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		<title>DSNews.com Article Feed</title> 
		<link>http://www.dsnews.com</link> 
		<description>DSNews.com was conceived as the online counterpart to DS News (formerly REO Magazine),the default mortgage servicing industry's monthly media voice in print. Designed to be the industry's first news bureau and premier online destination, DSNews.com delivers up-to-the-minute news, daily broadcasts and a complete range of industry resources.</description> 
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			<title>DSNews.com Article Feed</title> 
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			<title>Foreclosure Activity Drops 2%: RealtyTrac</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/foreclosure-activity-drops-2-realtytrac-2010-03-11</link> 
			<pubDate>Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:07:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/foreclosure-activity-drops-2-realtytrac-2010-03-11</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[Foreclosure filings issued to U.S. homeowners have fallen for the second straight month. 

According to new data released by RealtyTrac Thursday, default notices, scheduled auctions, and bank repossessions were reported on 308,524 properties in February. That's a 2 percent decrease from January, when foreclosure activity dropped by 10 percent. 

February's numbers are still 6 percent above the level reported one year earlier, but RealtyTrac says it's the smallest annual increase the company has tracked since January 2006.]]></description> 
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			<title>GMAC Sells $250M in Problem Mortgages as CFO Steps Down</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/gmac-sells-250m-in-problem-mortgages-as-cfo-steps-down-2010-03-10</link> 
			<pubDate>Wed, 10 Mar 2010 19:17:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/gmac-sells-250m-in-problem-mortgages-as-cfo-steps-down-2010-03-10</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[GMAC Financial Services has auctioned off $250 million of problem mortgage assets, using Citigroup Inc. as its broker on the deal, according to a report from American Banker. GMAC reported in February that its $5 billion loss during the final months of last year was largely the result of “legacy assets in the mortgage operations.” A regulatory filing by the company this week also revealed that its CFO, Robert Hull, has resigned, effective at the end of this month.]]></description> 
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			<title>Lend America and Its VP Barred from Federal Mortgage Market</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/lend-america-and-its-vp-barred-from-federal-mortgage-market-2010-03-10</link> 
			<pubDate>Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:50:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/lend-america-and-its-vp-barred-from-federal-mortgage-market-2010-03-10</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[New York-based Lend America and its senior-level strategist and VP, Michael Ashley, have been permanently banned from doing business for the Federal Housing Administration, according to recently released court documents. Ashley helped build Lend America into one of the most lucrative FHA loan producers, but federal attorneys say all the while he's been in violation of an earlier industry ban, when he plead guilty to wire fraud conspiracy in 1993.]]></description> 
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			<title>Keller Williams Realty Launches Operations in Southern Arizona</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/keller-williams-realty-launches-operations-in-southern-arizona-2010-03-10</link> 
			<pubDate>Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:30:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/keller-williams-realty-launches-operations-in-southern-arizona-2010-03-10</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[Keller Williams Realty, an Austin, Texas-based real estate franchise operation, recently announced the launch of Keller Williams Southern Arizona. This new operation, formerly with Realty Executives, includes seven offices with more than 375 real estate agents and staff.]]></description> 
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			<title>GSEs in the Hot Seat over Political Campaign Contributions</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/gses-in-hot-seat-over-political-campaign-contributions-2010-03-10</link> 
			<pubDate>Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:19:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/gses-in-hot-seat-over-political-campaign-contributions-2010-03-10</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[An activist group who says its purpose is to investigate and prosecute government corruption is in a federal court battle to get its hands on documents detailing the political contributions made by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. 

The organization says its been trying to get access to the GSEs' records since May of last year but has been denied by the companies' regulator, who is shielding the documents under claims that the government-controlled firms are private corporations. No. 2 on the GSEs' list of campaign contribution recipients is President Obama.]]></description> 
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			<title>National House Prices Down for Sixth Consecutive Month: IAS</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/national-house-prices-down-for-sixth-consecutive-month-ias-2010-03-10</link> 
			<pubDate>Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:15:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/national-house-prices-down-for-sixth-consecutive-month-ias-2010-03-10</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[Marking the sixth straight month of declines, national house prices fell 2.3 percent in January, according to the latest IAS360 House Price Index (HPI) released Wednesday by Denver-based Integrated Asset Services, LLC (IAS). 

The culprit? IAS says unusually severe winter weather in large regions of the country may have added to housing market woes. The January numbers resulted in the largest single-month decline in the IAS360 in more than a year.]]></description> 
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			<title>Fairway Mortgage Reports Big Gains in New England Buying Activity</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/fairway-mortgage-reports-big-gains-in-new-england-buying-activity-2010-03-10</link> 
			<pubDate>Wed, 10 Mar 2010 12:55:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/fairway-mortgage-reports-big-gains-in-new-england-buying-activity-2010-03-10</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation reported this week that it more than doubled its mortgage sales in New England in 2009. Mortgage loan volume for the company's New England offices grew from $295 million in 2008 to $720 million in 2009 - a 244 percent increase.]]></description> 
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			<title>Nevada Foreclosure Mediation Program to Undergo Rule Changes</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/nevada-foreclosure-mediation-program-to-undergo-rule-changes-2010-03-10</link> 
			<pubDate>Wed, 10 Mar 2010 12:33:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/nevada-foreclosure-mediation-program-to-undergo-rule-changes-2010-03-10</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[At a public hearing scheduled for Tuesday, March 16, 2010, the Nevada Supreme Court will consider amendments to the rules governing the state's Foreclosure Mediation Program (FMP). If the amendments are approved, this will be the third set of rule changes since the FMP was enacted on July 1, 2009.]]></description> 
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			<title>Continental REO Adds New Sales Manager</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/continental-reo-adds-new-sales-manager-2010-03-10</link> 
			<pubDate>Wed, 10 Mar 2010 12:13:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/continental-reo-adds-new-sales-manager-2010-03-10</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[Nick Steiner has joined Continental REO Services, Inc. as the company's sales and marketing manager.  He brings to the position more than nine years of experience managing major accounts throughout the country, including working with Fortune 100 companies.]]></description> 
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			<title>Exclusive Electronic Signature Service Available for Realtors</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/exclusive-electronic-signature-service-available-for-realtors-2010-03-10</link> 
			<pubDate>Wed, 10 Mar 2010 11:18:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/exclusive-electronic-signature-service-available-for-realtors-2010-03-10</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[On Wednesday, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) and DocuSign unveiled the DocuSign Realtor Edition, an exclusive online eSignature service designed specifically for Realtors. The new Realtor Edition allows NAR members to electronically sign agreements with buyers and sellers, which saves Realtors time and provides client convenience.]]></description> 
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			<title>Credit Outlook Remains Negative for Most U.S. Banks: Fitch</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/credit-outlook-remains-negative-for-most-us-banks-fitch-2010-03-10</link> 
			<pubDate>Wed, 10 Mar 2010 11:12:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/credit-outlook-remains-negative-for-most-us-banks-fitch-2010-03-10</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[Fitch Ratings warned Tuesday that the still-weak financial fundamentals of the nation's lenders have cemented its rating outlook for the U.S. banking sector as negative. 

The New York-based agency did note, though, that many of the factors that have been putting downward pressure on banks' ratings, including lending and liquidity, are easing. However, commercial real estate exposure, particularly for regional banks, as well as consumer mortgages are expected to weigh heavy on lenders' earnings into 2011.]]></description> 
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			<title>Auction Division of LPS to Sell Portfolio of Foreclosed Homes</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/auction-division-of-lps-to-sell-portfolio-foreclosed-homes-2010-03-10</link> 
			<pubDate>Wed, 10 Mar 2010 10:33:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/auction-division-of-lps-to-sell-portfolio-foreclosed-homes-2010-03-10</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[Lender Processing Services, Inc. (LPS) recently announced that its LPS Auction Solutions division will conduct an online auction of foreclosed homes from the hard-hit states of Arizona, California, and Nevada.]]></description> 
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			<title>Mortgage Applications Inch Up: MBA</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/mortgage-applications-inch-up-mba-2010-03-10</link> 
			<pubDate>Wed, 10 Mar 2010 09:47:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/mortgage-applications-inch-up-mba-2010-03-10</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[An increase in purchase activity for the week ending March 5, 2010 caused mortgage loan application volume to nudge up 0.5 percent on a seasonally-adjusted basis from the prior week, the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reported Wednesday. 

