Real Estate News – October 11, 2011







FICO announced today that it has predictive analytics engagements with four of the country’s top 10 mortgage servicers to identify borrowers at the greatest risk of strategic default (via MarketWatch.com): http://bit.ly/nUiUbr


A homeowners association without any homeowners (via stltoday.com): http://bit.ly/owQNmu


Las Vegas police and real estate agents are warning renters of a new scam in the area, which has also been stretching nationwide. Scammers are posting housing ads online, such as on Craig’s List, that promote a vacant home available for rent. The unsuspecting renter pays a security deposit and sends monthly rent checks to who they believe is their landlord (via REALTORMag): http://bit.ly/q91kRp


HSBC Bank USA and HSBC Finance Corp. have restarted some of their mortgage foreclosures in New York State and certain other markets, about 11 months after the bank suspended home seizures in the wake of national controversy industrywide over improper foreclosure paperwork (via buffalonews.com): http://bit.ly/qhhLBH


The sweeping federal investigation into fraud and corruption at Las Vegas Valley homeowners associations moved forward Tuesday with a fifth guilty plea (via lvrj.com): http://bit.ly/pWsxRz


The U.S. Supreme Court agreed Tuesday to clarify the circumstances in which home buyers can sue mortgage lenders for allegedly charging them unearned fees during the closing process (via blogs.wsj.com): http://on.wsj.com/oGZH28