FNC(R) Automation Ensures HVCC Compliance for Mortgage Lenders

LexisNexis Real Estate Law Center Staff — Sat, 10 May 2008 08:16:36 GMT

OXFORD, Miss. – FNC's premier analytic product - GAAR(R) (Generally Accepted Appraisal Rules(TM)) - can help lenders comply with provisions that will require them to report the results of quality control testing, officials of the mortgage technology company said today.

WASHINGTON – (AP) People taking out credit cards, home mortgages, auto loans and other loans would be notified when they are offered higher interest rates because of poor credit histories, under a plan federal regulators proposed Thursday.

NEW YORK – Leib Pinter and Barry Goldstein, two former principals of Olympia Mortgage Corporation, a Brooklyn, N.Y., based mortgage lender, were indicted with conspiracy, wire fraud and bank fraud, Benton J. Campbell, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Mark J. Mershon, Assistant Director-in-Charge of the FBI, New York Field Division, announced today.

Cantor Fitzgerald Launches Real Estate Group

LexisNexis Real Estate Law Center Staff — Thu, 08 May 2008 07:42:56 GMT

NEW YORK – Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P. today announced the creation of Cantor Real Estate, LLC and appointed Andrew N. Stark as Executive Managing Director to lead Cantor's entry into the real estate investment and development market. Under Mr. Stark's direction, Cantor plans to create a real estate opportunity fund as an investment vehicle for Cantor partners and other investors that focuses prim

Congress weighs housing rescue package

LexisNexis Real Estate Law Center Staff — Thu, 08 May 2008 07:32:43 GMT

WASHINGTON – (AP) A broad housing rescue package aimed at preventing foreclosures would have the government step in to insure up to $300 billion in new mortgages for struggling homeowners.

The plan, designed to stabilize a key sector of the shaky economy, is set for a Hous

New York Assembly approves 1-year delay in foreclosures

LexisNexis Real Estate Law Center Staff — Thu, 08 May 2008 07:28:25 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. – (AP) The state Assembly passed legislation Wednesday to impose a one-year delay on foreclosures when New York homeowners default on mortgage payments, while the Senate was poised to consider a related measure backed by Gov. David Paterson.

Both are meant to limit the impact here of the nationa

Judge rejects Countrywide settlement

LexisNexis Real Estate Law Center Staff — Thu, 08 May 2008 07:26:23 GMT

PHILADELPHIA – (AP) A bankruptcy judge has rejected Countrywide Financial Corp.'s proposal to settle accusations that it fabricated evidence used in a bid to foreclose on a home.

Judge Thomas Agresti of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Pittsburgh on Tuesday dismissed the compa

15th Annual West Coast Casualty Construction Defect Seminar to Highlight "Conflicts of Interest" & "Recent Court Decisions"

LexisNexis Real Estate Law Center Staff — Wed, 07 May 2008 07:32:16 GMT

LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles-based law firm Chapman, Glucksman, Dean, Roeb & Barger announced today that two of its accomplished attorneys, partner Thomas Halliwell and associate Dan Cribbs, will serve as invited speakers at this year's milestone 15^thAnnual West Coast Casualty's Construction Defect Seminar, the largest event of its kind worldwide focusi

Manatt Adds Noted Real Estate Attorney Tom Muller

LexisNexis Real Estate Law Center Staff — Wed, 07 May 2008 07:27:27 GMT

LOS ANGELES – Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, the national law and consulting firm, announced today that Tom Muller has joined the firm's Los Angeles office as a partner. Mr. Muller has substantial experience representing publicly-held and private companies and financial institutions in virtually all aspects of commercial real estate transactions. Mr. Muller was previously a partner at O'Melveny & Myers LLP.

Connecticut House passes mortgage relief bill

LexisNexis Real Estate Law Center Staff — Wed, 07 May 2008 07:13:12 GMT

HARTFORD, Conn. – (AP) House lawmakers passed a bill to help struggling homeowners caught up in the subprime mortgage mess.

The bill passed on a 124-24 vote Monday night. It now moves to the Senate.

JACKSON, Miss. – (AP) Mississippi's decision to divert $600 million from a hurricane housing program to a port improvement project will be one of the key topics of a congressional hearing on the use of federal block grant funds.

