Servicing

Michigan homeowners facing a loss of their houses to foreclosure will find it easier to solve their financial problems as a result of a package of bills signed by Gov. Rick Snyder.

The city of Owensboro, Ky., has plowed through a complicated process that led to a mass foreclosure action against 21 problem properties, most of them residential. Now, the city has its sights on another set of similar problem properties for foreclosure.

Local officials could have a new weapon, courtesy of state government, in a drive to thin out empty residences and buildings in St. Joseph, Mo.

A recently launched program in New York state is helping distressed borrowers avoid foreclosure.

The former vice president of Appalachian Community Bank in Ellijay, Ga., has been found guilty of a fraud that helped force the bank to close in March 2010.

Mortgage professional hiring and new job appointments for the week ending Jan. 16.

Lower litigation costs helped Bank of America's mortgage unit curb its losses, while Citi's fourth quarter origination volume dropped 18% from a year ago.

Bank of America's expenses still far exceed those of JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo, so analysts were clearly disappointed Thursday when CEO Brian Moynihan failed to outline any specific plans for further lowering overhead.

Facing the prospect of losing its license in California, Ocwen would be wise to settle its probe by state regulators in a timely manner, observers said. If it doesn't, the mortgage servicer could lose significant revenue and might even face a cash crunch.

Foreclosure filings on U.S. properties fell 18% in 2014 compared to a year earlier, according to RealtyTrac.