Tag Archives: Attorneys & Title Companies

Housing starts plunged 8.5 percent in January to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 890,000, the Census Bureau and HUD reported jointly.

Orion Financial Group, Inc., a provider of mortgage assignment, lien release, and document retrieval services, announced it is now providing streamlined settlement services to investors. The new offering provides small- to medium-size investors a one-stop, efficient solution for their needs.

There are nearly 400 mandatory inclusionary housing policies designed to low-priced housing within market-rate developments.

LoanSifter, Inc., a Wisconsin-based provider of product eligibility and pricing solutions for the mortgage banking industry, announced the hiring of Sue Stewart as VP of client services. Stewart has a 30-year tracked record of successfully leading mortgage companies, serving most recently as SVP at Move, Inc.

Capital Square Management announced last week the introduction of a new venture, Capital Square Real Estate Advisors, LLC, a new investment firm for high net worth investors.

Gibraltar Capital and Asset Management, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Horsham, Pennsylvania-based Toll Brothers, Inc., recently acquired four new loan portfolios totaling more than $33 million.

As of November 2012, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have refinanced more than 2 million loans through the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP), the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) reported Tuesday. According to FHFA, nearly 130,000 homeowners refinanced their mortgages through HARP in November alone, making it the second biggest month for HARP activity in 2012 (behind June's 137,000 HARP refinances). In addition, HARP volume represented 23 percent of total refinance volume in November.

According to a report from SaveUp.com, the average total debt load for an average member of Generation X or Y (those under the age of 47) is close to $37,000, slightly higher than the national average debt load of $36,157. Of the two groups, Gen X appears at first to be worse off, with the average person harboring a debt load of $46,972 compared to the Gen Y average of $28,930. However, SaveUp.com finds that more than 60 percent of Gen Xers' debt comes from mortgage and student loans--considered "good debt" that helps build assets.

Led by a sharp drop in the South, builder confidence slipped in February to 46--the lowest level since November--the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) reported Tuesday. Economists had expected the Housing Market Index (HMI), a measure of confidence, would improve to 48 from January's reading of 47. Nationally, two of the three index components--current single-family sales and buyer traffic--declined, while the assessment of sales for the next six months edged up.

Two industry service-providers are teaming together to help servicers prepare for CFPB examinations and adjust procedures to comply with new regulations.