Origination

Out in Atlanta, Equifax Inc. announced that its subsidiary, Equifax Information Services LLC, has entered into an agreement to purchase certain credit services business assets and operations of CSC Credit Services, Inc., a subsidiary of Computer Sciences Corporation.

Continuing to show the recovery from Superstorm Sandy, first-time claims for unemployment insurance fell 25,000 to 370,000 for the week ended December 1, the Labor Department reported Thursday. Economists expected 380,000 initial claims filings. The previous week├â┬ó├óÔÇÜ┬¼├óÔÇ×┬ós report was revised upward to 395,000 from the originally reported 393,000.

In the wake of the Thanksgiving scandal that made her mansion in the Hollywood Hills somewhat infamous, Oscar-winner Halle Berry has put the palatial pad on the market for $15 million.

In a testimony before the Senate Banking Committee on Thursday, HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan defended the Federal Housing Administration's (FHA) recent role in the housing market and the steps the agency has taken to avoid a possible bailout. In an annual report issued to Congress in mid-November, HUD revealed the capital reserve ratio of FHA's Mutual Mortgage Insurance (MMI) Fund had fallen to -1.44 percent (representing -$16.3 billion) based on data from an independent actuary.

The American Land Title Association (ALTA) reports continued improvements for title companies. Each of the three quarters the association reported on so far this year have registered increasing volume for title companies. Premiums rose 28 percent year-over-year in the third quarter. The industry produced $3 billion in title insurance premiums over the third quarter, up from $2.4 billion during the same period in 2011.

Fixed mortgage rates stayed relatively calm this week as economic indicators showed improved strength.

W.J. Bradley Mortgage Capital, LLC, a privately held independent mortgage firm headquartered in Colorado, announced its expansion into the greater Midwestern region through a new partnership with the Chicago-based PinPoint Mortgage.

Releasing the company's most recent Real Estate Index, Winans Investments is declaring that housing's bear market is over. Tempering the survey's positive findings, however, the company's economists emphasized that changes in tax laws could slow or stop the market's recovery trends.

Trulia, a leading online real estate marketplace operating out of San Francisco, announced the appointment of industry veteran Alon Chaver as VP of industry services. Chaver most recently served as the co-founder and CEO of iHomeFinder, serving brokers and multiple listing services (MLSs) across the country for more than 15 years.

Home prices were up 6.3 percent year-over-year in October, according to CoreLogic's most recent Home Price Index (HPI) report. The rise represents the biggest yearly increase since June 2006 and marks the eighth consecutive month in which prices rose on an annual basis. October's strength is expected to carry into November, as well. The CoreLogic Pending HPI shows that November prices (including distressed sales) are anticipated to rise about 7.1 percent year-over-year.