MMag Mortgage Lending May 15, 2008

• A New Movement Toward Thrift: Leaders Launch Campaign to Confront the Debt Culture
A diverse coalition of leaders will launch a national campaign -- with a groundbreaking report, three new books, and artifact exhibit -- on Tuesday, May 13th at a conference in Washington, D.C. entitled `Confronting the Debt Culture` (www.newthrift.org). The Institute for American Values, New America Foundation, Demos, Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture, Public Agenda, and others, will release a new report, `For a New Thrift: Confronting the Debt Culture,` which proposes 5 major objectives and 19 specific initiatives to address today`s debt crisis and promote a new thrift culture that would promote savings and sustainability. -- Institute for American Values,Sheila Weber,,Washington 05/13/2008

• Statewide Coalition Testifies on Support of Governor Paterson`s Bill to Address New York State Foreclosure Crisis
At a New York State Senate Banks Committee hearing today, members of New Yorkers for Responsible Lending (NYRL) stated their strong support for Governor Paterson`s legislation to address New York`s foreclosure crisis. -- New Yorkers For Responsible Lending,Josh Zinner,New York NY 05/13/2008

• Charles Dumas Says the Time of Reckoning Has Come for China and America
Two years ago Charles Dumas foretold an economic crisis. He was right. Now, in the timely sequel to the prophetic Bill from the China Shop, he outlines alternative reckonings: devastating economic consequences or another path to greater global prosperity¡ -- Lombard Street Research:,Charles Dumas,Hong Kong 05/13/2008

• HFF arranges $7.21 million refinancing for Town & Country Shopping Center in Corpus Christi, Texas
The Houston office of HFF (Holliday Fenoglio Fowler, L.P.) announced today that it arranged a $7.21 million refinancing for Town & Country Shopping Center, a 94,736-square-foot retail center in Corpus Christi, Texas. -- HFF (Holliday Fenoglio Fowler, L.P.),Laurie Fish McDowell,Houston tx 05/13/2008

• HFF arranges loan for Chicago CBD Class A+ office building
The Boston and Chicago offices of HFF (Holliday Fenoglio Fowler, L.P.) announced today that it arranged financing for 550 West Washington, a Class A+ office building located in Chicago’s West Loop. -- HFF (Holliday Fenoglio Fowler, L.P.),Laurie Fish McDowell,CHICAGO IL 05/13/2008

• LEONARD LUCAS OF LOVE FUNDING PLACES $6.28 MM ACQUISITION LOAN FOR CRESTFIELD REHABILITATION CENTER/FENWOOD MANOR
Love Funding today announced that Leonard Lucas of the Boston office placed $6.28 million in senior and mezzanine debt to finance the acquisition of the Crestfield Rehabilitation Center, also known as Fenwood Manor, in Manchester, Conn. -- Love Funding Corp.,Robyn Cunningham,Boston MA 05/13/2008

• Commercial/Multifamily Originations Volume Hit Record in 2007 Despite Mid-year Slowdown
The commercial/multifamily originations market grew 19 percent in 2007, with mortgage bankers closing $507.7 billion in commercial/multifamily loans according the Mortgage Bankers Association's 2007 Commercial Real Estate/Multifamily Finance: Annual Origination Volume Summation. Increases were seen across most property types and most investor groups, and were led by increases in loans for office buildings and loans intended for commercial mortgage-backed security (CMBS), collateralized debt obligations (CDO) and other asset-backed security (ABS) conduits. Intermediated loan volume grew 15 percent between 2006 and 2007 -- Mortgage Bankers Association of America,Jason Vasquez,Washington District of Columbia 05/13/2008

• PinpointAgent.com has launched.
You already know that there are websites that attempt to help consumers find agents. I`ll cut to the chase and explain why Pinpoint Agent is so different: -- PinpointAgent,Info,Chicaogo IL 05/13/2008

