The Mystery Of The FHFA: New Leader Or Rogue Agency?
REQUIRED READING: On March 25, the Financial Times published an interview with Edward J. DeMarco, acting director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency...
Who’s That Knocking At The Door? Getting Help In Contacting Borrowers
REQUIRED READING: While reports indicate a decrease in the number of new foreclosures, timelines are escalating for the current volume - often reaching...
So You Want To Expand Into Correspondent Lending?
REQUIRED READING: Part of business success involves being in the right place at the right time. Recent changes in the marketplace have given...
Take Me Home, Country Roads: The Challenge Of Rural Appraisals
REQUIRED READING: If you look at a satellite photograph of the mainland U.S. at night, you can see the illuminating glow from the...
Row, Row, Row Your Boat To Business Success
REQUIRED READING: There are certain works that have survived centuries of human history. Nuggets of gold have been sifted from the bedrock of...
Who Has The Courage To Fill The Correspondent-Lending Void?
REQUIRED READING: There is a void developing in the competitive landscape of correspondent lending. Many former leaders in the sector either have left...
A Warning To Servicers: Beware Of The HOAs!
REQUIRED READING: During the past few years, missing or past-due payments from homeowner associations (HOAs) have crept onto servicers' radar screens, especially when...
Understanding The Challenges Of REO Tenant Management
REQUIRED READING: The Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act (PTFA) of 2009 was designed to extend protections to tenants from the persons or entities...
What Can Mortgage Bankers Learn From Kindergarten Students?
REQUIRED READING: Many people fondly recall their kindergarten years, when teachers had a seemingly supernatural power to transform children into students while also...
Just How Accurate Is Housing Data?
REQUIRED READING: How much home prices are changing depends on which data source you seek out. The Standard & Poor's (S&P)/Case-Shiller Home Price...
Mortgage Banking Is Ready For A High-Tech Overhaul
REQUIRED READING: For more than a decade, the industry has foretold a day when mortgages will be originated, closed and delivered in a...
Nonprofit Groups See Increase In Donated REO Properties
REQUIRED READING: Call it the ultimate act of charity - nonprofit housing groups are receiving an increased volume of real estate owned (REO)...
Adding A Touch Of Green To Mortgage Underwriting
REQUIRED READING: Fans of the Muppets know that Kermit the Frog's theme song is 'It's Not Easy Being Green.' But if the celebrated...
The Challenge In Preserving REO Pre-Sale Values
REQUIRED READING: From December 2011 to January 2012, there was an approximately 3% increase in foreclosure filings, according to data from RealtyTrac Inc....
Addressing Problems That Obscure A Property’s True Value
REQUIRED READING: Servicers trying to maintain the value of the properties they own face many challenges, among them what to do when those...
Taking A Second Look At Today’s Technology Risks
REQUIRED READING: Every organization takes risks, but sometimes there are hidden cracks below the foundation of a company that pose serious problems. During...
Vacant Properties: The New Ticking Time Bomb
REQUIRED READING: Last November, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) published a report entitled 'Vacant Properties: Growing Number Increases Communities' Costs and Challenges.'...
The Paperless Environment: Still A Work In Progress
REQUIRED READING: The benefits of a paperless mortgage process have been discussed for years. As far back as 2005, accelerated turnaround times, decreased...
SaaS Tames The Compliance Lion
REQUIRED READING: In today's environment, too many lenders feel like they've been thrust into the middle of a circus act. With all of...
New Problems For The FHA?
REQUIRED READING: On Nov. 14, 2011, the Washington, D.C.-based American Enterprise Institute (AEI) published the report 'Is the FHA the Next Housing Bailout?'...