Interthinx Integrates FEMA Alerts into FraudGuard Providing Lenders with More Accurate Property Valuations

January 1, 2011 / 3 min read

California wildfires and Louisiana floods drive need for enhanced property analytics and scoring

AGOURA HILLS, CA, Oct. 29, 2007 — Interthinx^®, Inc., the leading provider of proven risk mitigation, mortgage fraud prevention and regulatory compliance tools for the mortgage industry, has announced the immediate integration of FEMA Alerts into its FraudGuard® product. This enhancement automatically provides lenders with supplemental information when the subject property is located in an area where FEMA has issued an alert.

Following events such as the recent wildfires in California or the flooding in Louisiana, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provides alerts of hazards, including natural disasters, acts of terrorism or other man-made disasters. Such catastrophes can have significant negative impacts on property values in affected areas. Adding this time-sensitive information to FraudGuard further increases the accuracy of its proven loan scoring system at a time when pinpointing actual housing depreciation/appreciation rates is of critical importance to both borrowers and lenders.

Mike Zwerner, senior vice president of new business development and marketing, cited the advantages of including FEMA variances in property scoring, saying “The severity of the variance and its impact on scoring is time-based. In other words, the more recent the FEMA alert, the greater the variance.” The system enhancement uses dynamic text and displays the type of disaster such as fire, flood, earthquake or terrorism; the date the disaster was declared by FEMA; and the listing by county of the three most recent disaster declarations.

“During this challenging time in our industry, we are accelerating the implementation of many enhancements such as FEMA Alerts in an effort to help provide more stability to the mortgage market,” stated Kevin Coop, president of Interthinx. “FEMA Alerts will be a no-charge upgrade provided to our customers, further enhancing FraudGuard property analytics and scoring. This seamless integration will enable our customers to more accurately assess property valuations in areas affected by disasters with the objective of rendering more accurate lending decisions.”

About Interthinx
Interthinx, Inc., an ISO business, is the nation’s leading provider of proven risk mitigation and regulatory compliance tools for the financial services industry. Used at every point in the mortgage lifecycle to prevent mortgage fraud, compliance violations and to assess risk, Interthinx is relied upon by more than 1,400 customers, including 15 of the top 20 mortgage lenders and three of the top five largest financial institutions. With technology that earned Mortgage Technology Magazine’s prestigious 10X Award as “a diagnostic and corrective solution of the highest order,” Interthinx expertise in predictive analytics, data mining, and risk scoring sets the standard for the industry and directly increases the value of client portfolios. For more information, visit www.interthinx.com or call 1-800-333-4510.

About ISO
ISO is a leading provider of products and services that help measure, manage, and reduce risk. ISO provides data, analytics, and decision-support solutions to professionals in many fields, including insurance, finance, real estate, health services, government, and human resources. Clients use ISO’s databases and services to classify and evaluate a variety of risks and detect potential fraud. In the United States and around the world, ISO services help customers protect people, property, and financial assets.

Release: Immediate

Contact:
Michael DiVirgilio
MWW Group (for ISO)
213-486-6560 x328