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Equifax approved of DocMagic's eSign for electronic 4506-T requests. This means Equifax clients can use DocMagic's eSign for electronic signatures when submitting orders.

When it comes to real estate brand recognition, RE/MAX tops the list, according to a third-party survey completed in March. The survey, done by MMR Strategy Group between November 2012 and March 2013, asked homebuyers, sellers, and those planning to buy or sell to name a real estate brand without prompting.

A Census report released Monday put construction spending at an estimated annual rate of $860.8 billion (seasonally adjusted) in April, a 0.4 percent rise from March's revised estimate of $857.7 billion. Spending on homebuilding was at an estimated yearly rate of $308.3 billion in April, 0.2 percent down from March but 18.3 percent above April 2012. The report is consistent with the National Association of Home Builders' Housing Market Index, which dropped in April as builders contended with low credit availability and rising costs.

VRM Mortgage Services, a leading real estate solutions provider based in the North Texas metroplex, announced the appointment of Ed Hunter as VP of business development.

The Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions closed Banks of Wisconsin (Kenosha), FDIC announced Friday. As receiver, the agency entered into a purchase and assumption agreement with North Shore Bank, FSB (Brookfield, Wisconsin) to assume all of Banks of Wisconsin's $127.6 million in deposits and $97.4 million in assets. The remaining assets (approximately $36.6 million) will be retained by FDIC for later disposition.

The recent slip in financial corporation profits comes at a particularly critical time for the financial sector, as housing is in the midst of a nascent recovery.

Mortgage Contracting Services (MCS), a national property preservation and inspection company, announced it is teaming up with Pruvan, a Round Rock, Texas-based company that offers a photo app for field-based businesses.

Freddie Mac announced that Richard C. Hartnack, formerly vice chairman and head of consumer and small business banking at U.S. Bancorp, has been elected as a director on the company's board.

Consumers in the latest Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan survey reported their most improved financial situation in more than five years, according to Surveys of Consumers. The group's Consumer Sentiment Index rose to 84.5 in May, its highest level since July 2007 and an improvement over the preliminary reading of 83.7. April's index reading was 76.4; May 2012's reading was 79.3. The survey comes only days after the Conference Board's latest index, which showed consumer confidence climbing to a five-year high in May.

While reverse mortgages can be a boon to seniors as they head into retirement, a new report from the National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA) says trends show trouble in the market that may cost taxpayers billions of dollars. According to a 2012 MetLife survey, two-thirds of borrowers are now using reverse mortgages to pay down debt. Pamela Villarreal, a senior fellow at NCPA, expects the "troubling trend will increase as more baby boomers enter retirement."