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LenderLive Network, a domestic-based, end-to-end mortgage services provider, announced the hiring of David Greif as regional account executive representing the company's Correspondent Lending division in the state of Florida.

In a continuation of its philanthropic efforts, The Five Star Institute participated as a tournament sponsor for the Texas Neurofibromatosis (NF) Foundation's Texas NF Golf Classic, which took place Monday, November 3, at the picturesque Four Seasons Resort and Club in Irving. The Texas NF Golf Classic is an annual charity golf tournament to raise awareness and funding to fight neurofibromatosis (NF), a neurological disease that affects an average of one in every 3,000 people. It is more prevalent than Cystic Fibrosis and Muscular Dystrophy combined. NF occurs equally in both men and women, in all races and ethnic groups. NF particularly affects children and can cause disfigurement, deafness, blindness, brain tumors, cancer, and even death. There is currently no cure or long-term treatment available for this debilitating disease.

According to Fannie's monthly volume summary, the mortgage giant's book totaled $3.12 trillion as of September 30, representing an annualized growth rate of 1.5 percent compared to August's decline of 4.0 percent.

The Commerce Department reported Monday that construction spending throughout September came in at an estimated seasonally adjusted annual rate of $950.9 billion, down 0.4 percent from August but up 2.9 percent from a year ago.

Auction.com's Rob Friedman has a new award for the mantle: The Internet Marketing Association (IMA) named the real estate marketplace's chairman and co-founder Internet Person of the Year.

The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan Index of Consumer Sentiment climbed to 86.9 in its final October reading, up from 84.6 in September and 73.2 last year. October's index was the highest since July 2007, the group conducting the survey reported.

Freddie Mac's board of directors gained a new member, with mortgage banking and finance veteran Thomas M. Goldstein elected to the role.

The California Association of Realtors (CAR) reported a 2.6 percent increase in its Pending Home Sales Index, putting it a reading of 102.4 from 99.8 in August. The increase compares to a 0.3 percent uptick in the National Association of Realtors' national index, which measured 105 in the group's latest reading.

Bank of America's record $16.65 billion settlement with several government agencies over the sale of toxic residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) has been stalled by an internal disagreement within the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), according to sources familiar with the case in a report from Bloomberg.

Freddie Mac reported Thursday that the average interest rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) was 3.98 percent (0.5 point) for the week ending October 30. Frank Nothaft, VP and chief economist at Freddie Mac, attributed the climb in interest rates to fair news in the housing market, pointing to new home sales and ongoing increases in the S&P Case-Shiller price indices.