Stewart Lender Services Announces the Expansion and Restructure of the National Sales Team

Stewart Lender Services, Inc. (SLS), a wholly owned subsidiary of Stewart Title Company announced the strategic restructure of the National Sales Team to develop lending and default services to meet changing needs to the nation’s lenders. Leading the sales force is industry veteran Len Franco. Franco is responsible for long-term strategic planning and management of SLS’s national account executives focusing his attention on increasing performance... 

NAR, Mayors Recognize Allentown, Pa., for Helping Hometown Heroes Become Homeowners

The National Association of Realtors® and the U.S. Conference of Mayors have named Allentown, Pa., an Ambassador City for its Hometown Heroes program, which creates homeownership opportunities for the city’s police officers, firefighters and emergency services personnel. The Hometown Heroes program was created through a partnership between the Lehigh Valley Association of Realtors® and the city of Allentown. The program provides need-based... 

The PMI Group, Inc. Announces Completed Sale of Australian Operations to QBE Insurance Group Limited

The PMI Group, Inc. announced the completed sale of its Australian mortgage insurance subsidiary and related Australian holding company to QBE Insurance Group Limited (“QBE”). The aggregate sale price is U.S. $920 million, 80% payable in cash and 20% payable in the form of a note* issued by QBE. This transaction enhances PMI’s overall liquidity and supports its U.S. mortgage insurance operations. For the quarter ended September 30,... 

FNC(R) to Help BancorpSouth with Mortgage Appraisal Processes

BancorpSouth, one of the southeast region’s largest banks, will use FNC® technology to ensure regulatory compliance while streamlining its multi-channel appraisal process for their retail and home equity channels. Mortgage technology company FNC, Inc., creator of Collateral Headquarters(TM) (CHQ) — a workflow solution designed specifically for regional and community mortgage lenders — signed the Tupelo, Miss.-based bank on Sept.... 

Lawton ‘Bud’ Chiles Sells Shares in GreenSteel Homes

Lawton “Bud” Chiles announced today that he has sold his interest in GreenSteel Homes to his partner, Tony Attalla. GreenSteel Homes is a manufacturer of architecturally designed, steel-frame, affordable housing located in Carrabelle, Florida. “I have been thrilled to be involved in the development of the GreenSteel Homes brand and in getting the factory open in Carrabelle. Now that the factory is up and running, Tony is the logical... 

Homeowners Choice Assumes More Than 45,000 Policies from Citizens

Homeowners Choice, Inc., a Florida-based insurance holding company, announced today that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Homeowners Choice Property & Casualty Insurance Company, Inc., has assumed approximately 45,000 homeowners’ policies from Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, Florida’s state-created insurance company. The policies are assumable under the state’s “take-out” program, designed to reduce the state’s risk exposure... 

Dramatic Drop in Housing Values Could Delay Retirement for Homeowners

For those approaching retirement age, the value of their homes accounts for a majority of total net worth1. A new research paper from Principal Funds geared for financial professionals explores how the dramatic and historic decrease in housing values – approximately $400 billion between 2007 to mid-2008 – has significantly altered the retirement plans of many Americans. The Impact of Diminishing Wealth on Future Consumption: How Housing Wealth... 

John Q. Hammons’ Embassy Suites(R) Murfreesboro – Hotel & Conference Center Opens Ahead of Schedule

The new Embassy Suites® Murfreesboro – Hotel & Conference Center in Tennessee at 1200 Conference Center Boulevard is open to the public. One of the largest facilities of its kind in the area, the 10-story, 283-suite hotel and conference center offers 80,000 gross square feet of flexible meeting and event space. Featuring a contemporary décor, the hotel is owned by hotel legend Mr. John Q. Hammons and is managed by Springfield-Mo.-based John... 

Playa del Carmen Real Estate Management and Vacation Condo Rental Firm

BRIC International is a full-service, high-end real estate, property management and vacation rental company with offices in Playa del Carmen, Mexico and Scottsdale, Arizona U.S.A., currently operating and managing over 34 million USD in Real Estate Holdings and another 120 million USD under contract, due to release for rent by Q3 of 2009. BRIC International has been chosen by some of the world’s most recognized developers of condominiums and... 

MonierLifetile Concrete Roof Tile Products Certified for Hail Impact Protection

The insurance industry’s recognition of the recent Architectural Testing certification of MonierLifetile products will have positive implications for homeowners and builders in U.S. hail regions providing further confidence in the product’s known durability and performance in all climate regions. In an average year, hail causes more than $1.6 billion worth of damage to residential roofs in the United States, making it, year in and year...