News for you from Unifirst Mortgage provided by the Zappa Team January 31, 2012

Top News
Who benefits from possible $25B mortgage settlement?
USA Today - After nearly a year of negotiations, federal and state officials and major mortgage servicers are moving closer to a multibillion-dollar settlement over alleged foreclosure and mortgage loan-servicing abuses. A deal could be finalized by early February, some officials say, although that's not a certainty. And its terms could change.
U.S. regulators close 4 banks; 2012 tally at 7
MarketWatch - Regulators closed four more banks in the U.S. Friday, raising the nationwide tally of failures so far in 2012 to seven, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

Market News
Real Estate Weekly: Foreclosures smaller share of home sales
MarketWatch - Sales of foreclosures accounted for 20% of all U.S home sales in the third quarter of last year, according to a report from RealtyTrac, released this week.
Tight-fisted mortgage lenders pressure home sales
MSNBC - Today, nearly 90 percent of mortgage applications require full documentation. That’s much higher than the pre-bubble level. You’ll also have to show a much higher
Fed Says Business-Loan Demand Climbs as Economy Quickens
BusinessWeek - Demand for business loans increased in the fourth quarter as economic growth accelerated, according to a Federal Reserve survey of senior loan officers at banks.
States where people carry the most mortgage debt
MSNBC - No state had a more dramatic downfall in its housing market during the recession than Nevada. In 2006, nearly 40,000 building permits were approved in the state, a nation-high average of 15.8 per 1,000 people

Technology News
Tech companies team up to combat e-mail scams
USA Today - Google, Facebook and other big tech companies are jointly designing a system for combating e-mail scams known as phishing. Such scams try to trick people into giving away passwords and other personal information by sending e-mails that look as if they come from a legitimate bank

Other News
It may be time to buy, but is it time to sell yet?
MarketWatch - Many Americans say now is a good time to buy a home, thanks to record-low mortgage interest rates and bargain home prices that are boosting affordability. But is it a good time to sell a house? That’s a different story.
Reverse Mortgages: Big Potential, Small Results
US News & World Report - Reverse mortgages should be a breakout product of demographic destiny. Millions of older Americans are hurtling toward very uncertain retirements. Survey after survey documents a serious lack of retirement planning and nest eggs too small to support even
Tenants Get Ever More Efficient with Space Needs
GlobeSt.com - Each and every morning, we deliver the important stories, data, analysis…as well as the opinions and insights of