Government

Governors sitting on the board of the Federal Reserve pressed their fellow central bankers for more bond purchases, an idea the institution ultimately rejected in favor of $400 billion in short-term Treasury purchases to offset worries about a new recession. The minutes portray the last meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee, held in early September, as one carefully assessing the current economic climate and an array of fiscal and monetary measures needed to sustain a national recovery.

After hitting rock bottom last week, mortgage rates returned to previous lows on a somewhat tenuous climb this week as European central bankers seemed to reach a deal and a U.S. jobs report netted better-than-expected results. Leaping forward from a history-making 3.94 percent last week, interest rates for the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rose to 4.12 percent, according to Freddie. Bankrate.com offered up similar results, showcasing a 4.37-percent 30-year loan rate this week, up from 4.21 percent.

Sixteen lawmakers from both parties inked their names to a widely circulated letter Wednesday that called for the implementation of a massive refinance program first proposed by President Barack Obama. Addressing several high-ranking officials, the bipartisan group pressed in the letter for the elimination loan-to-value ratio caps, risk-based loan fees, and barriers like second lien holders. Supporters say an expanded refi program would allow for an unprecedented surge in refinancing activity.

Mortgage appraisal company AppraiserLoft has closed its doors following numerous executive departures, rumors of non-payment to appraisers, and an ongoing lawsuit brought against the company's CEO regarding alleged activities unrelated to the company. According to numerous trade publications, AppraiserLoft made employees aware of the shutdown last week in advance of its official closure. Current clients are instructed to contact the company via its help-desk e-mail account.

The SEC has filed to recover losses from former bank officials who allegedly concealed massive loan losses for before United Commercial Bank went bust.

Advantage Systems is set to offer enhanced programs to facilitate critical communication between parent companies that possess mortgage divisions. The company's Accounting for Mortgage Bankers (AMB) product can now be utilized with greater leverage to enable mortgage subsidiaries to operate outside of an entity's general ledger system, creating improved efficiency and streamlined processing.

U.S. Bank Home Mortgage's president and CEO, Daniel Arrigoni, has been named the next recipient of the MBA's Investing in Communities Award.

Releasing the hotly anticipated Volcker Rule Tuesday, federal regulatory agencies proposed banning banks from deploying their own capital as collateral in bets on uncertain investments. Enacting Section 619 of the Dodd-Frank Act, the draft regulation vaguely proposes a two-month wait period for financial institutions trading in on investments, more managerial heft from executives, and guidelines that discourage institutions from risk-hedging, among other requirements.

Nationwide, RE/MAX has ranked among the Franchise Times Top 200 annual survey. Coming in at number 15 on the elite list, RE/MAX received its third consecutive award within the franchise competition this year. Joining other top organizations including McDonalds, 7-Eleven, and Subway, RE/MAX ranked among survey honorees thanks in part to its worldwide sales volume.

Even as fewer banks fail nationally, the FDIC recently filed suit against former 11 directors and officers of the institution for which it now serves as receiver, with the goal to collect $23.92 million in damages from the defendants. Citing negligence and oversight failure, the federal agency filed suit against Alpha Bank & Trust, an Alpharetta, Georgia-based bank closed by state regulators in 2008. The FDIC claimed $214.5 million in approximate costs to the Deposit Insurance Fund.