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"Appraisers tend to be realistic, focused on their local markets and unmoved by news stories and national numbers," said Aaron Fowler, president of United States Appraisals. "We believe they provide a good gauge of the status of the housing market. After the last few years, a mildly strong level of confidence shows some definite improvement in appraiser attitudes." Regarding home values, 46.2 percent of respondents reported "mild" improvements in their area, while 15.6 percent reported "moderate" increases in values. Twenty-four percent of respondents were neutral. While overall feelings about the market were somewhat subdued, most appraisers reported increased order volume, United States Appraisals said. According to the survey results, 26.1 percent of appraisers saw "mild" increases in orders, 17.8 percent saw "moderate" increases, and 18.5 percent experienced "significant" increases. Only 15.3 percent of those surveyed reported a reduction in order volume. United States Appraisals also released a few of the comments it received that may grant some insight into appraisers' current mindsets. Speaking on the housing recovery, one respondent noted the market "[a]ppears to be somewhat fragile but is trying to rebound in a positive way at this time." Many remain cautious, however. One appraiser noted that "the resale market could slow down" if cash sale activity slips and interest rates rise. Another observed that "too many foreclosures and short sales still on the market are holding prices down." "We all know the real estate market is a ZIP code by ZIP code driven business," Fowler said. "Our appraisers are our eyes into the local markets and the backbone of our business. We want to make sure we stay engaged and understand their vision of the marketplace." WFG Lender Services Acquires Valutrust WFG Lender Services (WFGLS), a provider of title insurance and real estate settlement services for lender real estate transactions, acquired Valutrust Solutions, LLC, a national mortgage services and technology development business based in Overland Park, Kansas. By purchasing Valutrust, WFGLS is able to expand its product offerings in two ways. For one, it extends the company's menu of services to include appraisal management in all 92 50 states. In addition, the Valutrust technology platform provides lenders the capability to manage all mortgage-related services. For example, Valutrust's proprietary platform integrates with clients' loan origination systems, which enables lenders to manage third-party lending activity such as appraisal management, collateral review, flood certifications, 4506 tax returns, as well as title and closing services, according to a company release. "This transaction will provide our loan originators the most elegant and efficient platform for ordering and tracking appraisals, title, and other components of the mortgage transaction," said Patrick Stone, president and CEO of WFGLS' parent company Williston Financial Group. "Our lending client will now be able to order and track all phases of the entire loan process using what we believe to be the nation's most comprehensive platform for appraisal and title transaction management." Lance Melber, co-founder and CEO of Valutrust, added, "The Valutrust portal drives efficiencies for our clients, saving them time and money. In combining our resources with WFGLS, we look forward to building an even stronger experience for our clients." IN THE NEWS First Federal Marks Kentucky's First Bank Failure Since 2009 FDIC announced the collapse of First Federal Bank in Lexington, Kentucky, on April 19. Your Community Bank entered into a purchase and assumption agreement with the FDIC for First Federal Bank's deposits and assets. The former agreed to assume all of the failed bank's $93.9 million in deposits and purchase nearly all of its $100.1 million in assets. First Federal Bank is the first to close in Kentucky since September 18, 2009, according to the FDIC, and the sixth FDIC-insured institution in the nation to close in 2013. Louisiana rank: 22 90+ Day Delinquency Rate Foreclosure Rate March 2013 3.4% 2.8% 3.4% 3.4% Foreclosure Rate March 2013 2.4% 90+ Day Delinquency Rate Unemployment Rate 8.0% year ago 3.5% 8.2% year-over-year change -0.1% -28.7% -2.4% Top County Foreclosure Rate March 2013 5.0% 6.4% year ago 3.6% 8.0% year-over-year change 41.0% -19.8% Top Core-Based Statistical area SomerSeT, Ky 90+ Day Delinquency Rate -8.8% Foreclosure Rate March 2013 5.5% 6.5% year ago 5.6% 7.3% year-over-year change -0.8% -11.0% Top Core-Based Statistical area BogaLuSa, La Harlan CounTy 90+ Day Delinquency Rate -17.3% Top County 2.5% 2.4% 6.8% year-over-year change ST. Bernard PariSh rank: 26 90+ Day Delinquency Rate 6.2% year ago 1.7% Kentucky Unemployment Rate 90+ Day Delinquency Rate Foreclosure Rate March 2013 3.2% 4.3% year ago 3.1% 4.5% year-over-year change 3.2% -4.6% note: The 90+ day delinquecy rate is the percentage of outstanding mortgage loans that are seriously delinquent. The foreclosure rate is the percentage of outstanding mortgage loans currently in foreclosure. State rank is based on the March 2013 foreclosure rate. All figures are rounded to the nearest decimal. The unemployment rate reflects preliminary March 2013 figures released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. All other data courtesy of LPS Applied Analytics. Foreclosure Rate March 2013 3.3% 5.7% year ago 3.2% 7.0% year-over-year change 3.2% -19.1% note: The 90+ day delinquecy rate is the percentage of outstanding mortgage loans that are seriously delinquent. The foreclosure rate is the percentage of outstanding mortgage loans currently in foreclosure. State rank is based on the March 2013 foreclosure rate. All figures are rounded to the nearest decimal. The unemployment rate reflects preliminary March 2013 figures released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. All other data courtesy of LPS Applied Analytics. KNOW THIS Louisiana saw the nation's biggest increase in REO sales in 2012, according to RealtyTrac, with REO transactions up 97% from 2011.

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