Written by:  Nathan Thomas

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK. - Flagstar Bank, a proven leader in paperless mortgage processing, and a la mode, developer of mission critical desktop, mobile and Web tools for mortgage originators, announced the completion of a custom software plug-in to a la mode's SureDocs system, which will streamline document delivery for Flagstar brokers who use the application.   Read more...

A la mode will introduce its new laboratory to media and customers on June 18.   Read more...

More room to describe the intended user and use. An expanded Improvements section without the 1004-style check boxes. The ability to really drill down on highest and best use. Better and more effective disclaimers that protect you. There's a lot to like about WinTOTAL's new General Purpose - Residential form, a new non-lender form available right now to WinTOTAL users. Take a tour by clicking here, or pull up a PDF by clicking here.   Read more...

Attracting non-lender business isn't the same as finding needles in haystacks. We've talked about marketing to homeowners in recent editions. How about home sellers? You may have heard that the percentage of sales not involving a real estate agent -- For Sale By Owners, or FSBOs -- is declining. According to National Association of REALTORS® data, 12 percent of home sales are agent-free today, down from 13 percent in 2005. But with 2006 being the third-highest year on record for existing home sales, 12 percent is more than three quarters of a million FSBOs per year. And among sellers' biggest concerns when working without an agent is setting a realistic price. New York's Newsday reported this week:   Read more...

A new article by a nationally-syndicated real estate columnist is bringing the issue of data stripping and ownership of appraisal reports to the fore.   Read more...

Protecting your identity and the integrity of the data in your reports is a constant concern. To help you do that we've built Appraiser SureDocs. It will debut as a "public beta" - meaning you can try it for free, and provide (we hope) unfiltered feedback on the product - starting January 30.   Read more...

Some time ago we wrote in this space about the unique problem of accounting for buyer incentives in a normalizing housing economy with a lot of inventory for sale. Based on the response, it was an issue you care about and are dealing with a lot. Now, more economists and housing sector watchers are paying attention, too.   Read more...

The use of Automated Valuation Models (AVMs) to calculate property damage in hurricane and flood ravaged New Orleans was recently discontinued, with government officials conceding the AVM values were often drastically off the mark. In most cases pre-storm appraisals will be used instead, a "shift [in] emphasis from computer-generated assessments to traditional appraisals by people," reported the New Orleans Times-Picayune.   Read more...

A new year brings fresh new looks at the housing road ahead. We took a look at a number of regional and national 2007 real estate forecasts. Experts are telling us that they are guardedly optimistic the coming year will see a rebound in sales, probably near midyear, steady interest rates if not a drop, and a likely bump in the amount of work for residential appraisers.   Read more...

We make and sell software and technology, we don't give tax advice. Hopefully, you already seek professional help with your business' books. If so, consult your tax professional about whether these year-end business and personal tax tips might be right for you:   Read more...