Home >> Author Archives: Ashley Harris

Author Archives: Ashley Harris

Ashley R. Harris is the Editor-in-Chief for MReport and TheMReport.com and the acting Editor-in-Chief of DS News and DSNews.com. Ashley has years of experience as a financial writer having worked at The Houston Chronicle and Newsweek. She received her B.S. in journalism from the University of Houston and her M.S. in journalism from Columbia University School of Journalism.

Small Servicers Feeling Heat from New Rules

While most larger servicing shops have made a great deal of progress ahead of Friday's new industry regulations, a report from Fitch finds smaller companies still have a number of challenges to meet. Fitch acknowledges that many independent and non-bank servicers have adapted to the technological advances made in the industry, but compliance with the new rules will mean more recordkeeping and infrastructure improvements that could mean higher costs for these smaller firms.

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SIGTARP Cracks Down on Another Mortgage Fraud Case

The Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (SIGTARP) has had laser sharp focus on ensuring foreclosure fraud offenders suffer the consequences of their offenses. A northern California man is now behind bars after a SIGTARP investigation found he used the U.S. bankruptcy courts to con desperate homeowners into paying him monthly fees to postpone foreclosure proceedings. He was sentenced to 10 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release on fraud charges.

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GSE Reaches Settlement with PNC

PNC and Freddie Mac announced an agreement to resolve substantially all indemnification and repurchase obligations related to loans sold to Freddie Mac between 2000 and 2008.

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Increasing Housing Permits Indicate Stability

Growing amounts of housing permits, improving home prices, and positive job numbers are leading to a stabilized housing market according to analysts. Recent studies revealed that markets in 54 out of the approximately 350 metro areas nationwide returned to or exceeded their last normal levels of economic and housing activity, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/First American Leading Markets Index (LMI). However, policymakers still need to watch their footing.

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Report: Home Sale Speeds Accelerating Over 2012

Zillow calculated the median number of days listings spent on its marketplace, at the national, metro, and county levels, dating to January 2010. According to the company's findings, listings in September 2013 were selling in a median 86 days--down 30 days from the same time in 2012. Homes sold faster this September compared to last September in 30 of the largest metros. Those metros include Las Vegas (44 days faster), Sacramento (43 days faster), and San Antonio (37 days faster).

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