Servicing

The Treasury Department and members of Congress are preparing to move forward with plans to expand government-backed refinancing programs to underwater homeowners whose loans are packaged in private-label securities.

The members of the Mortgage Insurance Cos. of America had their third best month of 2012 in terms of new insurance written during December.

Foreclosure activity increased last year in more than half of the nation’s metropolitan statistical areas with a population of at least 200,000.

CreXus has agreed to let Annaly Capital Management acquire the rest of the outstanding shares of the company it does not already own for $13 per share in cash.

Lender Processing Services has agreed to pay 44 states and the District of Columbia $121 million to settle claims of unlawful foreclosure practices.

FloodInsights is now offering lenders and others a sinkhole search report for Florida properties.

As the mortgage market increases the use of upfront automated audits to comply with regulation, homeowners are being offered the opportunity to review whether lenders and servicers are up to the task.

The Treasury Department has allocated $29.9 billion to 96 servicers participating in the government’s loan modification programs.

Life company commercial mortgage loan holdings generated a return of 2.31% in the third quarter of 2012.

New York Community Bancorp said its 2012 mortgage banking income was more than double 2011’s, ending the year at $179 million.