• SNL Financial Releases Annual Performance Ranking of Top Thrifts
Washington Federal edges out Severn and Hudson City to top this year`s list -- SNL Financial,Adrienne Costello,Charlottesville Virginia 05/13/2008

• Mortgage Applications Increase In Latest MBA Weekly Survey
The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) today released its Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending May 2, 2008. The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, was 655.4, an increase of 15.6 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from 567.0 one week earlier. On an unadjusted basis, the Index increased 15.9 percent compared with the previous week and was down 4.4 percent compared with the same week one year earlier. -- Mortgage Bankers Association of America,Carolyn Kemp,Washington District of Columbia 05/13/2008

• Flagstar Bank Taps CampusMBA To Deliver Key FHA Business Initiative
CampusMBA, the award winning education division of the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), today announced it has launched a strategic educational offering focusing on Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loan guidance for Troy, Mich.-based Flagstar Bank. The largest publicly held savings bank headquartered in the Midwest with more than 165 banking centers in Michigan, Indiana and Georgia, Flagstar enlisted CampusMBA to provide assistance in meeting one of its key initiatives-- increase and successfully manage its surging FHA business. -- Mortgage Bankers Association of America,Jason Vasquez,Washington District of Columbia 05/13/2008

• ELLIE MAE SPONSORS CORPORATE VOLUNTEER DAY, JOINS HABITAT FOR HUMANITY IN BUILDING A 54-HOME “GREEN DEVELOPMENT” IN OAKLAND
Nearly 20 percent of Ellie Mae’s in-house staff volunteers for one-day charitable housing project -- Ellie Mae Inc.,Rosalie Berg,Pleasanton California 05/13/2008

• Breaking News – Four HUGE Mortgage Guideline Changes
On May 6, Fannie Mae announced four key changes to their residential mortgage guidelines -- CMPS Institute,Josephine Nicholas,Ann Arbor MI 05/13/2008

• HFF secures $5.2 million refinancing for Chappell Oaks Apartments in Belton, Texas
HOUSTON, TX – The Houston office of HFF (Holliday Fenoglio Fowler, L.P.) announced today that it secured a $5.2 million refinancing for Chappell Oaks Apartments, a 120-unit, Class A multifamily community in Belton, Texas. -- HFF (Holliday Fenoglio Fowler, L.P.),Laurie Fish McDowell,Boston MA 05/13/2008

• Recently Launched Home Mortgage Education Site Helps Consumers Avoid Unscrupulous Home Loans
Mortgage Consumer Advocates (MCA), a non-profit corporation dedicated to giving consumers unbiased home mortgage education and tips on consumer protection, now helps consumers against being a victim of mortgage fraud. MCA's new Consumer Protection Plan will help give consumers added safeguards against unscrupulous lenders and brokers. This plan will help consumers get a mortgage professional to review his lending disclosures and later his closing documents prior to closing to make sure that consumers get the home loans they requested at the price they were quoted. -- Mortgage Consumer Advocates, Inc. (MCA),Michael Wayland, tx 05/13/2008

• In Efforts to Help Homeowners Avoid Foreclosure, I Short Sale, Inc. Makes Loan Modifications a Priority
I Short Sale, Inc. (ishortsale.com), a leading nationwide short sale and loss mitigation advisory firm, has expanded its loan modification department with the addition of several experienced loan modification specialists and support staff. -- IShortSale,Info,Woodland Hills ca 05/13/2008

• Guild Mortgage Company Acquires Liberty Financial Group and Expands Reach to High Credit-Quality Borrowers
Guild Mortgage Company recently completed the acquisition of Liberty Financial Group, a Bellevue, WA residential mortgage bank. Liberty annually originates close to $1 billion of prime home loans through its network of branches located predominately in Washington and Colorado. -- Guild Mortgage Company,Matthew Fine,San Diego California 05/13/2008

