Servicing

The delinquency rate on Freddie Mac guaranteed mortgages fell to 3.96% in June, the lowest reading since November of last year.

National volunteer programs and state government entities are busy working to unearth and close down "unscrupulous and unlicensed loan modification companies" who prey on financially stressed homeowners.

For example, NeighborWorks organizations around the country held more than 150 events during National NeighborWorks Week June 5-12 to inform tens of thousands of homeowners on how to avoid and report mortgage modification scams.

There's no question that distressed property sales wreak havoc with neighborhood price stability. But exactly how badly do short sales and foreclosures impact prices?

While a major player in the loan modification market expects an uptick in loan restructurings when employment improves, other industry participants say the relevance of the government's HAMP program is decreasing.

Congress has extended the Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act through 2014 as part of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform bill that President Obama signed this week.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency is seeing significant improvement in the quality of new business at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac as a result of tighter underwriting standards promulgated by the two.

Lender Processing Services Inc., Jacksonville, Fla., earned $80 million in the second quarter, a 7% increase from the same period last year.

As Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac increasingly send problem loans back to their seller/servicers for repurchase, banks may not know their full liability in this area, according to a new research report.

Sales of existing homes in Florida rose for the 22nd consecutive month in June, a sign that this beleaguered housing market may be stabilizing.

Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke said that U.S. housing policy, with its reliance on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, is "not sustainable."