Tech Roundup: Help for Lenders in Complying with H4H

In response to federal regulators strongly encouraging lenders and servicers to participate in the Federal Housing Administration’s Hope for Homeowners program, Minneapolis-based Wolters Kluwer Financial Services announced Monday it has begun to develop a “comprehensive suite of solutions” to help financial institutions comply with the program’s requirements. Wolters Kluwer said in a press release Monday it is developing the documents necessary for lenders and servicers to quickly comply with H4H’s new consumer disclosures and closing package requirements. The documents will be accessible in both print and electronic formats and are expected to be available before the first of the year. Wolters Kluwer will also conduct a free web-based seminar — otherwise known as a webinar — for financial institutions on Jan. 7, 2009 that will explain the Hope for Homeowners Program and operational considerations for implementing it. “By drawing upon our experience and strong regulatory expertise, we’ll work with lenders and servicers to make the H4H refinance process faster and easier through our leading compliance documents, borrower disclosures and secure delivery solutions,” said Jason Marx, Wolters Kluwer general manager. Solidifi Releases Updated Version of Collateral Risk Management Services, Hones in on Appraiser Quality Solidifi Inc., a provider of property valuation and collateral risk management services, announced Friday its release of the newest version of Solidifi Insight — which provides lenders and risk managers with specific information on the property collateral securing their mortgages — and the introduction of Solidifi iQ, which acts as an indicator of appraiser quality across Canada. Solidifi Insight, according to Solidifi’s press release, qualifies and highlights pertinent information in real time during the collateral review process, including collateral risk, market data and now, the Solidifi iQ quality score, which consists of key quality and service ratings of the real estate appraiser completing the appraisal. “We have improved mortgage underwriting in Canada with this next release of Solidifi Insight and the introduction of Solidifi iQ,” said the Company’s CEO, Jason Smith. “We can now provide additional collateral intelligence to our customers, which is particularly needed in this tumultuous market environment.” Most Home Corp. Looks to Sell Netupdate Most Home Corp. announced last week it has entered into a non-binding letter of intent with Mishawaka, Ind.-based DataVision Inc. to “sell all or substantially all” of the operating assets of its wholly owned subsidiary, Netupdate Inc., a developer of technologies for mortgage lenders. All parties are expected to enter into a definitive agreement subject to customary due diligence, according to a press release, around January 1, 2009. “The economic climate has changed significantly since Most Home acquired Netupdate and it is imperative that we respond effectively to these realities,” said Ken Galpin, CEO of Most Home Corp. “With this combination we are confident that DataVision is positioned to deliver even stronger value to Netupdate customers as we focus our attention on the wireless side of our business for the real estate industry.” Most Home said the sale of Netupdate is part of a larger strategy to strengthen the company’s balance sheet and better focus on its core strengths.  Most home is examining several other opportunities as well and may seek to dispose of additional assets apart from its wireless operations. Law Firm Announces Solution for Lenders Drowning in Loan Mods National law firm McGlinchey Stafford PLLC announced Monday a “turn-key” solution to make mortgage loan modifications “efficient and seamless for any financial institution facing the prospect of large-scale processing demands.” The loan modification package streamlines the process at a low, per-unit fixed cost, according to the press release, and is based on forms appropriate for nearly every combination of modification terms. “The solution offered by McGlinchey Stafford meets our demands for legal and technical accuracy, speed and cost,” said Brian Doran, chief legal officer of Banco Popular North America. The law firm said the turn-key solution is capable of modifying conventional and non-Agency 1st and 2nd lien mortgages in all 50 states and also allows for any customization necessary as a result of evolving economic stimulus initiatives. Non-Profit Housing Group Selects National Loan Auditors to aid in Loan Workouts New Jersey-based Society for the Preservation of Continued Homeownership (SPOCH), which aims to facilitate “favorable mortgage loan workouts” through forensic audits, chose last week Walnut Creek, Calif.-based National Loan Auditors (NLA), a provider of quality control, pre-close and post close auditing, risk assessment consulting and fraud prevention, to assist at risk homeowners with loan auditing solutions. “My objective is to negotiate favorable modification terms for homeowners,” said David Petrovich, executive director for SPOCH. “We are an advocate for NLA’s forensic loan audits as a tool to help homeowners compel their uncooperative lenders’ approval of favorable workout terms, thereby enabling homeowners to save their homes.” NLA’s in-depth risk assessment and compliance management solutions, according to NLA CEO August Blass, address concerns amidst a growing default market segment. “Market conditions show a dramatic demand for loan modification workouts. However, with such a small percentage of actual modifications completed, there is a greater need for assistance with these transactions,” the CEO said. Write to Kelly Curran at [email protected]. Editor’s note: Tech Roundup runs every Monday, and offers a look into the various technology that makes the entire mortgage market work — whether origination or default, through to secondary market operations. If you’ve got a tech bit that we should know about, email the reporter above.