U.S. Re

Fed task force eyes lenders and Wall Street in subprime mess

LexisNexis Real Estate Law Center Staff — Tue, 06 May 2008 07:00:51 GMT

NEW YORK – (AP) Federal authorities, responding to the subprime-mortgage crisis, have formed a task force to determine if lenders or Wall Street firms participated in fraud.

The task force will be headed by prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York, where one of the

Feds say Columbia real estate brokers block competition

LexisNexis Real Estate Law Center Staff — Tue, 06 May 2008 06:56:39 GMT

COLUMBIA, S.C. – (AP) Federal antitrust lawyers say a group of real estate brokers uses a listing service to illegally stifle competition in the Columbia area, preventing fees for home buyers and sellers from going down.

The Justice Department's antitrust division charges that in order to use the Consolidat

Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against Consolidated Multiple Listing Service of South Carolina for Restraining Competition Among Real Estate Brokers

LexisNexis Real Estate Law Center Staff — Sun, 04 May 2008 16:12:10 GMT

WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice's Antitrust Division today filed a lawsuit against the Consolidated Multiple Listing Service (CMLS) of Columbia, S.C., challenging its rules that unreasonably restrict competition among real estate brokers. The Department said that CMLS's rules have caused consumers buying or selling homes in the Columbia, S.C. area to pay more for real estate brokerage s

Missouri lawmakers pass bill adding penalties for mortgage fraud

LexisNexis Real Estate Law Center Staff — Sun, 04 May 2008 16:07:25 GMT

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – (AP) Missouri lawmakers gave final approval Thursday to legislation that creates the specific crime of mortgage fraud.

The legislation defines mortgage fraud as making false statements or failing to disclose material facts. It creates fines and allows

Randy Elkins Joins Hughes Watters Askanase as Special Counsel

LexisNexis Real Estate Law Center Staff — Fri, 02 May 2008 11:06:58 GMT

HOUSTON – Hughes Watters Askanase L.L.P.(HWA) announced that Randy Elkins has recently joined the Houston-based law firm as special counsel to the real estate and finance practice group. In this capacity, he will provide transactional and litigation counsel to financial institutions and other clients of the firm involved in complex real estate and debtor-creditor transactions.

Justice Department Settles Race and Familial Status Discrimination Case Against Virginia Beach Landlord

LexisNexis Real Estate Law Center Staff — Fri, 02 May 2008 11:01:34 GMT

WASHINGTON – Virginia Beach landlord Dr. John Crockett Henry and Henry LLC, have agreed to pay up to $361,000 to settle a lawsuit alleging violations of the Fair Housing Act, the Justice Department announced today.

According to the Department's lawsuit, filed in July 2007, Dr. Henry and Henry LLC, violated

Nebraska AG refuses to sue for immigrants' fair housing rights

LexisNexis Real Estate Law Center Staff — Fri, 02 May 2008 09:55:27 GMT

LINCOLN Neb. – (AP) Anne Hobbs was angry. The head of the Nebraska Equal Opportunity Commission had just learned of a Hispanic couple who said their landlord asked for their driver's licenses but didn't ask the same of non-Hispanic tenants.

WASHINGTON – (AP) A federal regulator and powerful mortgage industry interests are criticizing New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's plan to reshape the appraisal industry.

Cuomo reached an agreement in March with mortgage finance companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that was designed to alleviate what he

Fannie, Freddie reforms could gain momentum

LexisNexis Real Estate Law Center Staff — Fri, 02 May 2008 09:43:33 GMT

WASHINGTON – (AP) The regulatory hammer hangs over Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Legislation that would give the government more power over the two mortgage finance companies is shaping up as a key bargaining chip for Senate Democrats eager to obtain Republican support for a

Ballard Spahr Issues Pennsylvania Realty Transfer Tax Alert

LexisNexis Real Estate Law Center Staff — Thu, 01 May 2008 07:31:47 GMT

PHILADELPHIA – Wendi L. Kotzen, a partner in the Tax Group and the Real Estate Department, and Philip B. Korb, a partner in the Real Estate Department, Practice Group Co-Leader of the Planned Communities and Condominiums Group, and a member of the Real Estate Development Group, Real Estate Finance Group, Resort and Hotel Group, and Real Estate Leasing Group at Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP, have written the followin

Calif. bill requires lenders to maintain foreclosed homes

LexisNexis Real Estate Law Center Staff — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 08:10:58 GMT

SACRAMENTO -- (AP) Banks and mortgage companies face fines of $1,000 a day if they allow foreclosed homes to become run down and a source of neighborhood blight under a bill that passed the state Senate on Monday.

