Servicing

First-time claims for unemployment insurance increased 17,000 to 361,000 for the week ending December 15, the Labor Department reported Thursday. Economists expected claims to increase to 359,000. The previous week's report was revised upward to 344,000 from the originally reported 343,000.

Despite a continuing surge in builder confidence, housing starts dropped 3.0 percent in November to 861,000, the Census Bureau and Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) reported jointly Wednesday. Single-family starts dropped 4.1 percent in November, accounting for most of the drop in total starts. Activity was unaffected by superstorm Sandy, which hit the Northeast at the end of October, as most of the drop in single-family starts came in the West and Midwest.

Freddie Mac CFO Ross J. Kari is making plans to retire in the second half of 2013, the GSE announced. While Kari has not yet selected an official date to depart from Freddie Mac, he informed the company he intends to retire in the latter half of the year following his 55th birthday.

RES.NET is expanding beyond the world of defaults and into the realm of traditional real estate, the company announced. Originally introduced in 2004 as a technology solution for the default space, the California-based firm has evolved its platform to enhance retail (or traditional) real estate transactions.

In the Sunshine State, economists have revealed projections for 2013, and their outlook presents a positive, if somewhat sluggish, forecast for the region's housing market. According to experts from Florida Realtors and Fannie Mae, upward trends are set to continue in Florida, while the state's pace of recovery is expected to fall behind the national average.

After rising economic growth in the third quarter, overall economic growth is expected to decline this quarter and in early 2013, according to Fannie Mae. However, the GSE anticipates further strengthening in the housing market. Economists anticipate economic growth of less than 2 percent for the first half of 2013 followed by more accelerated growth for the remainder of the year. However, while the overall economy remains dismal, Fannie's economists finds a bright spot in the housing market.

Carrington Holding Company, LLC, based in Santa Ana, California, announced the hiring of well-known banking industry veteran Christopher Whalen to head the company's investment banking operations. Whalen's title will be EVP and managing director for Carrington Investment Services.

loanDepot.com LLC, one of the country's largest independent mortgage lenders, announced it is holding a job fair and open house at its corporate headquarters in Foothill Ranch, California. The fair, scheduled for Wednesday, December 19 from 4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., is open to all mortgage and other professionals wanting to learn about career opportunities at loanDepot.

Prudential Mortgage Capital Company announced David Durning will replace the outgoing David Twardock as company president in 2013. Durning is currently senior managing director and head of originations for the firm. He joined Prudential in 1988 as an investment analyst and has stayed with the company ever since.

Even as the market heads into its slow season, sales numbers continued to stand well above their year-ago level in November, according to RE/MAX's latest National Housing Report. The report shows home sales were up 15.7 percent year-over-year in November, the second highest annual increase this year. Prices also rose: The median price for homes sold in November was $163,750, 3.6 percent higher than October and 6.9 percent higher than November 2011. November is the 10th straight month to experience year-over-year price gains.