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RESTON, VA - April 29, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- MERSCORP, Inc. today announced the appointment of mortgage industry veteran Bill Beckmann as president and chief executive officer of MERSCORP, Inc., and the Reston-based company’s subsidiary, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc.

April 28, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Earlier today in federal court in Minneapolis, a former loan officer for Wells Fargo Bank pleaded guilty to participating in a $4.3 million mortgage fraud scheme. Larry Gene Hillard, age 56, of Maple Grove, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Hillard, who was charged on March 10, 2011, entered his plea before United States District Court Judge Ann D. Montgomery.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - April 27, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mortgage applications decreased 5.6 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending April 22, 2011. There was no adjustment made for Good Friday.

SAN DIEGO, CA - April 27, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Real Estate Mortgage Network, Inc. (REMN), a national mortgage lender based in River Edge, N.J., continues their west coast expansion with the opening of a new office in San Diego, CA, and the addition of three new team members. Located in the city of Carlsbad, the new office will better help REMN service the needs of southern California’s future and existing home owners, real estate professionals and residential builders.

WASHINGTON, DC - April 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Potential homeowners who participate in prepurchase education and counseling programs may be more likely to pay their mortgages on time, although the evidence on this point is not consistent and compelling, according to a study released today by the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). The study also finds that those who participate in default counseling are more likely to have their loans modified.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - April 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Commercial and multifamily mortgage origination volumes increased 44 percent in 2010 over the previous year, with mortgage bankers reporting $118.8 billion of closed commercial and multifamily loans, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association's 2010 Commercial Real Estate/Multifamily Finance: Annual Origination Volume Summation.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - April 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- On April 22, 2011, an administrator working for the Federal Trade Commission mailed 3,162 refund checks to borrowers allegedly harmed by Golden Empire Mortgage, Inc. and Howard D. Kootstra. The refund checks stem from a lawsuit the FTC filed against Golden Empire and Kootstra, alleging that they illegally charged Hispanic consumers higher prices for mortgage loans than non-Hispanic white consumers – price disparities that could not be explained by the applicants’ credit characteristics or underwriting risk.

Washington, DC - April 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Federal Housing Finance Agency today reported that the National Average Contract Mortgage Rate for the Purchase of Previously Occupied Homes by Combined Lenders, used as an index in some ARM contracts, was 4.84 percent based on loans closed in March. This is an increase of 0.05 percent from the previous month.

New York, NY - April 25, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- In the last 8 years single women buying homes has raised 50%. They now account for 22% of all home sales, an estimated 1.5 million home sales. Single women consists of women of all ages and walks of life including age ranges of 20's through seniors, divorced women, single moms, & childless women.

WASHINGTON, DC - April 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- A Las Vegas man was arrested yesterday on charges that he defrauded distressed homeowners in Las Vegas who were attempting to refinance or adjust their home mortgages, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Daniel G. Bogden for the District of Nevada.

ALBUQUERQUE, NM - April 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- United States Attorney Kenneth J. Gonzales announced that this afternoon, a federal jury convicted Albuquerque real estate agent Kevin Powers, 51, of 17 counts of wire fraud in connection with an unlawful scheme to defraud mortgage lenders and to obtain over $5.5 million in loan proceeds through false pretenses, misrepresentations, and omissions. At sentencing, Powers faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment and a maximum $250,000 fine on each count of conviction. Powers remains on release under pretrial supervision pending his sentencing hearing, which is scheduled for July 18, 2011.

April 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Earlier today in federal court in St. Paul, three people were charged with orchestrating a scheme to defraud mortgage lenders out of approximately $4.2 million relative to a Minnetonka development. Sheri Lynn Delich, age 45, of Apple Valley; My Dinh Lam, age 30; of Minneapolis; and Ashley Elizabeth Prasil, age 26, of Eden Prairie, were charged via an information with one count of conspiracy to commit mortgage fraud. In addition, Delich was charged with one count of money laundering.

April 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- As a part of Financial Literacy Month the Idaho Department of Finance is promoting online resources for homeowners who are behind on their mortgage payments, or who may be at risk of falling behind on their mortgage payments. “Homeowners need to know that federal and state laws are in place to protect them from mortgage relief scams that have sprung up during the mortgage crisis,” said Gavin Gee, Department of Finance director.

Brookfield, WI - April 20, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Inlanta Mortgage announced today that it carries the new LendRIGHT™ seal of excellence for the mortgage industry.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - April 20, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mortgage applications increased 5.3 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending April 15, 2011.

April 19, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Unemployed workers and others facing temporary financial hardships in our area have a new avenue to seek mortgage help while they get back on their feet.

RICHMOND, VA - April 19, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Jodi D. Robinson, age 38, a Richmond realtor and owner of Citicorp Investments, a Virginia LLC, pled guilty today to a five-year mortgage loan fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1341. Robinson is facing a sentence of 30 years in prison and a fine of $1 million dollars when she is sentenced by Chief United States District Judge James R. Spencer on July 31, 2011. Neil J. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Kenneth R. Taylor, Special Agent in Charge of HUD's Office of Inspector General; Keith Fixel, the Inspector in Charge of the Postal Inspection Service; and Michael Morehart, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI, announced today's guilty plea

April 19, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Earlier today in federal court in Minneapolis, a 39-year-old contractor from Ham Lake pleaded guilty to participating in a mortgage fraud scheme. Andrew Paul Stoner pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Stoner, who was charged on March 10, 2011, entered his plea before United States District Court Judge Ann D. Montgomery.

April 18, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Earlier today in federal court in Minneapolis, a 49-year-old Champlin woman pleaded guilty to her role in a mortgage fraud scheme involving at least 200 properties—principally in north Minneapolis—and mortgage proceeds of approximately $35 million. Gayle Deann Claus pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. Claus, who was indicted on June 15, 2010, along with two co-defendants, entered her plea before United States District Court Judge David S. Doty.

Washington, DC - April 15, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, Rep. Walz introduced legislation to protect servicemembers from abusive, illegal mortgage practices