In the current buyer’s market, sites offering databases of available properties are looking to shake up their traditional ways of doing business. One such site, PropertyMaps.com, which provides visitors access to over 1 million properties, has partnered with RealtyTrac to offer their customers access to properties in preforeclosure, bank foreclosures, and homes foreclosed via auction, in addition to their regular listings.

The Initiative for a Competitive Inner City, a national nonprofit founded by Harvard Business School professor Michael E. Porter, will release their new study on foreclosures in inner cities and the effect on the economic stability of urban areas at their annual New York Inner City Economic Leadership Event, held today.

Ameriana Bank President and Chief Executive Officer Jerome J. Gassen announced last week that Ameriana will be partnering with the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis')) to create HomeRetain, which will be part of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis’ Community Investment program.

In order to protect debtors from accruing even more debt while they are undergoing Chapter 13 proceedings, Kansas bankruptcy courts have created an amendment to the confirmation order which is used in Chapter 13 cases.

RealtyTrac, an online marketplace for foreclosure properties, announced in a press release Thursday that real estate industry veteran Larry Spencer will be assuming the role of vice president for the company.

MarketLinx Inc., a subsidiary of The First American Corp. and a provider of information technology to the residential real estate industry, recently launched the latest version of their Multiple Listing Service (MLS) system, MLXchange 4.

Integrated Mortgage Solutions (IMS), a collateral protection resource for the mortgage servicing industry, recently received their SAS 70 Type I certification from Washington, D.C.-based DuPont & Morgan LLP.

In a recent report issued by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Bank of America was ranked worst in locating bank branches in major minority neighborhoods and in lending more mortgages to whites than African Americans or Latinos.

Red Vision Systems, an independent leader in automated title solutions, continues to expand in staff, geographic coverage and orders, having just celebrated their milestone 600,000th order in September and increased their staff to over 120 employees in the past three months.

Potestivo & Associates, P.C., a Michigan based law firm, which specializes in the mortgage banking and servicing industries, will be participating in Fannie Mae’s recently launched POA REO Pilot program, along with four other area firms.