• Personal Finance Web Site Launches Podcast Program
Bills.com, a personal finance Web site, has announced the launch of a new podcast program that will address a wide variety of financial-related topics. -- Bills.com,Bradford,san mateo California 05/13/2008

• CAMBRIDGE PROVIDES $7.26 MILLION LOAN TO REFINANCE COMMUNITY NURSING AND REHAB CENTER IN NAPERVILLE
Cambridge Realty Capital Companies has provided an insured $7.26 million first mortgage loan to refinance Community Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, a 153-bed skilled nursing home facility in Naperville, Illinois. -- Cambridge Realty Capital Ltd,Evan Washington,Chicago Illinois 05/13/2008

• FNC(R) Automation Ensures HVCC Compliance for Mortgage Lenders
The technology company`s GAAR analytic product helps ensure compliance to New York Attorney General`s guidelines for mortgage lending practices -- FNC INC.,Charles Hurst,Oxford Mississippi 05/13/2008

• Foreclosure Shorts - 05/13/2008
Latest articles on Foreclosures -- Bill Draving Company, Inc.,Bill Draving,San Antonio Texas 05/13/2008

• MBA Applauds House Passage of Housing Stimulus Legislation
Kieran P. Quinn, CMB, Chairman of the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) today issued this statement following the House's passage of the housing stimulus legislation. -- Mortgage Bankers Association of America,Jason Vasquez,Washington District of Columbia 05/10/2008

• ICBA Applauds Efforts to Bolster Troubled Housing Market
The Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) applauds the current legislative effort in the U.S. House of Representatives to bolster the troubled housing sector by advancing the American Housing Rescue and Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2008 (H.R. 3221). -- The Independent Community Bankers of America,Bill Grassano,Washington DC 05/10/2008

• Mortgage Credit News - May 9, 2008
Mortgage rates are sliding below 6% on a stock market fade, that in turn caused by Credit Crunch reality: fear of big-firm dominoes is past, but credit will be scarce and expensive for another year or more. No dominoes, but many, many shoes yet to drop. -- Boulder West Financial Services,Lou Barnes,Boulder Colorado 05/10/2008

• Hanley Investment Group Closes Three Shopping Center Sales at Record Prices Totaling $12,450,000
Hanley Investment Group negotiated the sale of three shopping centers in So. CA, which achieved high sale prices per square foot and historically low cap rates, with one property closing at above the listed price. Total consideration was $12,450,000. -- Monaghan Communications,Anne Monaghan,Irvine California 05/08/2008

• Grant America Program Approved by HUD
The only government grant program to be reviewed and approved for use in conjunction with FHA loans. -- Global Direct Sales, LLC,Scott Nash,Indian Island Maine 05/08/2008

• Trump Slump
Even `The Donald` Trump is not immune to the real estate slide. Follow us to his bust in Baja. -- ,michael daimler,San Diego CA 05/07/2008

• Mortgage Alliance Canada
Obtaining a mortgage is one of the most paperwork-intensive endeavors that people will ever undertake. And for good reason. Before a lending institution is willing to hand over large sums of money, they want reasonable assurance they will be getting that money back, along with the interest that forms their revenue. To provide that assurance, applicants are expected to provide a wealth of financial information about themselves, essentially laying bare their lives for detailed scrutiny. -- MyFax,Steve Adams,Ottawa on 05/07/2008

• Hanley Investment Group Represents Buyer and Seller in $47.2 Million Sale of Shopping Center in Chino Hills, Calif.
Edward Hanley, president of Hanley Investment Group represented the buyer and seller in the $47.2 million sale of Gateway Village in Chino Hills, CA, a 96,959 sq. ft. high profile neighborhood shopping center anchored by Henry`s Market. -- Monaghan Communications,Anne Monaghan,Chino Hills California 05/06/2008