According to MBA's Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey, the seasonally-adjusted Purchase Index increased 5.7 percent on a week-to-week basis, but the Refinance Index fell 1.5 percent.]]></description> 
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			<title>RebuildUS Sells the Foreclosed Homes Banks Can't</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/rebuildus-sells-foreclosed-homes-banks-cant-2010-03-09</link> 
			<pubDate>Tue, 09 Mar 2010 21:43:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/rebuildus-sells-foreclosed-homes-banks-cant-2010-03-09</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[Economists believe the nation's subprime mortgage meltdown and foreclosure crisis will continue to worsen unless innovative thinking reinvents the system. RebuildUS LLC says it's operating under precisely this premise by bypassing the banks and auctions to move Americans back into affordable homeownership through its newly-launched online foreclosure marketplace.]]></description> 
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			<title>Mortgage Contracting Services Names Paton SVP of Operations</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/mortgage-contracting-services-names-paton-svp-of-operations-2010-03-09</link> 
			<pubDate>Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:13:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/mortgage-contracting-services-names-paton-svp-of-operations-2010-03-09</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[Mortgage Contracting Services (MCS), a nationwide property preservation and inspection services provider, has added Steve Paton to its team as SVP, responsible for overseeing the company's Tampa, Florida operations and vendor management. With more than 27 years in the industry, Paton's experience spans default servicing, loss mitigation, REO, call center, and collections.]]></description> 
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			<title>Trott &amp; Trott Attorney Recognized with Leaders in Law Award</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/trott-attorney-recognized-with-leaders-in-law-award-2010-03-09</link> 
			<pubDate>Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:11:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/trott-attorney-recognized-with-leaders-in-law-award-2010-03-09</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[Marcy Ford, EVP and managing partner for the bankruptcy and foreclosure first legal department of Farmington Hills-based Trott & Trott, P.C., has been recognized by Michigan Lawyers Weekly with the "Leaders in the Law" award. The award honors 25 members of the state's legal community for their work and dedication.]]></description> 
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			<title>More Than 200 Foreclosed Homes Hit Auction Block in Michigan</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/more-than-200-foreclosed-homes-hit-auction-block-in-michigan-2010-03-09</link> 
			<pubDate>Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:45:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/more-than-200-foreclosed-homes-hit-auction-block-in-michigan-2010-03-09</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[Foreclosures continue to drive down home prices in hard-hit states like Michigan, but according to the auction company Hudson & Marshall of Texas, this is good news for buyers and investors looking for bargains on homes. ]]></description> 
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			<title>Advantage Title Introduces GFE Rate Calculator</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/advantage-title-introduces-gfe-rate-calculator-2010-03-09</link> 
			<pubDate>Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:12:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/advantage-title-introduces-gfe-rate-calculator-2010-03-09</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[In response to the new regulations under the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA), Advantage Title, Inc. has launched GFEz--a RESPA-compliant Good Faith Estimate (GFE) rate calculator that delivers easy online calculation of title- and escrow-related fees.]]></description> 
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			<title>Legislated Risk Retention Is No Substitute for Good Underwriting: Report</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/legislated-risk-retention-is-no-substitute-for-good-underwriting-report-2010-03-09</link> 
			<pubDate>Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:00:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/legislated-risk-retention-is-no-substitute-for-good-underwriting-report-2010-03-09</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[Both the House bill for financial regulatory reform and the draft Senate bill currently being debated include across-the-board risk retention provisions for home mortgages. The idea is to ensure lenders have more "skin in the game," to prevent the risky practices that ignited the housing crisis.

But according to a new study by the Community Mortgage Banking Project, such mandated risk retention is "no substitute" for good underwriting and could significantly raise the cost of home mortgages.]]></description> 
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			<title>DartAppraisal.com Joins Forces With FirstClose</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/dartappraisalcom-join-forces-with-firstclose-2010-03-09</link> 
			<pubDate>Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:15:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/dartappraisalcom-join-forces-with-firstclose-2010-03-09</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[In an announcement Tuesday, Dartappraisal.com, a Troy, Michigan-based provider of nationwide residential real estate valuations, said it has integrated with FirstClose, a service of First Lenders Data Inc. (FLDI), an Austin, Texas-based technology solutions provider to mortgage lenders nationwide.]]></description> 
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			<title>National Price Reductions Fall Below 20%: Trulia</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/national-price-reductions-fall-below-20-trulia-2010-03-09</link> 
			<pubDate>Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:38:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/national-price-reductions-fall-below-20-trulia-2010-03-09</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[With the buy-now attitude fading, national home price reduction levels continued to decrease this month, according to a recent report by San Francisco-based Trulia, Inc., a real estate search engine. As of March 1, 19 percent of listings on the market had experienced at least one price cut, falling 10 percent from the previous month to the lowest level since Trulia began tracking price reductions in April 2009.]]></description> 
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			<title>National Quick Sale and Hollander Financial Partner on Short Sales</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/national-quick-sale-and-hollander-financial-partner-on-short-sales-2010-03-09</link> 
			<pubDate>Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:37:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/national-quick-sale-and-hollander-financial-partner-on-short-sales-2010-03-09</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[National Quick Sale announced Tuesday that it has entered into a business partnership agreement with real estate and mortgage services provider Hollander Financial Holding Inc. Through this venture, National Quick Sale plans to promote the use of its short sale platform's capabilities through Hollander's nationwide network of real estate professionals.]]></description> 
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			<title>Florida Home Sellers Slash Prices by More Than 10%: ZipRealty</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/florida-home-sellers-slash-prices-by-more-than-10-ziprealty-2010-03-09</link> 
			<pubDate>Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:31:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/florida-home-sellers-slash-prices-by-more-than-10-ziprealty-2010-03-09</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[In an effort to attract buyers, home sellers in major cities throughout Florida are reducing prices by more than 10 percent, according to a monthly survey of home listings conducted by ZipRealty, an online real estate brokerage based in Emeryville, California.]]></description> 
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			<title>Commercial Mortgages Performing Better than Other Loans: MBA</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/commercial-mortgages-performing-better-than-other-loans-mba-2010-03-09</link> 
			<pubDate>Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:27:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/commercial-mortgages-performing-better-than-other-loans-mba-2010-03-09</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[The magnitude of the commercial real estate (CRE) downturn is a topic of intense debate. One school of thought argues that bad CRE loans could send the nation into another tailspin recession, while others say the industry has the advantage of lessons learned from the housing crisis to successfully weather the storm.

New data from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) Tuesday seems to support the latter. MBA has concluded that commercial and multifamily mortgages continue to have the lowest charge-off rates of any loan type.]]></description> 
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			<title>Appraisal Organizations Oppose Use of BPOs in HAFA Program</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/appraisal-organizations-oppose-use-of-bpos-in-hafa-program-2010-03-09</link> 
			<pubDate>Tue, 09 Mar 2010 12:45:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/appraisal-organizations-oppose-use-of-bpos-in-hafa-program-2010-03-09</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[Several appraisal organizations, representing more than 35,000 real estate appraisers, are voicing their opposition to the Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives (HAFA) program, set to take effect April 5, 2010. The program allows broker price opinions (BPOs) to be used to determine the value of properties to establish a minimum offer for a short sale. The trade groups argue that the use of BPOs will not protect all parties interests and is likely to open the door for fraud.]]></description> 
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			<title>Equator Launches PRO REO Solution Aimed at Middle Market</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/equator-launches-pro-reo-solution-aimed-at-middle-market-2010-03-08</link> 
			<pubDate>Mon, 08 Mar 2010 19:49:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/equator-launches-pro-reo-solution-aimed-at-middle-market-2010-03-08</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[Equator, a Los Angeles-based software provider for the default servicing industry, announced Monday the launch of its new Professional REO solution. The company explained that PRO REO encompasses all the power and best practices of Equator's enterprise REO application in an affordable, quick and easy to adopt solution for the middle market.]]></description> 
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			<title>Founder of Citadel Capital Advisors Joins Deutsche Bank</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/citadel-capital-founder-joins-deutsche-bank-2010-03-08</link> 
			<pubDate>Mon, 08 Mar 2010 17:57:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/citadel-capital-founder-joins-deutsche-bank-2010-03-08</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[Deutsche Bank Securities, Inc., a global investment banking firm with regional headquarters in New York, announced Friday that it has appointed Steve Abrahams as managing director and head of securitization and mortgage-backed securities research within the firm's global markets division.]]></description> 
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			<title>Centerline Restructures Outstanding Debt, Restores Financial Stability</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/centerline-capital-group-restructures-outstanding-debt-restores-financial-stability-2010-03-08</link> 
			<pubDate>Mon, 08 Mar 2010 17:34:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/centerline-capital-group-restructures-outstanding-debt-restores-financial-stability-2010-03-08</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[New York-based Centerline Capital Group, a real estate asset management and financial services firm and subsidiary of Centerline Holding Company, announced Monday that it completed a series of transactions with Island Capital Group, LLC, an international merchant banking firm headquartered in New York, and its creditors and preferred shareholders.]]></description> 
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			<title>SAFE Act Concerns are Voiced</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/safe-act-concerns-are-voiced-2010-03-08</link> 
			<pubDate>Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:39:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/safe-act-concerns-are-voiced-2010-03-08</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[Many lending groups have expressed serious concerns about several proposed regulations under the Secure and Fair Enforcement for Mortgage Licensing Act (SAFE Act). 

