Servicing

In September, home prices improved in nearly all of the largest counties throughout the United States as tracked by DataQuick. According to the company's new Property Intelligence Report (PIR), home prices grew in 40 out of 42 counties month-over-month, while prices improved in all 42 counties from the previous quarter and over the last year. DataQuick suggested the PIR is displaying evidence the recovery in housing is underway, but the PIR found an uneven recovery, with some areas facing risk factors.

Equifax launched its Spectrum Verification Services Platform designed to strengthen lender confidence by streamlining the verification processes.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced it has guaranteed 20 million home loans since its lending program was established in 1944. According to a release from the department, the 20 millionth loan was guaranteed for a home in Woodbridge, Virginia, purchased by the surviving spouse of an Iraq War veteran.

Three stand-out mortgage professionals are now serving the Tucson, Arizona community at V.I.P. Mortgage, Inc.

The ICBA has gathered nearly 15,000 signatures on a petition opposed to "applying Wall Street regulations to Main Street community banks."

Foreclosures have drained nearly $2 trillion in home equity from neighborhoods across the United States, according to a report from the Center for Responsible Lending. In a report titled "Collateral Damage: The Spillover Costs of Foreclosures," researchers Debbie Bocian, Wei Li, and Peter Smith conclude that, based on loans that entered foreclosure between 2007 and 2011, approximately $1.95 trillion in property value has been or will be lost by residents who live close to foreclosed properties.

CoreLogic announced the release of Third-Party Originator (TPO) Portal, a new system developed by the San Mateo, California-based CoreLogic Dorado. Using the portal, correspondent clients and wholesale brokers can upload and lock multiple loans in a bulk transmission to an enterprise lending system (ELS) and monitor them for conditions and approvals.

Data from CoreLogic shows nearly 284,000 properties (representing almost $88 billion) located in the coastal Mid-Atlantic states may be at risk of storm-surge damage from Hurricane Sandy. Based on early projections of Sandy's path, eight major metro areas in the Mid-Atlantic region, including New York, Philadelphia, and Boston, are at risk.

Though a few recent U.S. real estate listings have promised royal living in oversized stateside mansions, a sprawling home in France has hit the market, giving potential buyers the opportunity to purchase an authentic castle that's truly worth of a fairytale.

Wells Fargo has issued thousands of refund checks to customers who paid unnecessary mortgage fees, according to a report from the Los Angeles Times.