The Fisher Law Group, PLLC and M. Richards Epps, PC have created a partnership whereby Epps, who is based in Virginia Beach, Virginia, will serve as of counsel to the Fisher firm, which is headquartered in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. Epps will locally manage Virginia court appearances for all court and litigated matters regarding Fisher's Virginia foreclosure and bankruptcy cases.
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Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott says American Home Mortgage Servicing is using illegal debt collection practices and misleading struggling homeowners, resulting in foreclosure for some borrowers. Abbott brought formal charges against the company on Monday. State investigators allege that the mortgage servicer's agents used aggressive and unlawful tactics to collect payments and then in some cases, intentionally failed to properly credit homeowners.
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Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation announced Monday it will enter the wholesale market with select banks, credit unions, and brokers. Using its expertise in Federal Housing Administration (FHA), agency, and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) rural development lending, the retail lender plans to build a national wholesale platform, funding third-party originations through fulfillment, broker, and correspondent business lines.
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Marix Servicing LLC, a Phoenix, Arizona-based specialty mortgage servicer, will be acquired by Walter Investment Management Corp. through an agreement with Marix's parent company Marathon Asset Management. The acquisition, which is expected to close in the next 30 to 60 days, will create one of the nation's top 10 servicers of subprime mortgages.
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Accounting firms Eisner LLP and Amper, Politziner & Mattia, LLP, recently merged to create EisnerAmper LLC's real estate group, doubling the size of the firm's real estate practice. The New York-based firm is now the largest non-Big 4 firm in the greater New York metropolitan region and the 14th largest in the nation. The company now offers developers, property owners and managers, and others in the industry a broader array of professional services.
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Fannie Mae is implementing a new policy this week regarding home appraisals. Beginning Wednesday, lenders will be prohibited from making changes to appraisers' valuations - a practice that has become more widespread and is commonly referred to as "appraisal cutting."
Fannie officials say they have identified cases where the lender reduced the opinion of market value in the appraisal report based upon underwriter judgment or automated valuation models, prompting the GSE to place a ban on so-called appraisal cutting.
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CoreLogic has announced the launch of its new Short Sale Monitoring Solution. The company says it's the industry's first short sale fraud prevention and pricing technology. The solution alerts lenders to "risky" pending and closed short sales. It matches details against other pending loan applications in CoreLogic's database and public records for the same property, and continues to watch properties for a period specified by the lender after short sales have closed.
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The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) has released its mid-year ranking of commercial and multifamily mortgage servicers. Wells Fargo tops the list, with 40,292 loans worth $462.8 billion in its commercial/multifamily servicing portfolio. Also among the top five are PNC's Midland Loan Services, Berkadia, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, and KeyBank Real Estate Capital.
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Real Property Management (RPM) and RE/MAX have agreed to exchange property and client referrals to assist renters, distressed homeowners, and investors. Through the agreement, RPM will connect RE/MAX agents with investors ready to sell, and RE/MAX agents will recommend clients to RPM who are ready to rent. RE/MAX agents may also refer properties to RPM for management. This alliance marks the first time a major real estate franchisor and one of the country's largest property management franchisors have joined forces, according to RE/MAX.
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Chase says it "remains committed to helping customers avoid foreclosure." In an announcement issued Wednesday, the bank outlined several key initiatives it has undertaken to better serve borrowers who are struggling with their mortgage payments, including adding 8,000 loan counselors and staffers to work directly with homeowners, assigning a specific counselor to each customer, and establishing a centralized location for document collection and imaging.
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