To address these concerns, a number of national and local trade groups, led by the Mortgage Bankers Association, filed a comprehensive comment letter with HUD on Friday.

While the groups support aspects of the proposal, the letter says HUD is exceeding its statutory authority under the SAFE Act by establishing a backup system and determining whether state laws meet the SAFE Act's minimum requirements.]]></description> 
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			<title>Congressman Calls for Second Lien Write-Downs</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/congressman-calls-for-second-lien-write-downs-2010-03-08</link> 
			<pubDate>Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:08:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/congressman-calls-for-second-lien-write-downs-2010-03-08</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[As servicers step up efforts to modify loans and keep borrowers in their homes, many are tripping over stumbling blocks in the form of home equity loans and other second lien mortgages. 

House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank has sent out a petition to some of the nation's largest junior lien holders demanding that they take "immediate steps to write down second mortgages" to create a clear path for sustainable loan restructurings, especially since the prospect for any real return on these seconds is negligible, Frank says.]]></description> 
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			<title>Mortgage Litigation Surges in Fourth Quarter</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/mortgage-litigation-surges-in-fourth-quarter-2010-03-08</link> 
			<pubDate>Mon, 08 Mar 2010 15:41:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/mortgage-litigation-surges-in-fourth-quarter-2010-03-08</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[Driven by legal actions against mortgage modification firms, overall mortgage litigation hit its highest level yet last quarter, according to recent industry study by the Washington, D.C.-based law firm Patton Boggs, LLP. The firm's analysis shows that loan modification cases more than doubled in the last three months of 2009 - and it appears the trend will persist as state and federal agencies continue to crack down on foreclosure rescue fraud.]]></description> 
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			<title>Regulators Shut Down Four Community Banks</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/regulators-shut-down-four-community-banks-2010-03-08</link> 
			<pubDate>Mon, 08 Mar 2010 14:20:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/regulators-shut-down-four-community-banks-2010-03-08</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[The FDIC's failed bank list continues to build. It now stands at 26 for the year, after regulators shut the doors on four more institutions over the weekend - in Florida, Illinois, Maryland, and Utah. Just over two months into the year, and already 2010's failures exceed the 2008 full-year total of 25. This latest round of closures is expected to cost the FDIC an estimated $304 million.]]></description> 
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			<title>CMBS Delinquencies Propelled by Five-Year Loans</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/cmbs-delinquencies-propelled-by-five-year-loans-fitch-2010-03-08</link> 
			<pubDate>Mon, 08 Mar 2010 13:40:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/cmbs-delinquencies-propelled-by-five-year-loans-fitch-2010-03-08</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[The 29 basis-point (bp) increase in delinquencies to 6.26 percent at the end of February was driven in large part by upcoming maturities from U.S. commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) deals originated in 2005, according to Fitch Ratings.

The agency says these five-year loans will have difficulty refinancing this year as liquidity remains limited, and warns that in many cases, sponsors will have to either contribute additional equity or look to their servicers for extensions and modifications.]]></description> 
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			<title>RE/MAX Enhances Educational Platform</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/re-max-enhances-educational-platform-2010-03-08</link> 
			<pubDate>Mon, 08 Mar 2010 12:51:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/re-max-enhances-educational-platform-2010-03-08</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[Although 2010 is expected to be a better year
than 2009, the downturn in real estate isn't over yet. In an effort to prepare agents for challenges in the market, RE/MAX, a global real estate company based in Denver, has expanded and enhanced its educational platform--RE/MAX University.]]></description> 
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			<title>KBW Hires New Head of Real Estate Investment Banking</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/kbw-hires-new-head-of-real-estate-investment-banking-2010-03-08</link> 
			<pubDate>Mon, 08 Mar 2010 10:20:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/kbw-hires-new-head-of-real-estate-investment-banking-2010-03-08</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[Investment bank KBW, Inc. is bolstering its real estate business with the addition of Michael Errichetti as managing director and head of its real estate investment banking team. Errichetti previously spent over 25 years at JP Morgan, advising clients and raising capital for large real estate transactions.]]></description> 
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			<title>Federal Reserve Report Paints Brighter Picture of U.S. Economy</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/federal-reserve-report-paints-brighter-picture-of-us-economy-2010-03-05</link> 
			<pubDate>Fri, 05 Mar 2010 19:58:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/federal-reserve-report-paints-brighter-picture-of-us-economy-2010-03-05</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[According to the Federal Reserve's well-recognized Beige Book, U.S. economic conditions have shown signs of improvement through the first part of this year. Data from nine of the 12 Federal Reserve districts indicated that economic activity improved, but in most cases the increases were "modest."

Residential real estate markets improved in a number of districts, while nearly all characterized commercial real estate as weak. Stronger home sales were attributed to the federal tax credit for homebuyers.]]></description> 
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			<title>Frank Commentary Raises Questions about GSE Investments</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/frank-commentary-raises-questions-about-gse-investments-2010-03-05</link> 
			<pubDate>Fri, 05 Mar 2010 18:47:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/frank-commentary-raises-questions-about-gse-investments-2010-03-05</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[One of the nation's most visible and vocal lawmakers has cast some doubt on the safety of doing business with the nation's two largest mortgage financiers, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Rep. Barney Frank (D-Massachusetts), chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, issued a public statement Friday which essentially warns investors that have lent money to the two GSEs and those that have purchased their mortgage-backed securities (MBS) to expect to incur some losses.]]></description> 
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			<title>Gil Borok Promoted to CFO at CB Richard Ellis</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/gil-borok-promoted-to-cfo-at-cb-richard-ellis-2010-03-05</link> 
			<pubDate>Fri, 05 Mar 2010 18:05:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/gil-borok-promoted-to-cfo-at-cb-richard-ellis-2010-03-05</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[CB Richard Ellis Group, Inc., a commercial real estate services firm headquartered in Los Angeles, announced Friday that is has promoted Gil Borok to CFO. He takes over the CFO responsibilities from Bob Sulentic, who will continue as president of the company.]]></description> 
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			<title>CalHFA Plans to Put $700 Million in Funding to Good Use</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/calhfa-plans-to-put-700-million-in-funding-good-use-2010-03-05</link> 
			<pubDate>Fri, 05 Mar 2010 17:32:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/calhfa-plans-to-put-700-million-in-funding-good-use-2010-03-05</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[The California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA) will receive nearly $700 million in new federal funding to help the state's most troubled homeowners stay in their homes. CalHFA is one of five housing agencies slated to receive a total of $1.5 billion in aid for states where unemployment is high and home prices have fallen more than 20 percent. CalHFA says it will submit its program plans to the federal government by April 16 and expects the new initiatives to be ready for implementation by mid-year or sooner.]]></description> 
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			<title>The StoneHill Group Hires in Down Market, Relocates to Larger Quarters</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/stonehill-group-hires-in-down-market-relocates-to-larger-quarters-2010-03-05</link> 
			<pubDate>Fri, 05 Mar 2010 17:05:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/stonehill-group-hires-in-down-market-relocates-to-larger-quarters-2010-03-05</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[The StoneHill Group, a national provider of quality control, due diligence, mortgage processing, and post-closing services for mortgage originators, moved into its new corporate headquarters Friday to accommodate the company's anticipated growth and 2010 expansion program. The company doubled its number of full-time employees last year and anticipates more additions this year.]]></description> 
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			<title>Genworth Financial Joins Lincoln Appraisal &amp; Settlement Services</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/genworth-financial-joins-lincoln-appraisal-settlement-services-2010-03-05</link> 
			<pubDate>Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:51:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/genworth-financial-joins-lincoln-appraisal-settlement-services-2010-03-05</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[Genworth Financial, a publicly-traded global financial security company headquartered in Rancho Cordova, California, is the newest client of Providence, Rhode Island-based Lincoln Appraisal & Settlment Services, a national appraisal management and settlement services company.]]></description> 
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			<title>Elevated Mortgage Risks are Rapidly Returning to Normal: UFA</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/elevated-mortgage-risks-are-rapidly-returning-to-normal-ufa-2010-03-05</link> 
			<pubDate>Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:07:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/elevated-mortgage-risks-are-rapidly-returning-to-normal-ufa-2010-03-05</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[University Financial Associates, LLC (UFA) in Ann Arbor, Michigan, recently released its quarterly Default Risk Index, showing that although mortgage risks are still elevated, they are quickly returning to normal levels.]]></description> 
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			<title>Unemployment Rate Unchanged at 9.7%</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/unemployment-rate-unchanged-at-97-2010-03-05</link> 
			<pubDate>Fri, 05 Mar 2010 14:44:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/unemployment-rate-unchanged-at-97-2010-03-05</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[For months, industry experts have lamented the nation's poor job market as a stranglehold on the housing market's recovery and a dead weight dragging down occupancy rates and new development in the commercial real estate sector. But according to data released by the Department of Labor Friday, the national unemployment rate was flat from January to February at 9.7 percent. Employers shed just 36,000 jobs during the month - far fewer than economists were expecting.]]></description> 
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			<title>HUD Addresses Root Causes of Foreclosure Crisis</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/hud-addresses-root-causes-of-foreclosure-crisis-2010-03-05</link> 
			<pubDate>Fri, 05 Mar 2010 13:05:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/hud-addresses-root-causes-of-foreclosure-crisis-2010-03-05</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[As mandated by the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, the secretary of HUD recently released a report to Congress addressing the root causes of the foreclosure crisis and made recommendations on actions that should be taken to mitigate the crisis and help prevent similar crises from occurring in the future.]]></description> 
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			<title>Bair Defends HAMP, Voices Support for Principal Write-Downs</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/bair-defends-hamp-voices-support-for-principal-write-downs-2010-03-05</link> 
			<pubDate>Fri, 05 Mar 2010 12:02:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/bair-defends-hamp-voices-support-for-principal-write-downs-2010-03-05</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[FDIC Chairman Sheila Bair - a recognized champion of homeownership preservation whose loan modification model has set the standard for the industry - is throwing her support behind the administration's Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP). 