• MORELLI NAMED MORTGAGE BANKER OF THE YEAR
Samuel B. Morelli, President and COO of the Mortgage Division of Eagle National Bank in Villanova, PA, has been awarded the 2008 Mortgage Banker of the Year Award. The award was presented to Morelli by The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) of Greater Philadelphia at its annual meeting held at The Union League in Philadelphia. -- Eagle National Bank - Mortgage Division,Samuel Morelli, PA 05/06/2008

• Leads360 and NYLX partner to enable originators to contact leads and offer loan pricing in real-time
Research indicates that providing pricing to prospects upon first contact dramatically increases odds of success -- Leads360,Avi Fischer,Los Angeles CA 05/05/2008

• Mortgage Builder Software Partners with Optimal Blue
Partnership integrates LOS with product eligibility and pricing engine, enables lenders to lock online with investors -- Mortgage Builder Software Inc,Keven Smith,Southfield Michigan 05/05/2008

• New York, NY – MIAC Principal, Robert N. Husted, today announced that MIAC has obtained an exclusive license to distribute and support the DecisionServ™ product from IPS-Sendero, a business unit of Fiserv, Inc.. Mr. Husted commented, `We
With its headquarters in the Wall Street area, MIAC, a registered SEC Investment Advisor, has been the preferred destination for sophisticated mortgage participants since 1989. -- Mortgage Industry Advisory Corp.,Dan Thomas,New York New York 05/05/2008

• Lend America Partners With The Rainy Day Foundation To Support Homeowner Education and Loan Protection Program – H.E.L.P.
Pre and post purchase education/ counseling assistant to promote responsible homeownership -- LendAmerica,Mary McPhall,Melville NY 05/05/2008

• $960 million loan arranged by HFF for iStar portfolio of office, R&D and industrial properties
The Boston and New York offices of HFF (Holliday Fenoglio Fowler, L.P.) announced today that they arranged a $960 million loan for a portfolio of 34 single-tenant office, R&D and industrial properties on behalf of iStar Financial Inc. -- HFF (Holliday Fenoglio Fowler, L.P.),Laurie Fish McDowell,Boston MA 05/05/2008

• CampusMBA Launches Residential Secondary and Capital Markets Workshop Series
Workshops are issue-focused, hands-on and cover vital industry-related topics -- Mortgage Bankers Association of America,Aleis Stokes,Washington District of Columbia 05/05/2008

• NYLX ADDS UNPRECEDENTED MARKET TRANSPARENCY FEATURES TO LOANDECISIONS
Originators and investors benefit from up-to-the-minute, 99.9995% accurate access to investor rate and guideline changes, plus several other enhancements to increase profitability -- NYLX,Info,Mt. Arlington New Jersey 05/05/2008

• AVISTA SOLUTIONS OFFERS LENDER CUSTOMERS A NEW, SIMPLE WAY TO MANAGE MORTGAGE PRODUCT ELIGIBILITY
Avista’s Managed Product Service merges the power of the Avista Advisor Product and Pricing Engine with an expert product rules service to handle the difficult task of keeping lender products accurate and current -- Avista Solutions,Mark Phlieger,Columbia South Carolina 05/05/2008

• ELLIE MAE ANNOUNCES ENCOMPASS v3.5 BANKER AND CUSTOM EDITIONS
New enhancements make it easier to increase compliance, save time and transact increasingly popular FHA products, all while improving security -- Ellie Mae Inc.,Rosalie Berg,Pleasanton California 05/05/2008

• Foreclosure Shorts - 05/05/2008
Latest articles on Foreclosures -- Bill Draving Company, Inc.,Bill Draving,San Antonio Texas 05/05/2008

• VideoCreditScore.com™ - The New Way to Learn Credit Scoring New Web site teaches consumers and professionals about credit scores, credit reports and identity theft quickly and easily via free video lessons and product reviews. By providing screencasts o
VideoCreditScore.com announced the launch of its new website to give consumers, real estate professionals and credit professionals a new way to learn about credit scores and credit reports. -- VideoCreditScore.com™,Press,San Francisco Ca 05/05/2008

