Tag Archives: Attorneys & Title Companies

Builder confidence continued to improve in December as the Housing Market Index (HMI) rose two points to 47--its highest level since April 2006--the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) reported Tuesday. It was the eighth straight monthly increase in the index and matched economist expectations. Two of the three components of the index improved--the measures of current sales and buyer traffic--while the gauge of sales six months out slipped one point from the revised November reading of 52 (down from the original 53).

U.S. banks may have received an extension on their deadline to implement Basel III regulations, but that isn't stopping the global community from introducing reforms at the start of 2013. While a handful of jurisdictions--including the European Union, Korea, Russia, and the United States--are only in the draft stage, the majority of jurisdictions have published the final set of rules to go into effect January 1. While certain members may be getting more time to create finalized rules, the larger implementation timeline will not be shifted.

In Los Angeles, California, the Pacific Palisades home once belonging to the nation's fortieth president, Ronald Reagan, has hit the market for $4.999 million. Built in 1956, the property's environmentally-friendly design may be its most famous feature, as the luxurious estate has long been lauded as a forerunner of contemporary green housing concepts.

The American Legal and Financial Network (ALFN) is expanding its leadership lineup. Adding a new executive position and naming two new appointees, the national mortgage banking trade group announced Christina Danovsky's promotion to SVP of business development, as well as the hiring of Cade Holleman to the recently-created role of assistant VP of government affairs and communications.

With fluctuations in rental and owner markets over the past few years, it can be difficult to determine whether one is better off renting or owning. In Manhattan, renting is currently the more financially viable option, according to a new study by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

The new year may bring with it new reforms for the FHA as Congress considers legislation to bring the agency back to fiscal solvency.

The number of homebuyers who think the price recovery will continue through 2013 has more than doubled throughout 2012.

The latest Residential Price Index (RPI) report from FNC, Inc., shows property values continued to improve in October on the national level. Home prices were up 0.4 percent in October, marking the eighth consecutive month of price increases. Year-to-date, prices have appreciated at a rate of 5.1 percent. According to FNC, October's price gains falls "in line with indications of continued expansion in economic activity and better employment rates in recent months."

Sunset Beach, Missouri, was the site of this year's 51st bank collapse as the Missouri Division of Finance shut down the Community Bank of the Ozarks. According to a release from the FDIC, Community Bank of the Ozarks had approximately $42.8 million in total assets and about $41.9 million in deposits as of September 30. The Bank of Sullivan (Sullivan, Missouri) will be picking up all of the deposits and will purchase essentially all of the assets.

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) released a report revealing only one in five people actually obtain a copy of their credit report each year.