She also points out that the nation's mortgage problem has evolved, and it's underwater mortgages that are now the biggest threat. Bair says the FDIC is actively looking at principal write-downs as one way to encourage borrowers to stick with their mortgages and help mortgage owners avoid costly foreclosures.]]></description> 
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			<title>REO Brokerage Aids Homeowners in Default</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/reo-brokerage-aids-homeowners-in-default-2010-03-05</link> 
			<pubDate>Fri, 05 Mar 2010 11:09:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/reo-brokerage-aids-homeowners-in-default-2010-03-05</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[Desiree Patno Enterprises, Inc., a women-owned REO brokerage based out of Irvine, California, has announced the integration of a new department designed to provide assistance to homeowners in default at no cost. The company is now offering free information regarding loan modifications and short sales both in-office and online.]]></description> 
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			<title>HOPE NOW Helps Almost 2,100 Troubled Borrowers in February</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/hope-now-helps-almost-2100-troubled-borrowers-in-february-2010-03-05</link> 
			<pubDate>Fri, 05 Mar 2010 10:46:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/hope-now-helps-almost-2100-troubled-borrowers-in-february-2010-03-05</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[Thousands of homeowners across the nation are facing foreclosure, but nearly 2,100 of these troubled borrowers received help through HOPE NOW's homeownership preservation events in Februaary in Sacramento, California and Houston. 

The workshop in Sacramento, California had 1,200 attendees, and almost 900 families attended the Houston workshop.]]></description> 
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			<title>Loan Modifications Lead to Fewer Mortgage Insurance Claims: Report</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/loan-modifications-slow-mortgage-insurance-claims-report-2010-03-04</link> 
			<pubDate>Thu, 04 Mar 2010 19:36:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/loan-modifications-slow-mortgage-insurance-claims-report-2010-03-04</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[Mortgage insurance claims filed by servicers on defaulted loans are showing signs of tapering off, according to data released by the risk analysis and due diligence firm Clayton Holdings. 

Clayton's analysts attribute the decline to the increase in servicers' foreclosure prevention initiatives and fewer loans moving into REO status. They also noted that mortgage insurance providers are spending more time reviewing individual claims and evaluating servicers' modification decisions for continued insurance coverage.]]></description> 
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			<title>CRE Market Conditions Mean Big Investment Opportunities: Report</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/cre-market-conditions-mean-big-investment-opportunities-report-2010-03-04</link> 
			<pubDate>Thu, 04 Mar 2010 18:12:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/cre-market-conditions-mean-big-investment-opportunities-report-2010-03-04</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[It's no secret that for quite awhile commercial real estate (CRE) transactions, including distressed assets, have been at a standstill. But according to a new study by the global advisory firm AlixPartners, that could all change in 2010. In fact, the firm's findings suggest that investment opportunities in the commercial sector could be bigger in the months ahead than even in the heady days of the early 1990s.]]></description> 
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			<title>Saxon Appoints New EVP</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/saxon-appoints-new-evp-2010-03-04</link> 
			<pubDate>Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:36:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/saxon-appoints-new-evp-2010-03-04</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[Saxon Mortgage Services, Inc., based in Irving, Texas, announced Wednesday that it has named Stephen Staid as EVP of customer relationship management. His appointment comes as Saxon repositions itself into the residential subservicing space, specializing in distressed asset servicing.]]></description> 
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			<title>Two Companies Partner to Provide Streamlined Short Sale Solution</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/two-companies-partner-to-provide-streamlined-short-sale-solution-2010-03-04</link> 
			<pubDate>Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:12:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/two-companies-partner-to-provide-streamlined-short-sale-solution-2010-03-04</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[Riverside, California-based PartnerFirst, LLC, recently announced its partnership with Coraopolis, Pennsylvania-based ServiceLink, the national lender platform for Fidelity National Financial. By combining resources, the two companies are aiming to provide a "one-stop-shop" solution to national mortgage servicers and homeowners through the ServiceLink Short Sale Agent Network.]]></description> 
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			<title>SunTrust Reduces Defaults with Automated Borrower Communications</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/suntrust-reduces-defaults-with-automated-borrower-communications-2010-03-04</link> 
			<pubDate>Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:03:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/suntrust-reduces-defaults-with-automated-borrower-communications-2010-03-04</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[As defaults continue to mount, the nation's mortgage companies are struggling to communicate with increasing numbers of troubled borrowers at a time when their resources are already stretched thin. Atlanta's SunTrust Bank chose to replace its predictive dialer technology with an automated communications solution from Varolii Corporation, and the lender says the results have been dramatic - shaving more than a day off its loss mitigation timeline and cutting first payment defaults by 62 percent.]]></description> 
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			<title>Only 10% of Realtors Think HAMP is Reducing Foreclosures: Survey</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/only-10-of-realtors-think-hamp-is-reducing-foreclosures-survey-2010-03-04</link> 
			<pubDate>Thu, 04 Mar 2010 16:43:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/only-10-of-realtors-think-hamp-is-reducing-foreclosures-survey-2010-03-04</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[The online listing service Homes & Land recently asked thousands of real estate agents for their opinions about their local real estate markets. The company found that only 10 percent believe the government's Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) has actually reduced foreclosures. Despite the low enthusiasm about HAMP, overall optimism seems to be improving, with most agents reporting an increase in homebuyer interest, and nearly half of the respondents saying home prices in their markets have bottomed out.]]></description> 
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			<title>Pending Home Sales Fall in January, Further Deterioration Expected</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/pending-home-sales-fall-in-january-further-deterioration-expected-2010-03-04</link> 
			<pubDate>Thu, 04 Mar 2010 15:16:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/pending-home-sales-fall-in-january-further-deterioration-expected-2010-03-04</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[Following a surge in activity at the end of 2009, pending home sales dropped in January, and due to abnormal weather conditions this winter, additional declines are anticipated in the coming months, the National Association of Realtors said Thursday.]]></description> 
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			<title>AIG Settles Charges of Discrimination by Mortgage Brokers for $6M</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/aig-settles-charges-of-discrimination-by-mortgage-brokers-for-6-million-2010-03-04</link> 
			<pubDate>Thu, 04 Mar 2010 15:10:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/aig-settles-charges-of-discrimination-by-mortgage-brokers-for-6-million-2010-03-04</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[Two subsidiaries of American International Group Inc. have agreed to pay a minimum of $6.1 million to resolve allegations that they engaged in a pattern of discrimination against African American homebuyers. The Justice Department claims that the two companies "looked the other way" when mortgage brokers they contracted with charged higher fees to blacks. Federal officials say this marks the first time a lender has been held responsible for failing to monitor its brokers to ensure equal treatment.]]></description> 
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			<title>DebtX Announces Sale of Two Portfolios and Rise in CRE Loan Prices</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/debtx-announces-sale-of-two-loan-portfolios-and-rise-in-cre-prices-2010-03-04</link> 
			<pubDate>Thu, 04 Mar 2010 14:30:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/debtx-announces-sale-of-two-loan-portfolios-and-rise-in-cre-prices-2010-03-04</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[DebtX, a Boston-based loan sale advisor, recently announced that it plans to sell two portfolios of nonperforming loans, totaling more than $410 million - one for HUD and one for a lender in the western U.S. The company also reported that commercial real estate loan prices increased in January.]]></description> 
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			<title>Mortgage Rates Inch Down</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/mortgage-rates-inch-down-2010-03-04</link> 
			<pubDate>Thu, 04 Mar 2010 13:04:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/mortgage-rates-inch-down-2010-03-04</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[Following last week's jump in rates, both Freddie Mac and Bankrate report that mortgage rates moved lower this week. 