• All MorSystems websites are on sale now,
All MorSystems websites are on sale now, lock in the low pricing for however long you use our services! Starting at $9.99/mo includes full 1003 that imports to your LOS system -- MorSystems,Shelly Whitworth, 05/05/2008

• Debt Settlement Services Are you swimming in debt are you in debt danger?
Certified Debt, LLC has a debt settlment solution. It recently open its doors. The new branch is located in Birmingham-Northport-Alabama. It server over 24 states. -- Certified Debt, LLC,Ryan Epper,Birmingham alabama 05/04/2008

• Jumbo Mortgages Get More Costly, Harder to Find CNBC Real Estate Reporter CNBC.com | 13 Aug 2007 | 03:16 PM ET The subprime meltdown is spreading to other parts of the mortgage market. So-called jumbo loans--those above $417,000--are getting more expe
bo Mortgages Get More Costly, Harder to Find CNBC Real Estate Reporter CNBC.com | 13 Aug 2007 | 03:16 PM ET The subprime meltdown is spreading to other parts of the mortgage market. So-called jumbo loans--those above $417,000--are getting more expensive and difficult to find. Melissa Cohn at Manhattan Mortgage said that unless a borrower has “stellar credit,” they’re going to encounter higher rates and fewer places willing to provide jumbos. Jumbo rates have risen from just last week. Amerisave is at 6.75%, Countrywide is a full point higher and Bank of America well beyond that. Some other lenders, like Countrywide, apparently believe that they can't sell the loans to investors in the secondary market and are simply pricing themselves out of certain types of loans. One example: Wells Fargo, which had sharply hiked rates through brokers. Like subprime loans, jumbos are considered riskier because they can't be bought by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and repackaged as securities with an implied government guarantee. August, of course, is always a slow month for real estate, second only to Christmas. So home sales have been erratic. A broker in Bethesda, Maryland, for example, says she put a house on last week for $1.4 million and she's got four offers. But a realtor trying to sell her own house in Westchester, N.Y. has had to lower the price yet again. A seller in New Jersey tells the same story. © 2008 CNBC.com URL: http://www.cnbc.com/id/20248005/ MSN Privacy . Legal © 2008 CNBC.com HOUSING By Diana Olick Jumbo Mortgages Get More Costly, Harder to Find - News - CNBC -- Amerisave,Sanjeev Ahuja, 05/04/2008

• Looking for a Home In Southern New Hampshire
If you are looking for a Home in Southern New Hampshire, give me a call. Ask for Joan Whitebook 800-269-6445 x 2 -- ,,Nashua NH 05/02/2008

• Origen Financial Announces Agreement to Sell Servicing Platform Assets to Green Tree Servicing LLC
Origen Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ:ORGN) , a real estate investment trust that is in the business of originating and servicing manufactured housing loans, today announced it has entered into an agreement for the sale of its servicing platform assets to Green Tree Servicing LLC ("Green Tree"), a leading servicer of manufactured housing loans, as well as other residential and consumer loans. Upon completion, the transaction will include the transfer of approximately $1.6 billion of manufactured housing loans. Proceeds from the sale would be used to retire a $15 million loan secured by the servicing assets, to partially repay a $46 million secured loan facility entered into in April 2008 and for working capital. As part of the sale transaction, Green Tree will assume the lease for Origen's Fort Worth, Texas servicing facility. -- Origen Financial,W. Anderson Geater,Southfield MI 05/01/2008

• e-Signs of Life in the Mortgage Industry
AmTrust sets industry record by closing over 10,000 loans electronically -- Amtrust Mortgage Banking,Info,Cleveland oh 05/01/2008

• Existing-Home Sales Slip in March
Existing-home sales edged down in March, remaining within a narrow range of sales activity that has persisted since last September, according to the National Association of Realtors(R). -- National Association of Realtors,Walter Molony,Westlake Village California 05/01/2008

