a la mode: Mortgages Still Booming

The mortgage boom is not abating, says Oklahoma City-based a la mode, citing more than 13.6 million real estate appraisal reports submitted to lenders via the company's Mercury Network over the past 12 months.Appraisal-related file requests and transactions -- such as location and flood map downloads, and appraisal report exchanges between appraisers and loan officer clients -- represent mortgage loans in process and are "the most reliable leading indicator of mortgage volume," the company said. "It continues to be a historically busy time for mortgage and appraisal professionals, and we can say with confidence, based on our server volume, that it shows no sign of slowing down in the immediate future," said Mike Unser, a la mode's product line manager. The Mercury Network is "the largest transaction platform in the mortgage industry," serving more than half of U.S. appraisers and nearly all the nation's loan officers and mortgage brokers, according to a la mode. The company can be found online at http://www.alamode.com.