Lender Processing Services, Inc. (LPS) introduced It's Listed! Alerts as a way to let servicers know when properties in their portfolios show up on MLS.

Carrington Technology Solutions, LLC (Carrington) and Equator, a default servicing technology provider, teamed up to provide financial institutions, institutional investors, and large-scale property management companies with a single-family asset management suite created to maximize the performance of multiple-property portfolios.

WNC, a national investor in real estate and community development initiatives, announced Anil Advani rejoined the firm as SVP of private label funds. Advani is responsible for developing and maintaining relationships with private label investors, as well as managing the closing process of WNC's private label funds.

Capital Economics recently explored concerns that particular states are seeing "unsustainable, investor-fueled" increases.

Well housing activity remains near historical lows, Freddie Mac is taking a more optimistic view: There's still plenty of room to grow. This glass-half-full viewpoint was reflected in the GSE's forecast for housing in 2013, especially for housing starts, which are projected to increase to 950,000 units this year--22 percent higher than 2012 levels. The GSE also expects prices to increase 3 percent in 2013 and 2014, while sales are forecast to rise to an annual rate of 5.45 million and 5.80 million, respectively.

Altisource Portfolio Solutions announced it is purchasing certain fee-based businesses from Ocwen Financial for a combined purchase price of $218.6 million. According to a company release, Altisource entered into non-binding letters of intent with Ocwen to acquire certain fee-based businesses related to the servicer's recent purchase of Homeward Residential and the anticipated purchase of the mortgage servicing platform from Residential Capital.

According to the NAR, the depleting share of lower-priced homes is contributing to price growth as distressed sales--foreclosures and short sales--diminish. The association found the national median price for an existing single-family home rose to $178,900 in Q4, up 10 percent from the fourth quarter of 2011. The increase marks the biggest year-over-year gain since the fourth quarter of 2005, when the median price was up 13.6 percent. Existing-home sales improved as well in Q4, rising to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.90 million.

Lender Processing Services, Inc. (LPS) announced the appointment of Dan Carmichael to its board of directors. Carmichael also serves as the chairman of the board at Platinum Underwriters Holdings and is on the board for EagleEye Analytics and Dovetail Insurance Corporation. In addition, he is an advisor to FirstMark Capital.

Capital Economics forecasts the S&P 500 equity price index will end 2013 close to the current level of 1,500 and expects home prices to rise in the neighborhood of 5 percent. In turn, the growth in household wealth, the firms says, could lift GDP by around 0.7 percent. The most recent Flow of Funds report for Q3 2012 showed net household wealth grew to about $64.7 trillion. Capital Economics says the Q4 report, due March 7, is likely to show an increase of household wealth to around $65.1 trillion.

The principal reduction debate resurfaced after 45 members of the House of Representatives--led by Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (D-Maryland) and John F. Tierney (D-Massachusetts)--sent a letter to President Obama, urging him to replace Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Acting Director Edward J. DeMarco with a permanent director.