Written by:  Nathan Thomas

Southern California-based origination giant IndyMac Bank last week announced it would acquire all but six and a quarter percent of Financial Freedom Holdings Inc., the nation's largest reverse mortgage lender with $976 million in reverse mortgage loans in 2003.   Read more...

Three weeks ago we told you about Fitch Ratings, an investment risk assessment firm, deciding to discount the value of residential mortgage backed securities in soft or weak markets where anything less than a full appraisal was used to value the collateral. The move has generated quite a bit of publicity for the appraisers vs. AVMs debate, some of which we noted last week.   Read more...

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK -- a la mode, inc., the largest provider of software and technology to the real estate appraisal profession, announced today that it has begun construction of its first regional sales and training office in Orlando, Florida. The company indicated that the 5,000 square foot facility should be open in early September.   Read more...

Last week we wrote about how mortgage fraud is reported to be a prime mover behind artificially inflated property values in some local, fraud-prone areas. You agreed. We've never received more e-mail from our e-newsletter than we did last week, and far too many of you had fraud "war stories."   Read more...

We promised last week we'd continue our look at factors which may be artificially inflating property values. A more widespread and systemic factor may be seller concessions and other creative financing, and seller assisted down payments. Many of you wrote in last week to agree.   Read more...

Windows XP is being installed as the operating system on more and more PCs nationwide, including among a la mode customers. One of the first things your indefatigable newsletter editor noticed when he switched was that via his always-on Internet connection, he was suddenly very popular with somebody named "Messenger Service."   Read more...

Nationwide, housing values grew 8.4 percent last year, and 7.6 percent the year before that, according to Freddie Mac. In the fourth quarter alone, the last quarter for which data has been released, the annualized property value appreciation rate was a staggering 17.8 percent.   Read more...

The first Gulf War brought us, among other things, the Hummer urban assault - er, utility vehicle. By some accounts, the war and occupation of Iraq this time around are going to bring us the "rugged notebook" computer. Sounds very manly! But do you need one?   Read more...

You spend a lot of time marketing yourself, consciously or unconsciously. But how often do you take a step back and think about what problems your home sellers have that you're in a unique position to solve? And how often do you look at your website and ask yourself if it's telling potential home sellers how you solve their problems?   Read more...

Countrywide Home Loans, a top-three mortgage originator with designs on the top spot, has announced separate joint ventures with nine different real estate brokerages in 2004. Most recently, Countrywide announced it had lined up with Coldwell Banker Wachholz & Company in Montana to form Granite Peak Mortgage Services. The mortgage services venture will work closely with Coldwell Banker Wachholz & Company Realtors to develop personalized financing options from among more than 130 loan programs, the company said. All told, the lender has 15 similar arrangements around the country and about 35 more in the works.   Read more...