According to Freddie Mac's Primary Mortgage Market Survey, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 4.97 percent with an average 0.7 point for the week ending March 4, 2010, down from last week when it averaged 5.05 percent.]]></description> 
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			<title>LPS Opens Washington, D.C. Office</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/lps-opens-washington-dc-office-2010-03-04</link> 
			<pubDate>Thu, 04 Mar 2010 11:02:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/lps-opens-washington-dc-office-2010-03-04</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[Lender Processing Services (LPS) is putting down stakes in the nation's Capitol. The mortgage technology and services company said Thursday that it has just opened a new Washington, D.C. office to better serve the contractual relationships it already has with a number of federal agencies and pursue opportunities with new government partners.]]></description> 
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			<title>Home Prices Up 5% Year-Over-Year: Clear Capital</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/home-prices-up-5-year-over-year-clear-capital-2010-03-04</link> 
			<pubDate>Thu, 04 Mar 2010 05:30:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/home-prices-up-5-year-over-year-clear-capital-2010-03-04</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[New data released by Clear Capital Thursday shows that home prices nationally are up 5.0 percent compared to February 2009. It's the second straight month that year-over-year price variations have been in positive territory. 

Clear Capital also reported that REO saturation increased in February, but that was expected with the typical winter slowdown in sales. Regarding the threat of a shadow inventory, the company suspects this inflow will arrive with a stronger springtime and summer buying season, helping to ease the shock to the marketplace.]]></description> 
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			<title>Fed's Vice Chairman Submits Resignation</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/feds-vice-chairman-submits-resignation-2010-03-03</link> 
			<pubDate>Wed, 03 Mar 2010 20:04:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/feds-vice-chairman-submits-resignation-2010-03-03</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[The Federal Reserve Board's No. 2 has submitted his resignation. Donald L. Kohn said Monday that he will step down from his post as vice chairman when his current term expires on June 23. Kohn, 67, has been a member of the Fed board since August 2002 and served as its second-in-command since June 2006.]]></description> 
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			<title>NAI Global Launches Asset Group for Distressed CRE</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/nai-global-launches-asset-group-for-distressed-cre-2010-03-03</link> 
			<pubDate>Wed, 03 Mar 2010 19:29:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/nai-global-launches-asset-group-for-distressed-cre-2010-03-03</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[NAI Global, a managed network of commercial real estate firms, has formed a Special Asset Solutions group to assist lenders and servicers with financially distressed real estate assets and REO. The new group concentrates NAI Global's resources across multiple disciplines and markets to provide clients with the full spectrum of services an asset is likely to require throughout the ownership cycle.]]></description> 
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			<title>Accurate Title Group Releases Good Faith Estimate Calculator</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/accurate-title-group-releases-good-faith-estimate-calculator-2010-03-03</link> 
			<pubDate>Wed, 03 Mar 2010 18:32:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/accurate-title-group-releases-good-faith-estimate-calculator-2010-03-03</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[In response to the new regulations under the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA), Accurate Title Group, LLC (ATG), a full-service appraisal, title insurance, closing, and settlement provider based in Huntersville, North Carolina, recently announced the release of its TAG Good Faith Estimate Calculator (TAG GFE).]]></description> 
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			<title>Specialized Asset Management Markets REO Assets on RealtyTrac</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/specialized-asset-management-markets-reo-assets-on-realtytrac-2010-03-03</link> 
			<pubDate>Wed, 03 Mar 2010 17:14:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/specialized-asset-management-markets-reo-assets-on-realtytrac-2010-03-03</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[To better market its foreclosure listings, Highlands Ranch, Colorado-based Specialized Asset Management LLC (SAM), a national provider of asset marketing and disposition services to mortgage lenders, servicers, and investors, recently partnered with RealtyTrac, an online foreclosure marketplace headquartered in Irvine, California.]]></description> 
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			<title>Ocwen Backs Principal Reductions, Mandatory Outsourcing to Improve HAMP</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/ocwen-backs-principal-reductions-mandatory-outsourcing-to-improve-hamp-2010-03-03</link> 
			<pubDate>Wed, 03 Mar 2010 16:53:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/ocwen-backs-principal-reductions-mandatory-outsourcing-to-improve-hamp-2010-03-03</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[Ocwen Financial has one of the industry's most impressive track records when it comes to restructuring loans under the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP). The company is converting trials to permanent mods at a rate that is 10 to 20 times higher than some of the biggest banks, and its re-default rate is under 5 percent. Based on his company's success, Ocwen's president has proposed several changes to improve HAMP, including principal writedowns and requiring underperforming servicers to outsource their HAMP processes.]]></description> 
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			<title>Strategic Analytics Joins Interthinx Business Unit</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/strategic-analytics-joins-interthinx-business-unit-2010-03-03</link> 
			<pubDate>Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:38:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/strategic-analytics-joins-interthinx-business-unit-2010-03-03</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[Jersey City, New Jersey-based Verisk Analytics, Inc., a provider of risk assessment solutions, recently purchased Strategic Analytics, a Santa Fe, New Mexico-based provider of credit risk and capital management solutions to consumers and mortgage lenders. 

As a result of this acquisition, Strategic Analytics will be part of the Interthinx business unit, a subsidiary of Verisk Analytics and a provider of risk mitigation and regulatory compliance tools for the financial services industry.]]></description> 
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			<title>Company Targets Shadow Inventory with 48-Hour Short Sales</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/company-targets-shadow-inventory-with-48-hour-short-sales-2010-03-03</link> 
			<pubDate>Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:25:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/company-targets-shadow-inventory-with-48-hour-short-sales-2010-03-03</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[Loan Resolution Corporation said Wednesday that it is implementing a pre-approved short sale program to help the 8 million homeowners who are currently delinquent on their mortgages. The company says its streamlined process can turn a short sale decision within 48 hours.]]></description> 
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			<title>Appraisal Institute Publishes First Audio Book</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/appraisal-institute-publishes-first-audio-book-2010-03-03</link> 
			<pubDate>Wed, 03 Mar 2010 14:08:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/appraisal-institute-publishes-first-audio-book-2010-03-03</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[In an effort to help appraisers meet the competency and ethical standards of the profession, the Chicago-based Appraisal Institute, a global membership association of real estate appraisers, has published its first audio book -- "Scope of Work," by Stephanie Coleman.]]></description> 
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			<title>Trepp Reports CMBS Delinquencies Are Slowing</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/trepp-reports-cmbs-delinquencies-are-slowing-2010-03-03</link> 
			<pubDate>Wed, 03 Mar 2010 13:29:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/trepp-reports-cmbs-delinquencies-are-slowing-2010-03-03</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[Past due loans within commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) rose 23 basis points in February, according to a new report from Trepp LLC. The firm noted that it's the smallest month-to-month rise since September 2009. The brief reprieve is welcome news for an industry struggling with rising defaults and looming loan maturities, but that's tempered by a quick reminder from Trepp that CMBS delinquencies are still setting new records as the highest the industry has seen since the CMBS market took hold.]]></description> 
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			<title>Countdown To Buy Launches New Pilot Program</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/countdown-to-buy-launches-pilot-program-in-texas-2010-03-03</link> 
			<pubDate>Wed, 03 Mar 2010 13:18:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/countdown-to-buy-launches-pilot-program-in-texas-2010-03-03</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[Countdown To Buy, a next-generation online real estate marketplace based in Bethel, Connecticut, announced Wednesday  that it has entered into a new pilot program with a banking institution to offer a sampling of foreclosed properties in Texas.]]></description> 
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			<title>Bolstered by Refinance Activity, Mortgage Applications Soar 15%</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/bolstered-by-refinance-activity-mortgage-applications-soar-15-2010-03-03</link> 
			<pubDate>Wed, 03 Mar 2010 12:28:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/bolstered-by-refinance-activity-mortgage-applications-soar-15-2010-03-03</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[Ending a three-week trend of declines, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported that home loan application volume soared 14.6 percent last week. The increase came from a 17 percent jump in refinancing activity, as long-term mortgage rates dipped below the 5 percent threshold. But even with recent upsurges in the refinancing numbers and record-low rates, investment bank Credit Suisse says 37 percent of borrowers with 30-year fixed-rate mortgages are still paying on loans with rates of 6 percent or higher.  ]]></description> 
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			<title>FDIC Looks to Fast-Track Sales of Seized Assets as MBS</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/fdic-looks-to-fast-track-sales-of-seized-assets-as-mbs-2010-03-03</link> 
			<pubDate>Wed, 03 Mar 2010 11:45:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/fdic-looks-to-fast-track-sales-of-seized-assets-as-mbs-2010-03-03</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[The FDIC has built up a stockpile of some $40 billion in underperforming real estate loans and other assets seized from failed banks over the past couple of years. 

The federal agency is a regulator and deposit insurer, not an asset manager, and it doesn't like to hold on to these loan leftovers for very long. But the agency's asset portfolio is growing faster than it can conduct auctions and offload these loans. 

