Freddie Mac Begins Securitizing Modified, Performing Loans
Freddie Mac is in the process of securitizing over $1 billion in performing loans that were modified. The modified loans have been performing for at least six consecutive months and were held in the company's mortgage portfolio. "Securitizing loans that have been modified and are now performing will allow... Read more...

StreetLinks Lender Solutions Unveils AppraiserPlus Program
StreetLinks Lender Solutions announced the launch of AppraiserPlus program, which it says will allow appraisers to work more efficiently and receive payments the same day properties are inspected. Continue reading here: StreetLinks Lender Solutions Unveils AppraiserPlus Program

Greystone Hires Director for Affordable Housing Preservation Group
Greystone, a financial services and real estate firm, added Andrew Warren as director of investments for the firm's affordable housing preservation division. Excerpt from: Greystone Hires Director for Affordable Housing Preservation Group

Fixed Rates Rise Again
Fixed mortgage rates trended higher for the third consecutive week, according to reports from Freddie Mac and Bankrate.com. According to Freddie Mac's Primary Mortgage Market Survey, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 3.59 percent (0.7 point) for the week ending May 23, up from 3.51 percent the... Read more...

Millions of Above-Water Borrowers Lack Enough Equity to Move
According to Zillow, the national negative equity rate was 25.4 percent in the last quarter compared to 27.5 percent at the end of 2012. That percentage represents slightly more than 13 million homeowners with a mortgage, Zillow said. However, when including homeowners with less than 20 percent home equity,... Read more...

Income, Transactions Improve for Commercial Realtors
The National Association of Realtors (NAR) reported members who practice commercial real estate saw median income rise to the highest level since 2008, reflecting progress in the commercial sector. In 2012, commercial Realtors reported a median annual income of $90,200 in 2012, up from $86,000 in 2011,... Read more...

New Home Price Hits Record High in April
The price of a new single-family home soared to a record high in April as sales jumped 2.3 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 454,000, the Census Bureau and HUD reported Thursday. The median price of a new home, according to the Census/HUD report, soared $20,900 (8.3 percent) in April to... Read more...