-based lender Mortgage Master, Inc., has hired a new leader for its sales division. The company recently announced the appointment of Donald Henig as Mortgage Master's national sales director.

V.I.P. Mortgage is increasing its footprint in Tucson, Arizona. The company recently announced that it conducted in excess of $113 million in mortgage loans during 2011, and V.I.P. also noted that it is continuing to add home loan specialists within its Tucson branch, hiring nearly a dozen personnel last year alone. The company has merged two of its loan groups in the city, combining V.I.P. teams led by Rob Purvis and Jim Kaiser. Currently, V.I.P. has a total of 35 employees in Tucson.

Mortgage Contracting Services (MCS) has been selected by Gateway Mortgage Group as the company's partner for property inspection and preservation needs. Targeting enhanced efficiency for the property-related management of its servicing portfolio, Gateway chose Florida-based MCS for streamlined support.

In Texas, Churchill Mortgage has added two industry professionals to bolster mortgage loan production in its Houston branch. The company recently announced that Peter Oreziak and Mike Gonzalez have been hired as home loan specialists. Prior to joining Churchill, Oreziak accrued more than nine years of experience in the mortgage business, and he has previously been active in customer service and transaction protection initiatives. Oreziak's new role for Churchill encompasses the provision of client guidance throughout the lending process from application to funding.

In Michigan, United Wholesale Mortgage is adding a new mortgage loan product to its portfolio, recently announcing that the company would begin offering loans from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. UWM seeks to enhance its existing government platform of Federal Housing Administration and Veterans Affairs loan programs through the extension of USDA loans. The USDA products from UWM will be comprised of 30-year fixed rate, 0 percent down mortgages with finance closing costs, competitively low rates, and financed appliances with minimal restrictions.