That's led the FDIC to try a new tactic - package the loans and sell them to investors as securities on the secondary market.]]></description> 
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			<title>Fannie Mae Details Delinquency Buyback Plan</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/fannie-mae-details-delinquency-buyback-plan-2010-03-02</link> 
			<pubDate>Tue, 02 Mar 2010 18:32:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/fannie-mae-details-delinquency-buyback-plan-2010-03-02</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[The nation's largest mortgage financier says it will purchase up to 200,000 seriously delinquent loans from mortgage-backed securities (MBS) holders this month. As of the end of last year, Fannie's single-family MBS loans that were considered seriously delinquent totaled $127 billion. The GSE says after its March buybacks, it will continue purchasing loans in each of the subsequent few months until the company has "substantially reduced" the population of loans that are four or more months delinquent.]]></description> 
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			<title>SIFMA Makes Agency Bond Pricing Available to Individual Investors</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/sifma-makes-agency-bond-pricing-available-to-individual-investors-2010-03-02</link> 
			<pubDate>Tue, 02 Mar 2010 17:23:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/sifma-makes-agency-bond-pricing-available-to-individual-investors-2010-03-02</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[The Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) is now carrying price data for approximately 25,000 federal agency bonds on its Investing in Bonds Web site. The new data is available via a feed from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) following an expansion of its Trade Reporting and Compliance Engine (TRACE) to include debt issued by federal government agencies, government corporations, and the GSEs.]]></description> 
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			<title>Encore Multi-Family Appoints New President</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/encore-multi-family-appoints-new-president-2010-03-02</link> 
			<pubDate>Tue, 02 Mar 2010 16:42:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/encore-multi-family-appoints-new-president-2010-03-02</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[Encore Multi-Family, a subsidiary of Dallas-based Encore Enterprises, Inc., announced Monday that Brad Miller has been named president of the company. 

Miller has more than three decades' experience in real estate investment and development and brings multiple market expertise in investment analysis, distresses asset acquisition, fee management, and complex land settlements to his new position with the company.]]></description> 
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			<title>Freddie Mac Sees Stabilization in Home Prices</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/freddie-mac-sees-stabilization-in-home-prices-2010-03-02</link> 
			<pubDate>Tue, 02 Mar 2010 16:24:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/freddie-mac-sees-stabilization-in-home-prices-2010-03-02</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[Freddie Mac said Tuesday that its home price index for conventional mortgages it purchased last year registered a 0.4 percent decline from the fourth quarter of 2008 to the fourth quarter of 2009. The GSE was quick to point out that this was a much smaller decline than the 9.5 percent drop in home prices recorded in 2008. Four out of nine census regions posted annual price gains, with the Pacific part of the country leading the way with a 1.6 percent increase.]]></description> 
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			<title>Bay State Foreclosure Report Mixed in January</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/bay-state-foreclosure-report-mixed-in-january-2010-03-02</link> 
			<pubDate>Tue, 02 Mar 2010 16:13:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/bay-state-foreclosure-report-mixed-in-january-2010-03-02</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[Data regarding Massachusetts foreclosures in January was mixed, according to the most recent report released Tuesday by The Warren Group, a Boston-based provider of real estate data in New England. While lenders initiated fewer foreclosures in January, the number of completed foreclosures increased.]]></description> 
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			<title>CRE Investment Opportunity Offered Through Private Equity Fund</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/cre-investment-opportunity-offered-through-private-equity-fund-2010-03-02</link> 
			<pubDate>Tue, 02 Mar 2010 13:55:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/cre-investment-opportunity-offered-through-private-equity-fund-2010-03-02</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[Valeo Fund, a private equity fund based in Dallas, is being introduced to investors in the United States, Europe, and Latin America who are seeking to invest in the pending recovery in the U.S. commercial real estate (CRE) market.]]></description> 
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			<title>Foreclosure Overhang Hinders Home Price Appreciation: Barclays</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/foreclosure-overhang-hinders-home-price-appreciation-barclays-2010-03-02</link> 
			<pubDate>Tue, 02 Mar 2010 13:50:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/foreclosure-overhang-hinders-home-price-appreciation-barclays-2010-03-02</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[A number of the industry's closely-watched home price gauges indicate that stabilization has been slowly creeping into the picture since mid-2009. 

Analysts at Barclays Capital agree that the risk of a sharp decline in housing continues to recede with every passing month. But they caution that home prices nationally will drop another 4 to 5 percent before officially hitting bottom, and there's little chance of sustained gains any time soon thanks to an inflated supply of foreclosures.]]></description> 
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			<title>Foreclosures Decrease in January: Report</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/foreclosures-decrease-in-january-report-2010-03-02</link> 
			<pubDate>Tue, 02 Mar 2010 13:19:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/foreclosures-decrease-in-january-report-2010-03-02</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[According to statistics from Miami-based Bank Foreclosures Sale, an online listing service, foreclosure rates in states across the nation were significantly lower in January.

The company reported that the number of foreclosures for sale fell to 315,710, marking a 10 percent decline from December. 

While these positive figures may have some thinking "housing recovery," experts say it is important to note that January's numbers are still 15 percent higher than a year earlier.]]></description> 
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			<title>Veros Enhances Risk Management Platform</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/veros-enhances-risk-management-platform-2010-03-02</link> 
			<pubDate>Tue, 02 Mar 2010 12:20:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/veros-enhances-risk-management-platform-2010-03-02</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[To further automate servicer processes, Santa Ana, California-based Veros Real Estate Solutions, a provider of risk management and collateral valuation services, recently added new capabilities to its Valuation Risk Management (VRM) platform. Veros said the new enhancements to the platform will allow servicers to automate several time-consuming processes as they struggle to deal with rapidly expanding delinquencies.]]></description> 
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			<title>IBM Completes Acquisition of Wilshire Credit</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/ibm-completes-acquisition-of-wilshire-2010-03-02</link> 
			<pubDate>Tue, 02 Mar 2010 11:18:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/ibm-completes-acquisition-of-wilshire-2010-03-02</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) said Monday that it has finalized its acquisition of the core operating assets of Wilshire Credit Corporation from Bank of America. The deal solidifies IBM's presence in the mortgage market, where technology-based service providers have been under increasing pressure to accommodate servicers' rising modification and foreclosure volumes.]]></description> 
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			<title>Americans Strongly Support Government Housing Initiatives: Survey</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/americans-support-government-housing-initiatives-survey-2010-03-02</link> 
			<pubDate>Tue, 02 Mar 2010 11:04:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/americans-support-government-housing-initiatives-survey-2010-03-02</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[Americans remain strongly committed to federal support for homebuyers, and many believe the government should provide more protection against foreclosure, according to the results of a recent survey published by the National Association of Home Builders.

Thirty-three percent of those surveyed say they are planning to buy a home in the near future. Personal financial concerns, as well as weakness in the housing market itself, were cited as reasons this statistic wasn't higher.]]></description> 
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			<title>U.S. Treasury Advisors Join The Cypress Group</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/us-treasury-advisors-join-cypress-group-2010-03-02</link> 
			<pubDate>Tue, 02 Mar 2010 10:54:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/us-treasury-advisors-join-cypress-group-2010-03-02</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[One of the first senior-level officials to leave the Treasury Department since President Obama took office is headed to The Cypress Group as a congressional lobbyist. Damon Munchus, who served as the deputy assistant secretary for banking and finance, will open the Cypress Group's New York office as a managing director. The firm is also opening an office in Dallas headed by Jeb Mason, managing director. Mason served as the Treasury's deputy assistant secretary for business affairs under former Secretary Henry M. Paulson, Jr.]]></description> 
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			<title>DepotPoint and AssetPlanUSA Partner to Enable Short Sales</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/depotpoint-and-assetplanusa-partner-to-enable-short-sales-2010-03-01</link> 
			<pubDate>Mon, 01 Mar 2010 17:56:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/depotpoint-and-assetplanusa-partner-to-enable-short-sales-2010-03-01</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[The U.S. government is encouraging short sales as a solution to the nation's still-growing foreclosure crisis, but insight from industry players indicates that borrowers and lenders alike are having trouble executing short sale transactions. To help lenders and servicers educate troubled borrowers on the benefits of opting for a short sale, DepotPoint and AssetPlanUSA have joined forces.]]></description> 
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			<title>Florida's Home, Condo Sales Skyrocket in January</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/floridas-home-condo-sales-skyrocket-in-january-2010-03-01</link> 
			<pubDate>Mon, 01 Mar 2010 17:43:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/floridas-home-condo-sales-skyrocket-in-january-2010-03-01</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[On a year-over-year basis, both existing-home and condo sales in the Sunshine State notably increased in January, according to the latest housing data released by Florida Realtors. Existing-home sales surged 24 percent, and existing-condo sales soared 81 percent.]]></description> 
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			<title>Illinois' Home Sales Surge 14 Percent in January</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/illinois-home-sales-surge-14-percent-in-january-2010-03-01</link> 
			<pubDate>Mon, 01 Mar 2010 17:11:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/illinois-home-sales-surge-14-percent-in-january-2010-03-01</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[It's still a buyers' market in Illinois. 