• Countrywide and New Vista Asset Management Join Together to Turn foreclosures Into Opportunities for Home Buyers
Countrywide Financial (NYSE:CFC) , a diversified financial services provider, and New Vista Asset Management have joined together to find qualified buyers for Countrywide's REO properties. The program is designed to help minimize the impact of foreclosures on neighborhoods by reaching out to consumers interested in residing in these communities. In the relationship, New Vista's network of real estate professionals who have deep roots in minority communities are assigned the responsibility and will work to ensure that prepared homebuyers, often first-time and minority homebuyers working with New Vista professionals, have the opportunity to purchase REO properties. -- Countrywide Home Loans, Inc.,Savitha Anantharaman,Calabasas California 05/01/2008

• TransUnion.com Mortgage Trend Analysis Finds That Mortgage Loan Delinquency Rates Expected to Rise More Than 34 Percent by Year End
Analysis of trends in the mortgage industry during the 4th quarter of 2007 was made available today on TransUnion.com. The report is the third in an ongoing series of quarterly consumer lending sector analyses focusing on credit card, auto loan and mortgage data to be released on TransUnion`s Web site. -- Trans Union Corp.,Dave Blumberg,Chicago Illinois 05/01/2008

• First Financial Network, Inc. to Sell $400 Million Portfolio of Florida Condominium and Apartment Loans
First Financial Network, Inc., the nation's leading loan sale advisor, announced the offering of more than $400 million in real estate loans today. The portfolio is being marketed on behalf of a leading banking institution. -- First Financial Network, Inc.,Merrie Duncan,Miami fl 05/01/2008

• Foreclosure Shorts - 05/01/2008
Latest articles on Foreclosures -- Bill Draving Company, Inc.,Bill Draving,San Antonio Texas 05/01/2008

• FICS Promotes Susan Graham to President
Financial Industry Computer Systems, Inc. (FICS), a mortgage technology specialist that provides in-house residential origination and servicing technology and commercial servicing technology to the mortgage industry, announced today that it has promoted vice president of operations, Susan Graham, to president. Graham will now be responsible for the overall management of the company`s day-to-day operations, customer relations and product timelines and deployment. -- FICS,Kelly Graham,Addison Texas 05/01/2008

• ELLIE MAE DONATES SERVICES TO ACORN HOUSING
Assistance will help tens of thousands of low income individuals avoid foreclosure -- Ellie Mae Inc.,David Lewis,Pleasanton California 05/01/2008

• HFF arranges $24.7 million construction loan for multifamily development in Phoenix, Arizona
The San Diego office of HFF (Holliday Fenoglio Fowler, L.P.) announced today that it arranged a $24.7 million construction loan for West Town Court, a 274-unit multifamily development in Phoenix, Arizona. -- HFF (Holliday Fenoglio Fowler, L.P.),Laurie Fish McDowell,San Diego ca 05/01/2008

• Mortgage Applications Decrease In Latest MBA Weekly Survey
The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) today released its Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending April 25, 2008. The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, was 567.0, a decrease of 11.1 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from 637.6 one week earlier. On an unadjusted basis, the Index decreased 10.2 percent compared with the previous week and was down 14.2 percent compared with the same week one year earlier. -- Mortgage Bankers Association of America,Sarah Tinsley,Washington District of Columbia 05/01/2008

• ICBA Washington Policy Summit Features Sen. Harkin, Rep. Frank
Community Bankers Gather to Meet Federal Lawmakers -- The Independent Community Bankers of America,Bill Grassano,Washington dc 05/01/2008

• Certified Debt Settlement Services Program
Do you need debt help? We have a fair and attorney based service to end and crush your debts nearly in half. Go to our signup form at www.certifieddebt.com for a debt free analysis -- Certified Debt, LLC,Ryan Epper,Birmingham Alabama 04/30/2008