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The Bipartisan Policy Center's Housing Commission has added a new member, with the announcement that Alfred DelliBovi will join the organization. DelliBovi's appointment to the commission continues the development of the group's leadership roster, which includes numerous national business and civic leaders. Other members of the commission include Henry Cisneros and former U.S. Senator Mel Martinez, both of whom have previously acted as HUD secretaries; Senator Kit Bond; and George Mitchell, who co-founded the Bipartisan Policy Center.

The relationship between housing finance and the government has been a hotly debated topic from Wall Street to Main Street since the mortgage crisis began, and the recently released white paper from AllianceBernstein provides a critical look at the role of private capital in reducing the housing market's dependence on Capitol Hill.

Mortgage application volume leapt to 4.1 percent from the week before on the strength of a boom in refinance applications, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. The trade group released its data in a Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week. The MBA├â┬ó├óÔÇÜ┬¼├óÔÇ×┬ós Market Composite Index noted a 4.2-percent increase on a seasonally unadjusted basis from the week before, with 9.3 percent for the Refinance Index and 8.2 percent in declines for the seasonally adjusted Purchase Index.

In Seattle, Washington, one lender has cause for celebration as we head into the new year. West Coast Bank has been named as the recipient of the 2011 Community Spirit Award, which is given annually by the Federal Home Loan Bank of Seattle. The special honor is extended yearly to a financial institution that is recognized as exemplifying the spirit of community partnership in creating affordable housing and economic development opportunities in its immediate region.

The commercial real estate market in the U.S. appears set for an uptick in 2012, but don't expect a headline-making rise. According to recent research from Jones Lang LaSalle, economic indicators are pointing to a modest improvement in the commercial segment, and data from the company also reveals that rumors of a double dip in the sector during the coming year were premature. Numbers from the survey call for an increase in total transaction volume of 15 to 20 percent.

Borrowers using Mortgage Lenders USA will now have the advantage of faster quotes when seeking a mortgage. The company announced recently that it would initiate a 24-hours or less policy in extending a mortgage quote to inquiring parties.

In Georgia, Flagstar Bancorp has officially sold its 27-branch retail bank franchise to PNC Bank, N.A. The deal, which was announced earlier this year, has reached its conclusion, and PNC Bank will now take possession of all leases associated with the locations, as well as all associated business and retail deposits. The purchase agreement for its Georgia locations follows Flagstar's December sell off of its Indiana branches. The total number of bank franchises sold stands at 49.

Brokers and loan officers with independent mortgage banks and subsidiaries saw profit margins for their loans more than double on average over the last quarter, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. The trade group released its findings in the Third Quarter 2011 Mortgage Bankers Performance Report, which it drummed up with production data reports from fewer than 300 companies. The MBA reported that loan originations averaged $1,263 over the third quarter.

Does housing matter to voters? A recent survey says yes ├â┬ó├óÔÇÜ┬¼├óÔé¼┼ô and finds that housing policy will rank higher for voters than even national security come 2012. Houselogic.com, a consumer Web site affiliated with the National Association of Realtors, polled respondents across the country for the HouseLogic survey it released Friday. About one-third of all voters want to hear proposals from presidential candidates that address housing policy. Jobs and unemployment ranked first.

Just in time for bowl season, StreetLinks Lender Solutions has released an updated version of SCORe, the company's appraisal review product. The original incarnation of SCORe was launched in 2010 to provide a solution for the validation of comparable within appraisal documents, and the platform expansion will include the addition of a repurchase and loss warranty with each report.