LRES announced that Ann Song has been named VP of REO asset management. In her new role, Song will be responsible for managing the company's REO portfolio of up to 2,000 assets and growing the number of REO specialists in the company's Orange County and Phoenix locations.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) submitted its 2013 Report to Congress, which detailed findings from the agency's examination of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The report found that although experiencing significant exposure to credit losses from mortgage originations several years prior to the government's conservatorship, the two GSEs had record amounts of net income in 2013.

There's a pervasive view held by younger consumers when considering whether to purchase a home or not, according to Freddie Mac's Christina Boyle. She believes that consumers persistently overestimate the size of a down payment they need in order to finance a home, and this lack of education is harming the housing market.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced it has allocated $70 million in funding for tribal communities across the nation to improve housing conditions. Simultaneously, the money is also intended to help stimulate community development for low and moderate income families.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of the Treasury released the May edition of the Obama Administration's Housing Scorecard on Friday. The government report showed progress, noting growth in key indicators such as increasing equity and a rebound in the sale of new and existing homes.

Baby Boomers, as a focus of study for their effect on the housing market, have been an underserved population, according to a blog post written by Trulia's Jed Kolko. He investigated whether baby boomer downsizing—selling a single-family home in order to move into a multi-family unit—could be a future trend in the housing market.

Freddie Mac announced the company is teaming up with the Veterans Association of Real Estate Professionals and the Kingdom Community Development Corporation to hold the American Heroes Housing Fair and Open House on June 21 in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

Economists are lowering their expectations for housing starts in 2014, according to a survey performed by the Wall Street Journal. The Journal notes their diminishing optimism is among the most noticeable trend in monthly surveys of economic forecasters in the first half of 2014.

The unemployment rate was unchanged in May, staying put at 6.3 percent with 9.8 million Americans unemployed. Unemployment is the lowest it has been since September 2008. However, RealtyTrac's Octavio Nuiry makes the case that there is more to unemployment than percentages, and that a hidden actor is depressing housing market growth—and could cause more problems in the future.

NetDirector, a provider of cloud-based data and document exchange services, recently launched their new Military and PACER combo searches using their integrated workflow technology.