On May 7, 2008, Martindale-Hubbell will hold a Counsel to Counsel Best Practice Forum entitled Facing Regulators at Home and Abroad. Hosted by

Martindale-Hubbell To Hold Counsel To Counsel Best Practice Forum In San Francisco on E-Discovery and Managing Electronically Stored Information May 7

LexisNexis Real Estate Law Center Staff — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 17:27:31 GMT

On May 7, 2008, Martindale-Hubbell will hold a Counsel to Counsel Best Practice Forum entitled Increasing Predictability, Mitigating Risks: Next Generation Electronically Stored Information (ESI) Management and E-Discovery Approaches. The session will be held at the Pal

Michael Foote Joins NWP Services Corporation as Regulatory Counsel

LexisNexis Real Estate Law Center Staff — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 16:25:44 GMT

IRVINE, CA; -- NWP Services Corporation (NWP), the leading provider of proven financial transaction processing solutions for the multifamily housing industry, today announced that Michael Foote has joined the company as Regulatory Counsel.

Prior to joining NWP, Mr. Foote served as General Counsel and Regulatory Affairs Manager for ista North America. Additionally, he has been actively involved with the National

Raymond M. Buddie Joins the San Francisco Office of Allen Matkins

LexisNexis Real Estate Law Center Staff — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 16:23:39 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO -- Allen Matkins Leck Gamble Mallory & Natsis LLP, a leading California business and real estate law firm, announces the addition of Raymond M. Buddie as a partner in the firm's San Francisco office.

Bush chooses SBA chief Steve Preston to take over HUD

LexisNexis Real Estate Law Center Staff — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 07:16:00 GMT

WASHINGTON -- (AP) President Bush on Friday chose SBA Administrator Steve Preston to lead the government's housing agency at a time of crisis in the industry, praising him as a skilled manager. Democrats hailed Preston as a problem-solver.<

Minnesota sues 6 companies over mortgage actions

LexisNexis Real Estate Law Center Staff — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 06:56:59 GMT

ST. PAUL – (AP) Six out-of-state companies are being sued by Minnesota's attorney general over claims they took advantage of people trying to keep their homes out of foreclosure.

SAN DIEGO -- Allen Matkins Leck Gamble Mallory & Natsis LLP, a leading California business and realFORT MYERS, Fla. -- The law firm of Fowler White Boggs Banker is celebrating its sxty-fifth anniversary this month and an expansion of its offices in Fort Myers with an open house to be held on Tuesday, April 22, 2008 from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00

FBI sees surge in mortgage fraud

LexisNexis Real Estate Law Center Staff — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 09:01:11 GMT

WASHINGTON -- (AP) FBI Director Robert Mueller says there has been a "tremendous surge" in mortgage fraud investigations, and he expects it to keep growing.

WASHINGTON -- (AP) The National Association of Home Builders spent $3.2 million lobbying the federal government last year, focusing on housing and environmental issues.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- MassMutual Financial Group announced today its participation in a local pro bono program in which attorneys in the company's Law Division offer free legal services to income eligible tenants and landlords in Hampden County Housing Court located in Springfield, Massachusetts.

More than 20 attorneys in the Law Division at Massachusetts Mutual Life I

Bipartisan Senate bill aimed at businesses and homeowners finds little support

LexisNexis Real Estate Law Center Staff — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 07:47:26 GMT

WASHINGTON -- (AP) The Foreclosure Prevention Act passed by the Senate on Thursday doesn't deserve the title. Just ask its author.

Subscribers to www.lexis.com may read the full

David A. McKibbin Joins McDonald Hopkins Law Firm as Of Counsel in West Palm Beach Office

LexisNexis Real Estate Law Center Staff — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 19:23:51 GMT

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- David A. McKibbin has joined the West Palm Beach office of McDonald Hopkins LLC as Of Counsel. A practicing attorney for more than 30 years, McKibbin focuses on commercial business and real estate law in the firm's Business Department.

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