According to a recent report by the Illinois Association of Realtors (IAR), January marked the fifth consecutive month of growth in year-over-year home sales, while the statewide median price logged its first move upward since September 2007.]]></description> 
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			<title>FDIC Selling $610M in Seized Loans</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/fdic-selling-610m-in-seized-loans-2010-03-01</link> 
			<pubDate>Mon, 01 Mar 2010 16:51:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/fdic-selling-610m-in-seized-loans-2010-03-01</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[The FDIC is preparing to auction off a portfolio of loans it acquired from 19 failed bank takeovers. According to a preliminary announcement regarding the sale, the portfolio consists primarily of residential real estate acquisition, development, and construction loans with unpaid principal balances totaling approximately $610 million. About 80 percent of the loans are past due and classified as nonperforming.]]></description> 
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			<title>Wachovia Awarded $10.5 Million in Foreclosure Judgment</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/wachovia-awarded-105-million-in-foreclosure-judgment-2010-03-01</link> 
			<pubDate>Mon, 01 Mar 2010 15:59:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/wachovia-awarded-105-million-in-foreclosure-judgment-2010-03-01</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[Charlotte-based Wachovia Corp., the No. 1 bank in Raleigh-Durham market share, recently won a $10.5 million foreclosure judgment against a Homestead, Florida trailer park owner who planned to build an apartment complex on the property, Triangle Business Journal reported Monday.]]></description> 
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			<title>Administration's Refinance Program Gets One-Year Extension</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/administrations-refinance-program-gets-one-year-extension-2010-03-01</link> 
			<pubDate>Mon, 01 Mar 2010 15:09:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/administrations-refinance-program-gets-one-year-extension-2010-03-01</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is extending the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) through June 30, 2011. 

HARP is a key component of the Obama administration's foreclosure prevention efforts. It provides mortgage refinancing to borrowers whose homes have lost value and now find themselves owing more than the home is worth. Several industry groups have been lobbying FHFA to extend the program, arguing that it keeps creditworthy, performing borrowers out of unnecessary foreclosure.]]></description> 
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			<title>Idaho and Illinois Attorney Generals Plagued With Mortgage Complaints</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/idaho-and-illinois-attorney-generals-plagued-with-mortgage-complaints-2010-03-01</link> 
			<pubDate>Mon, 01 Mar 2010 14:59:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/idaho-and-illinois-attorney-generals-plagued-with-mortgage-complaints-2010-03-01</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[Foreclosures continue to affect thousands of homeowners across the nation, and as a result, both the Attorney General in Idaho and Illinois said mortgage-related filings dominated their top-10 consumer complaints list for 2009.]]></description> 
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			<title>RealtyTrac Partners with Social Networking Forum</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/realtytrac-partners-with-social-networking-forum-for-real-estate-investors-2010-03-01</link> 
			<pubDate>Mon, 01 Mar 2010 12:24:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/realtytrac-partners-with-social-networking-forum-for-real-estate-investors-2010-03-01</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[Irvine, California-based RealtyTrac, an online marketplace for foreclosure properties, recently announced a strategic partnership with Atlanta-based RealtyJoin, a new social networking site that allows real estate investors to connect with agents, brokers, and other real estate professionals.]]></description> 
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			<title>Fannie's Losses Widen, Prompting Request for More Federal Funding</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/fannie-maes-losses-widen-prompting-request-for-more-federal-funding-2010-03-01</link> 
			<pubDate>Mon, 01 Mar 2010 11:52:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/fannie-maes-losses-widen-prompting-request-for-more-federal-funding-2010-03-01</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[Fannie Mae says it needs another $15.3 billion bailout from the U.S. Treasury, after the GSE came up $16.3 billion in the red for the fourth quarter of 2009 and posted a loss of $74.4 billion for all of last year. 

Although the housing crisis is showing signs of lessening in some major markets, it continues to take its toll on the nation's largest mortgage financier. Fannie Mae's 2009 annual losses widened compared to the $59.8 billion deficit recorded for 2008, and its Q4 results marked the GSE's tenth consecutive quarterly shortfall.]]></description> 
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			<title>HUD Launches Online Tool to Fight Loan Modification Scams</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/hud-launches-online-tool-to-fight-loan-modification-scams-2010-03-01</link> 
			<pubDate>Mon, 01 Mar 2010 11:31:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/hud-launches-online-tool-to-fight-loan-modification-scams-2010-03-01</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[Loan modification scams are on the rise, but HUD is taking action to put these con artists out of business. Preventloanscams.org was recently launched by the federal agency in partnership with a national coalition of public and private enterprises. 

The new system allows for better analysis of fraud trends across jurisdictional lines, which HUD says will likely lead to an increase in private enforcement action filings. Officials estimate that this online tool will assist approximately 50,000 homeowners who've been victimized by loan modification scams.]]></description> 
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			<title>McCracken Joins Financial Asset Services as National Sales Director</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/mccracken-joins-financial-asset-services-as-national-sales-director-2010-03-01</link> 
			<pubDate>Mon, 01 Mar 2010 10:49:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/mccracken-joins-financial-asset-services-as-national-sales-director-2010-03-01</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[Financial Asset Services, Inc. recently announced it has hired industry veteran Jim McCracken as national sales director. In this role, McCracken will be responsible for initiating, developing, and expanding strategic partnerships with banks, mortgage servicing firms, credit unions, and investment funds.]]></description> 
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			<title>Nevada, Washington Banks Closed by Regulators</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/nevada-washington-banks-closed-by-regulators-2010-03-01</link> 
			<pubDate>Mon, 01 Mar 2010 08:30:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/nevada-washington-banks-closed-by-regulators-2010-03-01</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[Regulators shut the doors on Carson River Community Bank in Carson City, Nevada and Rainier Pacific Bank in Tacoma, Washington over the weekend. So far in 2010, 22 FDIC-insured institutions have landed on the agency's failed bank list. A separate FDIC list holds the names of banks the federal agency considers to be at-risk of failure. This "problem list" grew 27 percent from the third to fourth quarters of last year, to 702.]]></description> 
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			<title>National Quick Sale Partners With Two New Companies</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/national-quick-sale-partners-with-two-new-companies-2010-02-26</link> 
			<pubDate>Fri, 26 Feb 2010 18:45:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/national-quick-sale-partners-with-two-new-companies-2010-02-26</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[With short sales gaining in popularity, it comes as no surprise that two companies recently announced strategic partnerships with National Quick Sale, a short sale technology company based in Jacksonville, Florida. The company's two newest partners are REA Accelerated Marketing Group and Epic Real Estate Solutions.]]></description> 
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			<title>HOPE NOW Expands HOPE LoanPort</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/hope-now-expands-loanport-2010-02-26</link> 
			<pubDate>Fri, 26 Feb 2010 17:53:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/hope-now-expands-loanport-2010-02-26</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[As part of a coordinated plan to help as many homeowners as possible prevent foreclosure and stay in their homes, HOPE NOW, the industry-created alliance of mortgage servicers, investors, counselors, and other mortgage market participants, recently announced that it has expanded the HOPE LoanPort through its housing counselor partners in 25 states and more than 100 cities.]]></description> 
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			<title>NAR Releases Mixed Report on Existing Home Sales in January</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/nar-releases-mixed-report-on-existing-home-sales-in-january-2010-02-26</link> 
			<pubDate>Fri, 26 Feb 2010 17:03:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/nar-releases-mixed-report-on-existing-home-sales-in-january-2010-02-26</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[Existing-home sales fell 7.2 percent from December to January but were still above year-ago levels, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) reported Friday. NAR's chief economist, Lawrence Yun said the monthly decline was discouraging and raises concern about the strength of a recovery.

