http://www.nationalmortgagenews.com/ The current headlines from National Mortgage News en Copyright 2010, SourceMedia, Inc. and National Mortgage News. All rights reserved. Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:45:03 EST andras.malatinszky@sourcemedia.com http://www.nationalmortgagenews.com/images/nmn_logo.jpg http://www.nationalmortgagenews.com/ 300 100 http://www.nationalmortgagenews.com/#1 Senate Banking Committee leaders are close to agreement on a way to enhance consumer protection as a part of a larger financial regulatory reform bill. http://www.nationalmortgagenews.com/premium/archive/?ts=1268240400 2010-03-10 17:39:12 http://www.nationalmortgagenews.com/#2 Appraisers are raising alarms that the Treasury Department's decision to use broker price opinions (BPOs) for its new short sales program will exacerbate mortgage fraud and property "flopping." http://www.nationalmortgagenews.com/premium/archive/?ts=1268240401 2010-03-10 17:39:12 http://www.nationalmortgagenews.com/#3 Purchase mortgage application volume had a strong week and was the driver of the increase in the Mortgage Bankers Association's Market Composite Index for the week of Feb. 26. http://www.nationalmortgagenews.com/premium/archive/?ts=1268240402 2010-03-10 17:39:12 http://www.nationalmortgagenews.com/#4 Although 20% of U.S. mortgages are currently under water, Americans' risk of defaulting on their home loans is at its lowest point since 2005, according to an executive and academic expert at a risk-management firm. http://www.nationalmortgagenews.com/premium/archive/?ts=1268240403 2010-03-10 17:39:12 http://www.nationalmortgagenews.com/#5 Data from Integrated Asset Services LLC, Denver, Colo., show that national home prices fell 2.3% in January, when there was somewhat less variation than usual at micro-market levels. http://www.nationalmortgagenews.com/premium/archive/?ts=1268326800 2010-03-10 17:40:25 http://www.nationalmortgagenews.com/#6 Condominium developers in South Florida's famed South Beach area have closed on some 4,150 new units since 2003, for an average price of $891,000 per unit. But that still leaves about 1,450 apartments that remain unsold, according to a report published by Condo Vultures, a Bal Harbour-based real estate consulting firm. http://www.nationalmortgagenews.com/premium/archive/?ts=1268240404 2010-03-10 17:39:12 http://www.nationalmortgagenews.com/#7 ICP Capital has agreed to transfer its domestic and international capital markets businesses to PrinceRidge Holdings LP to create an international investment-banking boutique serving investors and issuers in the institutional fixed income markets. http://www.nationalmortgagenews.com/premium/archive/?ts=1268240405 2010-03-10 17:39:12 http://www.nationalmortgagenews.com/#8 The sale of commercial mortgage-backed securities servicer Centerline Servicing Inc. to an Island Capital affiliate has reversed the ratings damage caused by its corporate parent's financial woes, according to analysts. http://www.nationalmortgagenews.com/premium/archive/?ts=1268240406 2010-03-10 17:39:12 http://www.nationalmortgagenews.com/#9 ResCap has been working to change a practice involving the netting of cash flows of multiple residential mortgage-backed securities deals serviced by its GMAC Mortgage LLC subsidiary. http://www.nationalmortgagenews.com/premium/archive/?ts=1268240407 2010-03-10 17:39:12 http://www.nationalmortgagenews.com/#10 1010data, a provider of data warehouse and business intelligence for mortgage-backed securities market participants and others, has secured a $35 million equity investment from Norwest Venture Partners. http://www.nationalmortgagenews.com/premium/archive/?ts=1268240408 2010-03-10 17:39:12 http://www.nationalmortgagenews.com/#11 Fannie Mae is planning to offer a new-issue of three-year Benchmark Notes. http://www.nationalmortgagenews.com/premium/archive/?ts=1268240409 2010-03-10 17:39:12