Technology

Weichert Financial Services is investing in technology, with the recent announcement that the company would begin utilizing a platform from InHouse Inc. to enhance its appraisal processing. Choosing InHouse to facilitate data delivery, Weichert is set to take advantage of fully integrated processing for management of its appraisal-related activities.

Despite its complicated moniker, Morgan Stanley's newly formed Financial Institutions Group Global Capital Markets team has a simple mission - to help banks around the globe navigate financial and capital challenges. The advisory division will target organizations worldwide, offering strategies, underwriting, and decision-point support for clients. Morgan Stanley's Shyam Parekh will head up the FIG division out of London, and New York-based Kevin Ryan and Taylor Wright will round out the leadership.

National Bank of Kansas City is adding to its arsenal of technology tools. Recently announcing that it will now utilize DocuSign├â┬ó├óÔÇÜ┬¼├óÔÇ×┬ós eSignature platform to enhance all aspects of mortgage processing, the financial institution will be able to boost borrower├â┬ó├óÔÇÜ┬¼├óÔÇ×┬ós integration into loan procedures.

NexGen Compliance Solutions, LLC, has named a new president with the appointment of Cheri Shine to the position. Shine will take over from the current head of the company, Jeff Adam, who is departing NexGen to open his own financial consulting firm. Formerly NexGen├â┬ó├óÔÇÜ┬¼├óÔÇ×┬ós executive vice president, Shine boasts more than two decades in the mortgage business, and she has held diverse roles throughout the industry, including previous experience in lending and title vendor management.

In the Northeast, data from the third-quarter shows that Massachusetts' housing market may be experiencing a slight uptick. The state recorded its third consecutive monthly increase in single-family home sales during September, based on year-over-year numbers.

Financial institutions are continuing to invest in technology despite the unpredictable mortgage marketplace this year, and Home Federal Bank is adhering to the trend with the recent announcement that it will go live on the Common Origination module from Fiserv, Inc.

The Obama administration's latest appointment on Capitol Hill was announced recently, with the news that Thomas Hoenig would be nominated as vice chairman of the FDIC. The former chief of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City would serve the FDIC until December 2015 if he is approved by the Senate.

On Capitol Hill, the Senate is making moves to help the U.S. housing market capitalize on foreign investors. Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-New York) and Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) proposed legislation recently that would facilitate investments from abroad by easing the acquisition of visas for those participating. The bipartisan plan would give foreigners buying homes on American soil a residential visa for three-years with an investment of $500,000 or more, provided they live in the property for a minimum of 180 days per year.

FBR Capital Markets & Co. has released its third-quarter report on bank earnings, and the results, which showed loan growth among some asset divisions, also indicated that the underlying fundamentals may not be in sync with the full impact such mitigating factors had on valuations during the quarter. Showing sensitivity to debt issues abroad and the current yield curve, findings for 3Q were mixed but pointed in a potentially positive direction for the final quarter of the year. Lending was up and net interest down.

Appraisers are faced with challenges on many fronts that require skills well beyond the ability to analyze three comparable sales; Mark Chapin shares his expert advice.