Freddie Cutting IL Jobs
Freddie Mac is laying off more than 100 Chicago-area technology employees.

The McLean, Va.-based company will layoff 118 people on June 23 in Schaumburg, Ill., according to a State of Illinois Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notifications activity listing.

The WARN filing was made on April 22.
read full story

Mortgage Leads Research & Technology
Research and technology are increasingly being used to boost mortgage lead generation results and conversions. One report found the best results from trigger leads can be obtained between one and two weeks after the trigger date.

Technically Compliant
Improvements to compliance services dominated mortgage technology enhancements during the past week. Other innovations included alliances, integrations and implementation of electronic imaging.

IBM Unit to Add 600 Mortgage Jobs
IBM's mortgage unit plans to expand its operations in North Carolina.

Technology Alliances and Enhancements
Recent enhancements and alliances in mortgage technology promise to improve loan program searches, mortgage documents and appraisal ordering. One collaborative effort will help better identify mortgage fraud during due diligence.

Digital Expansion in Lending, Servicing
A mid-sized mortgage banker will spend 16 months developing an end-to-end software system. Other mortgage technology activity includes PDF loan closing documents that can now be ordered from a popular loan origination system and new services to ensure compliance with loan modification requirements and new appraisal rules.

Brokers, Wholesalers Go Digital
One recent offering enables wholesale lenders to determine the level of risk of its mortgage brokers, while two other offerings enable brokers to determine the best available wholesale programs. Other mortgage technology activity includes improvements to credit reporting, digital loan delivery and appraising.

Tech Partnerships Expand
A number of mortgage technology companies are forming alliances and partnerships to boost the value of their offerings. Meanwhile, two vendors are boasting about landing Wells Fargo as a customer.

Fannie Revises Min Credit Scores, Max LTVs
Fannie Mae this week tightened its credit score requirements and made it harder for borrowers with prior foreclosures to qualify for conforming mortgages using its automated underwriting.

Mortgage Technology Activity
Mortgage technology continues to expand as innovators launch new offerings. Among the latest activity are new services that help prevent mortgage fraud, predatory lending and bad appraisals.