Origination

Amid national bank failures that recently ticked up to 70, the FDIC announced Friday that it will stand up a new networking platform that seeks to make it easier for small investors to take a slice of the pie.

President Barack Obama rolled out a $447 billion jobs bill and touted a major refinance proposal in a recent address, estimating that some 2.9 million homeowners could refinance their mortgages at current rates.

Speaking before Congress' joint session Thursday evening, President Barack Obama unveiled a $447 billion jobs bill - and plans to allow millions of eligible homeowners to refinance their mortgages at current rates.

Clear Capital joins a list of firms and trade groups whose batch of surveys and reports dished on consumer confidence, market health, and job growth this week. On Thursday Clear Capital forecasted glacial prices.

Freddie Mac and HUD recently stepped up home relief programs for eligible borrowers who saw their property and prized possessions wash away with the tidewaters of Hurricane Irene. The availability of federal relief will allow qualifying homeowners in distress to gain reprieve from late fees and penalties likely to result from delayed mortgage payments, avoid foreclosure and eviction from their homes, and take advantage of HUD insurance policies to revamp their residences.

A series of news outlets offered up a considerably better forecast than others for mortgage insurers, many of which continue to fend off rumors in the industry that their capital reserves may not be strong enough.

Mortgage fraud cases showed few signs of slowing, with defendants either receiving their sentences or pleading guilty in Alabama, California, and New Jersey. The defendants allegedly bilked millions out of lenders.

Churchill Mortgage Corp. is promoting from within, naming Doug Walker as its vice president of sales support. Walker has been employed with Churchill for more than a decade, and his new role will encompass lender support for home loan specialists in all branches of the financial institution.

Technology provided a big boost for Bank of Idaho giving the company an estimated 67 percent increase in loan officer productivity. Utilizing Mortgagebot to integrate point-of-sale transactions, Bank of Idaho has shortened its average closing time for mortgage loans by 22 percent.

With refinancing activity continuing a backslide, the number of homebuyers filing mortgage applications waxed over last week, falling by 4.9 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis, according to a weekly survey by the Mortgage Bankers Association. The trade group recorded new lows for 30-year and 15-year loan contract interest rates. According to the MBA's Market Composite Index, a yardstick for mortgage loan applications nationally, numbers declined by a seasonally unadjusted 5.3 percent.