Data

The Federal Reserve's commitment to keep interest rates low until 2015 isn't doing much to persuade consumers to borrow.

The FDIC's deposit insurance fund got a little bit lighter Friday as three more banks fell, the corporation announced. GulfSouth Private Bank of Destin, Florida; Excel Bank of Sedalia, Missouri; and First East Side Savings Bank of Tamarac, Florida, were all liquidated, bringing the national failure tally to 46 so far in 2012 and costing the FDIC's fund a combined total of approximately $86.1 million.

Joining an elite list of the nation's most expensive listings, Carolwood Estate has hit the market for a whopping $90 million. The 35,000-square-foot home, located in Los Angeles' sought-after Holmby Hills area, offers buyers more than just luxury, because the property boasts history as well, having once served as Walt Disney's residence.

National independent mortgage lender United Shore Financial Services, LLC (USFS), is welcoming two new corporate leaders. The Michigan-based organization, parent company of United Wholesale Mortgage, recently added Tim Forrester as chief financial officer for USFS and named Kristin Hammond as EVP of capital markets.

In a webinar hosted by the NAHB, economists discussed the housing recovery, what's keeping it going, and what may throw it off course.

PopRox Entertainment's first game pits players in a contest to win real-life prizes, including a $200,000 mortgage payoff.

The commercial real estate sector is improving, but investors need to be patient and not expect "quick wins," PwC and the Urban Land Institute said in a jointly-released report. According to their findings, "modest gains in leasing, rents, and pricing will extend across U.S. markets from coast to coast and improve prospects for all property sectors, including housing." Overall, recent job creation should bring down vacancy rates in the office, industrial, and retail sectors, and demand for apartments should remain.

As national home sales and prices showed mixed results for September, Florida's market posted higher sales, higher pending sales, higher median prices, and a slightly down inventory for the month. Statewide closed sales of existing single-family homes totaled 15,643 in September, up 2 percent year-over-year. Meanwhile, pending sales rose 40.1 percent in the same period to 21,368. The statewide median sales price for single-family homes was $145,000 in September, up 7.4 percent from a year ago.

Compliance and risk management professionals will flock to Texas in November for Wolters Kluwer Financial Service's 16th annual CRA & Fair Lending Colloquium. The financial services company is hosting the event November 12-15 at The Westin La Cantera in San Antonio. The colloquium is an opportunity for senior compliance and risk management executives to discuss their most pressing concerns with top regulators and industry leaders.

At an event in Washington Thursday, the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) announced the launch of its new Financial Regulatory Reform Initiative to evaluate the financial regulatory system after the Dodd-Frank Act. The initiative is designed to assistant Congress, the executive branch, and regulators as they work to develop and modify financial supervision and regulation.