Tag Archives: Attorneys & Title Companies

More brokers, loan officers, realtors, and others defrauded lenders, servicers, and homeowners over 2010 despite improving conditions in the housing market at large, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which released a comprehensive report Friday. Mortgage fraud cases and investigations amounted to 3,129 cases over the year, 12 percent more than in 2009 and some 90 percent above the same trends in 2008. Referencing CoreLogic, the FBI said that applicants fraudulently filed some $12 billion in loan applications last year.

A new senior vice president has joined Walker

Putting capital earned from its recent initial public offering to good use, AG Mortgage Investment Trust, Inc., announced that it has achieved significant deployment of its new liquidity. The company├â┬ó├óÔÇÜ┬¼├óÔÇ×┬ós IPO and simultaneous private placement were concurrently completed on July 6, and by utilizing the capital gained in that transaction as well as the underwriters├â┬ó├óÔÇÜ┬¼├óÔÇ×┬ó overallotment option, established and closed on July 20, AG has also been able to debut its initial portfolio.

Fidelity Mortgage, Inc. has new ownership. PSM Holdings, Inc., recently announced the completion of its acquisition, which fuses Fidelity with United Community Mortgage Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Prime Source Mortgage, Inc., via its parent company, PSMH.

Nine brokers and five lawyers will face prosecution over their alleged role in a $58 million mortgage fraud scheme that banked on 100 loans across New York City and three state counties. According to a Thursday statement, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York and Federal Bureau of Investigation stepped up with a five-count indictment against the defendants. Starting in 2004, Gerard Canino and co-conspirators allegedly closed deals for distressed properties by going through sham buyers and attorneys.

Those in the market for a home in Arizona will soon have an enhanced version of the popular multiple listing service (MLS) to assist them when perusing real estate options. The Arizona Association of Realtors (AAR) recently moved to build out a statewide version of MLS via the acquisition of the state├â┬ó├óÔÇÜ┬¼├óÔÇ×┬ós most comprehensive existing MLS.

In opposition to the recently recorded declines, the Fiserv Case-Shiller Indexes predicts stable numbers around the country by 2012. Notable stats from the 380 markets that the survey examined include a forecasted rise in housing affordability to pre-crisis levels and an increase in home pricing strength near the start of 2012. The Fiserv Case-Shiller Home Price Insights, available now, indicate that housing affordability could rise, since current pricing is about 5 percent above data from 2000.

EarlyCheck has arrived, according to a recent announcement from Wipro Gallagher Solutions. The company will roll out its new component via the NetOxygen loan origination system, and EarlyCheck will target compliance.

American International Group is heading to court with Bank of America. AIG filed a lawsuit Monday against the bank, targeting BAC├â┬ó├óÔÇÜ┬¼├óÔÇ×┬ós alleged misrepresentation of mortgage-backed securities. AIG├â┬ó├óÔÇÜ┬¼├óÔÇ×┬ós claims focus on BAC├â┬ó├óÔÇÜ┬¼├óÔÇ×┬ós Merrill Lynch and Countrywide Financial components, and the entity is seeking over $10 billion in compensation in what could be the largest mortgage-security lawsuit ever filed by an individual investor. The suit alleges that the bank fraudulently represented the quality of mortgage-backed securities purchased by AIG.

The South Florida mortgage banking community is immersed in scandal, as a result of four indictments released this week by the U.S. Attorney├â┬ó├óÔÇÜ┬¼├óÔÇ×┬ós Office in Miami, Florida. The separate filings target 27 individuals who are accused of diverse fraud schemes waged against lenders and homeowners in the region. Charges encompass more than $30 million in faulty mortgage loans, plus mail fraud, insurance fraud, and arson. Twenty-five of the 27 indicted individuals are in custody, and each could ultimately face up to 20 years in jail.