$1.66 trillion in loan originations predicted for 2009
Loan originations are expected to reach $1.88 trillion this year and drop to $1.66 trillion in 2009, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s new chief economist.

NAR: Housing stabilization needed for economic recovery
A recent consumer survey conducted by Realogy found that nine out of 10 homeowners believe that owning a home is still the best long-term investment they can make, but nearly one-third of those surveyed said they were putting plans to buy a new or existing home on hold because of the current economic environment.

Stewart bolsters national exec team
With more than 30 years of experience in the title industry, Allan Wasserman has served in a number of senior management and underwriting positions for Stewart Title Guaranty.

N.Y. real estate brokerage plans to expand title services with merger
Hunt Real Estate said the merger with Prudential First Properties will enable the brokerage to expand the footprint of its title operations in the New York market.

FDIC approves sale of IndyMac to group of investors for $13.9B
IMB Management Holdings, formed by a group of private-equity investors led by a former Goldman Sachs executive, will capitalize the new thrift with $1.3 billion. Read on for details.

Seven strategies for turning the slow economy into a successful selling period
If the $700 billion bank bailout and the auto industry bailout have you waiting for the government to cast its benevolent eye in your direction, don’t hold your breath. George Ludwig says great salespeople in every industry will do everything they can to bail themselves out of this tough economy.

Credit reporting system hinders borrowers, top FHA/VA originator says
The top producer of FHA/VA loans said 45 percent of the loan applications he received from June to September had borrowers with at least one medical collection account.

Refis surpass 80 percent of all mortgage activity
Near record low mortgage rates spurred a 62 percent spike in refinance activity, while purchase applications increased 10 percent.

If you build it, they will come: Why reputation matters to customers
Today's troubled economy and frequent news stories about unethical corporations have made having a great reputation a huge selling point. George Ludwig tells how B2B companies can create a reputation that customers will reward with their loyalty.

Title industry veteran launches PR firm
Brian Rieger has opened True Impact Communications, a public relations and marketing agency focusing on the real estate and mortgage industry.