Servicing

The Texas Mortgage Bankers Association (TMBA) announced the election of Susan Stewart at president for 2013-2014. Stewart is the president and CEO of SWBC Mortgage Corporation, a full-service mortgage banking firm. During her time there, she has guided the company through multiple acquisitions and the approval processes to become Fannie Mae and Ginnie Mae seller servicers.

April home sales in Connecticut dropped on a yearly basis for the third straight month as prices continued to ascend, the Warren Group reported.

Consumer confidence saw a sizable jump in June, the Conference Board reported in its monthly Consumer Confidence Survey. Based on responses to the Nielsen survey, the index improved for the third consecutive month to 81.4, the highest level since January 2008. May's index was revised downward to 74.3. The Present Situation Index increased to 69.2 from April's revised reading of 64.8, while the Expectations Index rose to 89.5 from the previous month's downwardly revised reading of 80.6.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) reported a 0.7 percent increase in its House Price Index (HPI) from March to April.

The price of a new single-family home dropped 3.2 percent in May, but sales increased 2.1 percent to 476,000, the highest level in almost five years.

Home prices posted their strongest monthly gain on record in April, increasing more than 2.5 percent, according to the Case-Shiller Home Price Indices released Tuesday. Overall, the 10-city index rose to 165.63, its highest level since November 2008, while the 20-city index improved to 152.37, also the highest level since November 2008. Of the 20 cities surveyed, Detroit was the only area not to show an increase in April. The April index of Detroit home prices read 81.28, barely down from 81.30 reported in April.

While the current pace of price appreciation may not sustain itself for much longer, Capital Economics maintains a deceleration in price gains does not mean an end to the housing recovery.

A recent survey by Zillow Digs found 60 percent of respondents have some kind of plan in the works for a home improvement project this summer. The median budget for homeowners who are planning projects was $1,200, though owners with children and those 54 years of age and younger plan to spend a bit more, with a median of $1,500. To get ideas for projects, online sources were the most frequently utilized, with 37 percent turning to the web for inspiration.

Auction.com received recognition at the 11th Annual American Business Awards for its advances in the way buyers, sellers, and agents transact residential real estate.

GMH Mortgage Services, a nationally recognized mortgage banker headquartered in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, announced three new additions to its management team.