Short sales

Loan modification activity fell again on a monthly basis, but there are still several states where borrowers need assistance, according to the Hope Now alliance.

Bank of America is approaching the consumer-relief target set in its mortgage settlement with the Department of Justice and six states, according to the settlement's monitor.

Community development entities like New Jersey Community Capital and Hogar Hispano are being guaranteed a portion of the secondary market for distressed mortgages. They are doing a good job of forestalling foreclosures, but skeptics question whether that run will last.

There was a decline in loan modification activity in May both for year-over-year and month-to-month comparisons, according to the Hope Now alliance.

Millions of Americans lost their homes to foreclosures or short sales during the housing crisis. Fortunately for the economy, time heals most wounds — and credit reports.

The Dec. 31 expiration of the Home Affordable Modification Program will have a limited negative effect on residential mortgage-backed securities from 2008 or earlier, according to Moody's Investors Service.

The number of loan modification made in April dropped 4% from the previous month, according to the Hope Now alliance.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development issued a proposal Wednesday to codify recent changes to its reverse mortgage program and to provide additional protections for seniors, including a cap on annual interest rate increases.

It's taken nine years, but the number of U.S. homes in foreclosure has fallen to a level not seen since before the 2008 housing crisis.

Appraisal management company Solidifi has acquired Linear Title & Closing, a provider of national title searches and mortgage closing services.

The mortgage industry made fewer loan modifications in January, while deeds-in-lieu and foreclosure sales spiked, according to Hope Now.

The mortgage industry provided about 420,000 loan modifications last year to homeowners struggling to make payments, according to Hope Now.

Oversight of the four largest mortgage servicers' compliance with the national mortgage settlement is officially over, the watchdog overseeing the process said Thursday.

The number of properties in foreclosure nationwide declined in January, according to RealtyTrac.

A New Jersey man has been sentenced to six years in prison for running a scam that victimized distressed homeowners and private investors.

President Obama is expected to sign a bill passed by both the House and Senate that grants extensions on a number of tax benefits enjoyed by individuals and corporations, including a number of temporary provisions that the real estate industry sought.

Sales of foreclosed properties in August fell to their lowest level in about eight years, according to Hope Now.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have put billions of dollars' worth of distressed mortgage assets up for sale this year, but small buyers acquiring carve-outs of these offerings are driving activity in this niche market.

From due diligence and portfolio analysis to strategies for compliance and raising capital, the rapidly-evolving market for buying and selling distressed mortgage assets has created both challenges and opportunities for investors, servicers and portfolio managers.

Loan modifications, short sales and other mortgage workouts outpaced the total number of foreclosure sales in July, according to the Hope Now alliance.