As the deadline for consumers to file a claim under the national mortgage settlement draws closer, they will increasingly turn to nonprofit counseling agencies for advice.

Many professionals are fleeing the REO industry, everyone from servicing shop executives, to specialty providers, to real estate agents.

Oftentimes, appraisers don’t feel like reviews are processed by qualified real estate property valuation professionals.

The flexibility of a component servicer provides a wide range of options, from performing complete end-to-end services, to being engaged for very specific, individual components of the process.

While Automated Valuation Models are industry tools used in the traditional property valuation process, they lead to flawed results for determining an accurate value for a specific property.

What can be done and who can get involved to balance compliance while maintaining the interest of those who make REO liquidation possible?

No one imagined we would have so much government intervention or that losses and foreclosures would hit such unbelievably high levels.

Alleviating liability and loss in the REO process is one of the crucial components of successful property management.

It is no secret that the changing market landscape has created new opportunities and threats for mortgage bankers.

Simple messages communicated repeatedly over multiple mediums yield the most successful communication strategies.

There is a movement toward retaining servicing rights benefits. It involves originators and the wider mortgage industry.

Determining a portfolio’s exact level of risk is particularly challenging due, in part, to the sheer volume of data and information requiring thorough review.

When it comes to automation technology, servicers are faced with a myriad of choices between traditional, in-house software versus vendor-hosted services, or software-as-a-service delivery options.

There is much discussion about how housing prices have stabilized lately, implying the housing market is progressing forward into recovery mode. Econ 101 says differently.

By Eric Lichtenheld

There is much discussion about how housing prices have stabilized lately, implying the housing market is progressing forward into recovery mode. Econ 101 says differently. Instead, the industry is amidst a “false bottom,” propped up by a lack of inventory.

Macroeconomics says supply and demand determine prices. An increase in demand with a constant supply will increase prices, and a decrease in supply with a constant demand will also increase prices.…

One effect of the current default crisis is that servicers are squeezed for fees. To compete, they need to differentiate their offerings by providing more value than their competitors. How can servicers add value?