Data

Banks continued to enjoy boosted earnings in the third quarter from increasingly strong gain-on-sale (GOS) margins.

Mortgage Insurance Companies of America (MICA), an association of private mortgage insurers, reported Monday that since 2009, its members have insured $86.9 billion in mortgages modified or refinanced through the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) and the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) as well as in mortgages modified through other means. During the third quarter of 2012, the dollar volume of insurance written by MICA members reached nearly $11.6 billion, up 62 percent year-over-year.

Douglas Elliman is abiding by an old adage, proving that everything old is new again by adopting the company's original name. The announcement of the firm's revamped identity accompanies other updates for Douglas Elliman, including the recent launch of AskElliman, a new consumer-facing platform, and the relaunch of the company's lifestyle publication.

In October, home prices and sales increased compared to 2011 levels, while inventory remained a concern, RE/MAX revealed in a recent report. The median sales price in October 2012 stood at $158,900, a 3.7 percent decrease from September but a 2.1 percent increase from October 2011. Meanwhile, home sales posted "an impressive performance" in October, increasing both yearly and monthly despite the fact that seasonal patterns usually see a slight drop around that time.

JPMorgan Chase's leadership team is undergoing a few changes: The bank announced that effective early next year, Marianne Lake will be stepping into the role of CFO. Meanwhile, current CFO Doug Braunstein will become vice chairman of the company.

Radian Guaranty Inc., the mortgage insurance (MI) subsidiary of the Philadelphia-based Radian Group Inc., announced that it will now provide MI on loans within the HarmonyLoan platform.

Housing starts rose 3.6 percent in October to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 894,000--the highest level since July 2008--but permits for new residential construction fell, the Census Bureau and Department of Housing and Urban Development reported jointly Tuesday. Permits and starts for September were revised lower, making the month-over-month percentage growth for starts stronger. Permits in October were down 2.7 percent from September to 866,000.

Two federal agencies partnered up to let certain companies know their mortgage advertising tactics may be unlawful. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced letters were issued over potentially misleading advertisements that target veterans and older Americans.

Equator, a Los Angeles-based default servicing technology provider, hired Sevak Markarian as the company's new VP of quality assurance (QA). Markarian has more than a decade of experience in the field of information technology and has held management-level positions in QA and process improvement for more than 10 years.

JPMorgan Securities LLC and Credit Suisse Securities (USA) paid a combined $416.9 million to settle charges of misleading investors.