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John Zielke previously was head of underwriting for Credit Suisse’s Column Financial and deputy chief underwriter for Walker & Dunlop.

In the post-crisis housing market appraisal reports are becoming as important as credit scores, requiring lenders and servicers to be more inventive with the tools they use to assess real estate value risks.

Bank of Lancaster has opened its first stand-alone mortgage loan production office.

Equity Loans has expanded its business operations by opening four new office locations during the first quarter of 2013.

Ellie Mae said that Vivian Wong has joined the company as senior vice president of software development.

In the modern world, paper documents are an obstacle between servicers and their own potential competitiveness.

Astoria Federal Savings in Lake Success, N.Y., has hired an HSBC executive to lead its retail division.

First Guaranty Mortgage Corp. appointed Amy Ellenburg as regional TPO manager, correspondent lending.

Annaly Capital Management, which is in the process of buying commercial mortgage lender Crexus Investment, has hired several people for its existing CRE platform.

Johnson Capital said that Colin Chapman has joined the firm as vice president in the company’s Sacramento office.