NAR's analysis shows there are currently 3.27 million existing homes available for sale. At the current sales pace, this represents a 7.8-month supply of backlogged homes.]]></description> 
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			<title>Company Says Investors Earn High Returns Preventing Foreclosure</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/company-says-investors-earn-high-returns-preventing-foreclosure-for-underwater-homeowners-2010-02-26</link> 
			<pubDate>Fri, 26 Feb 2010 16:42:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/company-says-investors-earn-high-returns-preventing-foreclosure-for-underwater-homeowners-2010-02-26</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[Moody's Investors Service projects the national rate of underwater homeowners could reach 50 percent by early 2011. Florida's All Statewide Property Corporation says it has found a solution to this dilemma by forming satellite limited partnerships to by bulk mortgages from lenders and reducing principal balances to current market values.]]></description> 
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			<title>Industry Voices Concern over New Securitization Rule</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/industry-voices-concern-over-new-securitization-rule-2010-02-26</link> 
			<pubDate>Fri, 26 Feb 2010 15:29:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/industry-voices-concern-over-new-securitization-rule-2010-02-26</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[The FDIC has requested comments from the industry on a new regulation that would limit safe harbor protections for assets, including mortgages, which have been securitized by failed banks. FDIC officials say the rule would return some confidence to the tenuous secondary market, but industry trade groups argue that it could have a counter effect of creating "substantial uncertainty" for investors and stifle an important financing channel.]]></description> 
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			<title>Local Market Price Trajectories Provide Look Into FHA Profitability</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/local-market-price-trajectories-provide-look-into-fha-profitability-2010-02-26</link> 
			<pubDate>Fri, 26 Feb 2010 15:04:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/local-market-price-trajectories-provide-look-into-fha-profitability-2010-02-26</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[According to a recent article written by Andrew Jakabovics, an associate director for housing and economics at the Center for American Progress, the Federal Housing Finance Administration's (FHFA) house price index (HPI) is a reminder that local markets behave differently over time, which strongly affects both lenders' and insurers' profitability, or lack thereof.]]></description> 
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			<title>Morris|Hardwick|Schneider Attorney Named Instructor of the Year</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/morrishardwickschneider-attorney-named-instructor-of-year-2010-02-26</link> 
			<pubDate>Fri, 26 Feb 2010 12:30:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/morrishardwickschneider-attorney-named-instructor-of-year-2010-02-26</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[Howell Haunson of the Atlanta-based real estate closing law firm Morris|Hardwick|Schneider (M|H|S) was recently presented with the Partners in Education Instructor of the Year Award from the Georgia Associaiton of Realtors (GAR). This marks the second consecutive year that Haunson has received this award.]]></description> 
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			<title>Freddie Mac to Cease Purchases of Interest-Only Mortgages</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/freddie-mac-to-cease-purchase-of-interest-only-mortgages-2010-02-26</link> 
			<pubDate>Fri, 26 Feb 2010 11:31:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/freddie-mac-to-cease-purchase-of-interest-only-mortgages-2010-02-26</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[In an announcement Friday, Freddie Mac said effective September 1, 2010, it will no longer buy or securitize interest-only mortgages, including initial interest fixed-rate and adjustable-rate mortgages. The GSE reported earlier in the week that interest-only and Alt-A loans collectively accounted for 44 percent of its credit losses in 2009.]]></description> 
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			<title>Obama Considers Foreclosure Ban</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/obama-considers-foreclosure-ban-2010-02-26</link> 
			<pubDate>Fri, 26 Feb 2010 11:29:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/obama-considers-foreclosure-ban-2010-02-26</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[President Obama and his administration are floating an idea to prohibit lenders from foreclosing on a home unless the borrower has been considered for the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP). The proposal would also halt any foreclosures already in process once a borrower has been accepted into the trial phase of the program. 

A Treasury spokesperson confirmed that a foreclosure ban is under consideration, but stressed that it is one of many ideas on the table and has not been approved yet.]]></description> 
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			<title>ZipRealty Utilizes Maponics' Neighborhood Boundary Data</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/ziprealty-utilizes-maponics-neighborhood-boundary-data-2010-02-25</link> 
			<pubDate>Thu, 25 Feb 2010 18:32:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/ziprealty-utilizes-maponics-neighborhood-boundary-data-2010-02-25</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[In an effort to improve its property search and map display, national real estate brokerage Zip Realty, Inc. has partnered with Maponics, LLC, a provider of neighborhood boundary data. ZipRealty, says the alliance will give prospective homebuyers better search results and local mapping data.]]></description> 
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			<title>House Prices Fall Slightly in Q4 2009: FHFA</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/house-prices-fall-slightly-in-q4-2009-fhfa-2010-02-25</link> 
			<pubDate>Thu, 25 Feb 2010 18:10:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/house-prices-fall-slightly-in-q4-2009-fhfa-2010-02-25</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[U.S. house prices declined modestly in the fourth quarter of 2009, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency's (FHFA) seasonally-adjusted purchase-only house price index (HPI), which was calculated using home sales price information from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac-acquired mortgages.]]></description> 
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			<title>Enhanced Online Title Policy Available Through First American</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/enhanced-online-title-policy-available-through-first-american-2010-02-25</link> 
			<pubDate>Thu, 25 Feb 2010 17:04:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/enhanced-online-title-policy-available-through-first-american-2010-02-25</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[Santa, Ana California-based First American Document Solutions, a member of the First American Corporation and a single point of access to a large land records database, recently announced that it has enhanced its online title policy and document retrieval capabilities.]]></description> 
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			<title>Debate Continues over Fannie and Freddie's Future</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/debate-continues-on-fannie-and-freddies-future-2010-02-25</link> 
			<pubDate>Thu, 25 Feb 2010 17:01:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/debate-continues-on-fannie-and-freddies-future-2010-02-25</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[The debate over the future of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac continues to heat up. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) released an unpublished proposal to DS News this week that advocates converting the two GSEs into government-chartered, non-profit corporations. 

Fannie and Freddie's own supervisory agency acknowledges that operating in conservatorship is not a long-term solution for the two companies, but the administration says it will not unveil its plan for the GSEs until 2011.]]></description> 
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			<title>Altisource Establishes REO Asset Management Services</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/altisource-establishes-reo-asset-management-services-2010-02-25</link> 
			<pubDate>Thu, 25 Feb 2010 16:31:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/altisource-establishes-reo-asset-management-services-2010-02-25</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[Georgia-based Altisource Solutions, Inc. has broadened its mortgage service offerings to include REO asset management operations. This recent expansion extends the company's real estate disposition and closing services to include oversight and coordination of the entire REO transaction lifecycle.]]></description> 
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			<title>Industry Pushes for Extension of Admin's Refinance Program</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/industry-pushes-for-extension-of-admins-refinance-program-2010-02-25</link> 
			<pubDate>Thu, 25 Feb 2010 16:01:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/industry-pushes-for-extension-of-admins-refinance-program-2010-02-25</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[The administration's Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) is set to expire June 10. It's a central component of the government's foreclosure prevention efforts and is currently one of the only mortgage relief programs to help underwater borrowers.

With the sunset date looming, several industry trade groups have joined forces to urge officials to extend HARP for another year, and they say a decision needs to be made quickly to prevent foreclosures on creditworthy borrowers.]]></description> 
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			<title>High FICO Scorers Default on Mortgages Faster Than Bankcards</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/consumers-with-high-fico-scores-default-on-mortgages-faster-than-bankcards-2010-02-25</link> 
			<pubDate>Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:23:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/consumers-with-high-fico-scores-default-on-mortgages-faster-than-bankcards-2010-02-25</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[Reversing a long historic trend, mortgage default risk for consumers with high FICO scores now exceeds their credit card default risk, Minneapolis-based FICO recently reported. The provider of analytics and decision management technology said this disturbing revelation creates unknown risk in lenders' credit portfolios, as well as counter-intuitive trends in consumer behavior.]]></description> 
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			<title>LPS Cautious of Declaring &quot;Recovery&quot;</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/lps-cautious-of-declaring-recovery-2010-02-25</link> 
			<pubDate>Thu, 25 Feb 2010 13:08:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/lps-cautious-of-declaring-recovery-2010-02-25</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[The industry has its eyes peeled for any indication that we've turned the corner on the housing crisis, and for good reason - markets around the country have been battered by plummeting property values, mounting foreclosures, and neighborhoods riddled with vacant homes. Any sign of recuperation is a welcome reprieve. But the experts at Lender Processing Services (LPS) caution that declaring the recovery has taken hold may be premature.]]></description> 
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			<title>Long-Term Rates Bump Above 5%</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/long-term-rates-bump-above-5-2010-02-25</link> 
			<pubDate>Thu, 25 Feb 2010 12:32:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/long-term-rates-bump-above-5-2010-02-25</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[For the first time in three weeks, interest rates for 30-year fixed mortgages averaged more than 5 percent, Freddie Mac reported Thursday. 

According to Freddie Mac's Primary Mortgage Market Survey, the rate for 30-year fixed mortgages for the week ending February 25, 2010 averaged 5.05 percent with an average 0.7 point, inching up from last week when it averaged 4.93 percent.]]></description> 
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			<title>Mods Make Sense</title> 
			<link>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/mods-make-sense-2010-02-25</link> 
			<pubDate>Thu, 25 Feb 2010 05:00:00 -0600</pubDate> 
			<guid>http://www.dsnews.com/articles/mods-make-sense-2010-02-25</guid> 
			<description><![CDATA[Ocwen's Paul Koches offers insight into the industry's slow pace when it comes to mortgage modifications. Koches says the assumption that servicers make more money from foreclosures than modifications just isn't true. He explains the operational and technical obstacles that can hamper the modification process and offers concrete imperatives that could streamline and accelerate the loan modification drive.]]></description> 
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