Servicing

Two new board members have been appointed at Platinum Data, and the valuation technology provider is preparing to welcome seasoned executives Hunter Atkins and John LaMacchia to the company's directorship. In an official statement, Platinum noted that the company hopes to capitalize on their leadership "during the next phase of its growth and expansion."

CoreLogic has launched a new provision for clients using the company's private-label residential mortgage-backed securities dataset. California-based CoreLogic recently announced the incorporation of anonymized servicer stop advance data, which will be available free of charge for the company's existing and new RMBS-data customers. The trustee-submitted data from CoreLogic will be at the loan-level, as opposed to aggregated. CoreLogic's stop advance data will include history dating back to January 2009.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency released the findings of its 18th annual Survey of Credit Underwriting Practices, showing that credit writing standards were mostly unchanged from the year before. The survey, which included federal savings associations for the first time, examined the underwriting standards of 87 banks with assets of $3 billion or more in the 12-month period ending February 29. Underwriting standards largely remained the same despite some easing in standards for retail and commercial products.

Home construction starts are on the rise in 2012, and updates to a recent survey from the McGraw-Hill Companies indicate a forecasted increase of 2 percent for the year. According to projections from the 2012 Dodge Construction Outlook Midyear Update, total construction starts will hit $445 billion, besting the $434 billion recorded during 2011. Compiled by McGraw-Hill Construction, the outlook report calls the predicted performance "slightly better than" flat in a still-recovering economy dogged by recurring problems.

A new survey from Mortgagebot includes promising findings for community-based lenders hoping to increase their market share. The technology company's recent report shows that upticks in visibility and accessibility via online channels can help level the playing field for smaller lenders competing with the nation's big banks. Mortgagebot's study revealed specific strategies that are enabling the company's clients to capitalize on market share including generating better borrower-facing accessibility online, targeting new customers through an online approach that is tailored to a particular demographic.

CitiMortgage announced Thursday the launch of its proprietary ├â┬ó├óÔÇÜ┬¼├àÔÇ£Citi Military Road to Recovery Tour├â┬ó├óÔÇÜ┬¼├é┬Ø designed to help current and former Armed Services members who need assistance with their mortgages. The tour will feature five homeowner-support events near military bases all around the United States. At these events, Citi├â┬ó├óÔÇÜ┬¼├óÔÇ×┬ós Homeowner Support Travel Team of mortgage experts and HUD-approved housing counselors will have individualized discussions with both current service members and veterans. The first event will take place in San Diego, California on June 29.

Landmark Mortgage Group has added a new advisor to its roster of lending and real estate professionals. The company recently promoted Adina Erridge to mortgage advisor from her previous role as a production assistant.

For baseball fans, it doesn't get any greater than Babe Ruth, and now that a Massachusetts estate once belonging to Ruth is on the market, homebuyers have the chance to live like the Sultan of Swat. The property, which is known as Home Plate Farm, is listed for $1.

Consumer spending fell $4.7 billion, less than 1 percent in May, reversing the 0.15 percent increase in April, the Labor Department reported Friday. Personal income meanwhile grew $25.4 billion or 0.18 percent, down from April's 0.22 percent growth. The numbers suggest GDP growth for the second quarter which ends Saturday could be slip from the first quarter's weak 1.9 percent growth rate. In dollars, income growth in May was less than the $29.4 billion in April, while spending fell from a gain of $16.2 billion in April.

If it becomes law, a Senate bill could increase the number of homeowners who refinance under the Home Affordable Refinance Program by up to 13 million. That's the consensus reached by professors with Columbia University Business School, which released the study on Thursday. The study sketched the likely effects of a bill recently co-sponsored by Sens. Barbara Boxer and Robert Menendez. Researchers said that new HARP modifications could lead to roughly $35 billion in savings for homeowners, a number that could help stem the rate of foreclosure activity nationally.