Origination

The biggest short- and long-term challenges facing commercial real estate going forward are the large amount of debt maturing between now and 2015, said an executive with Deloitte LLP.

Over the next two years JP Morgan Chase will grant $1 million in downpayment assistance as an incentive to police officers and city employees in Detroit who agree to purchase vacant homes and return to the city.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit has rejected an appeal from Fair Isaac Corp., Minneapolis, letting stand a judge's ruling dismissing some of its claims before trial against VantageScore Solutions, Stamford, Conn., and Experian, Costa Mesa, Calif.

In the title business, agents serve an important function, operating in areas where underwriters do not have their own production offices.A number of recent developments regarding agencies show that even in a tough mortgage origination environment this business model remains attractive.

Last week I was walking through the town of Huntsville, Ont., with my family and noticed a brilliant marketing idea by a local shop owner. He owned a bike store and obviously wanted to not only attract customers for his bikes, but also his other products.

A.M Best Co., Oldwick, N.J., has cut its financial strength ratings to "A" from "A+" and issuer credit ratings to "a-" from "aa+" of the property/casualty units of Old Republic International Corp., Chicago, in large part because of the problems the parent company is having with Republic Mortgage Insurance Co.

Investors Bancorp Inc., Short Hills, N.J., has agreed to acquire Brooklyn (N.Y.) Federal Bancorp Inc., for $10 million total. All shareholders of Brooklyn Federal, except for BFS Bancorp MHC, will receive cash (approximate total $3 million) for their stock. The BFS shares will be converted into shares of Investors.

Veros Real Estate Solutions said it's connected a “large lender” to its custom interface with the Uniform Collateral Data Portal.

Atlanta-based SunTrust Banks Inc., said C.T. Hill, its corporate executive vice president and head of consumer banking and mortgage, would now have his primary focus on the company's mortgage business.

Flagstar Bancorp, Troy, Mich., is selling 22 retail banking branches in Indiana to First Financial Bancorp, Cincinnati, for a 7% premium on $328 million in deposits. The deal should result in a one-time gain of $23 million.