Tag Archives: Company News

In Michigan, low-to-moderate income families will get better housing opportunities thanks to a new tax credit initiative. The Michigan State Housing Development Authority recently announced that the $9.6 million in federal Low Income Housing Tax Credits will go toward renovating affordable rental housing for the state's lower income and at-risk residents. The tax credits are also giving Michigan's economy a boost by creating an estimated 1,600 new jobs in construction and similar trades.

Zillow, Inc., is welcoming a new member to its broker advisory board, with the addition of Bev Thorne. Currently the chief marketing officer for Century 21 Real Estate LLC, Thorne will take on the leadership position to provide counsel on Zillow's industry services.

Some professionals in the industry are forecasting a dollar amount nearly four times the government's estimates tallying the cost of penalties related to servicing operations at the country's big banks. Currently, the most popular figure in terms of a total settlement stands at $25 billion, but at least one portfolio manager feels that the actual number should be closer to $100 billion. Litigation among several state attorneys general and multiple U.S. financial institutions has turned the harsh spotlight on issues within the mortgage servicing divisions of the banks.

Standard & Poor's recent Lookout Report showed a solid reduction in the amount of recession-related concerns those in the U.S. financial markets are feeling and acting upon. The biweekly survey, created by S&P Capital IQ's Global Market Intelligence division, demonstrated that the drop in anxiety over the state of the nation's overall economic conditions was somewhat mitigated by rising fears over the European debt crisis. S&P's outlook also showed that U.S. home pricing has returned to levels seen in 2002.

Ally Financial Inc. announced Friday that it will stop buying new mortgage loans in Massachusetts, effective Monday, in connection with a spat of suits against four other big lenders over allegedly illegal foreclosure activity. On Thursday Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley filed suit against Ally and four others ├â┬ó├óÔÇÜ┬¼├óÔé¼┼ô including Bank of America, Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase, and Wells Fargo ├â┬ó├óÔÇÜ┬¼├óÔé¼┼ô alleging that the lenders foreclosed on homes illegally and without mortgage notes.

Opening up new industry jobs in Tempe, Arizona, BBVA Compass recently announced that it would launch a mortgage operations center in the Southwestern city. The branch will be BBVA Compass' fourth mortgage-focused complex, and the company noted its growth in the sector as the chief catalyst behind the development of a new location in Tempe.

Mortgage Information Services, Inc., has completed its testing by the Federal Housing Finance Agency, and the company has been approved, taking its connection with the UCDP live.

M&T Bank was recently given an "outstanding" rating by the New York Fed for its performance under the Community Reinvestment Act, representing the highest possible ranking.

A new president has been announced at ServiceLink, with the appointment of Chris Azur to the prestigious position. Formerly the company's executive vice president and chief operating officer, Azur has been with ServiceLink for more than four years. In his previous role for ServiceLink, Azur was responsible for multiple aspects of valuations, title, and closing operations for the entity.

In Massachusetts, the sales pace for single-family homes was on the rise during October, for the fourth consecutive month of year-over-year sales increases in the region. However, the state's housing market continues to struggle overall, with a 9 percent drop in total sales volume recorded for 2012. Single-family home sales in Massachusetts are down in terms of the year-to-date pace; by October of last year, around 34,823 homes had sold in the state, according to a recent sales study by the Warren Group.