A look at stories across HousingWire’s weekend desk…with more coverage to come on bigger issues: According to a Sunday story in the Wall Street Journal, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) was split on its decision to accept the $550m settlement in its case against Goldman Sachs (GS). The investment bank agreed to pay the biggest fine in SEC history without having to admit fraud in a case that alleged it misguided clients when selling mortgage-backed securities. According to the Journal, the 3-2 vote was split along party lines with the two Republican commissioners opting not to settle. It took a vote from Mary Schapiro, SEC chairman, who was appointed by President Obama, to break the tie. The Journal reported that those familiar with the matter said Republican Commissioner Kathleen Casey questioned SEC staff for settling on a lesser allegation after abandoning a stronger fraud charge. To replace the homebuyer tax credit, which expired April 30, more banks and real estate companies are putting together their own incentive programs. According to a story over the weekend in the Savannah Morning News, Coastal Bank, a local institution in Georgia, is offering a new mortgage product with no closing costs. For a 0.4% increase on the interest rate of a 30-year fixed rate mortgage, the bank will waive all loan origination fees. The waiver doesn’t include the setup of escrow accounts used to pay property taxes and homeowner’s insurance. Several real estate brokerages, including Coldwell Banker, are attempting to market cash-back programs for homebuyers. Residential foreclosure filings in the Dallas-Fort Worth area declined 17% for the August county auctions, according to Foreclosure Listings Service (FLS), which tracks the area’s filings for the monthly auctions held on the first Tuesday of every month. There were a total of 4,671 notices filed, down from 5,654 for the July auction. “This decline is welcomed news; but, I must warn that one month’s decline in activity does not change a long established trend,” said George Roddy, president of FLS. “This foreclosure crisis is not going to get better overnight and I see it continuing at this pace at least through the end of this year.” For nearly every month over the past two years, foreclosure filings in the four-county area have topped 4,000 filings. The record high was set in April with 6,168 notices. But in August, filings dropped 3% from a year ago. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) took receivership of six banks last week with a combined cost to the Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF) of $334.8m. It brings the total closings in 2010 to 96 banks. At this time last year, there were 56 closings. The Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS) closed Woodlands Bank in South Carolina. Bank of the Ozarks, based in Arkansas, agreed to assume all $355.3m in deposits and purchase essentially all $376.2m in total assets. The FDIC estimated the closing to cost the DIF $115m. The OTS also closed Olde Cypress Community Bank in Florida. The CenterState Bank of Florida will assume all $162.4m in deposits and agreed to purchase essentially all $168.7m in total assets. The cost to the DIF is estimated to be $31.5m. The OTS closed Mainstreet Savings Bank, located in Michigan. Commercial Bank, also in Michigan, agreed to assume all $63.7m in total deposits and purchase essentially all $97.4m in total assets. The FDIC estimates an $11.4m cost to the DIF. NAFH National Bank, a newly chartered bank subsidiary of North American Financial Holdings, agreed to assume all deposits and purchase essentially all assets of two closed banks in Florida and another in South Carolina. The first was the Metro Bank of Dade County, closed by the Florida Office of Financial Regulation. NAFH will assume $391.3m in deposits and will purchase $442.3m in assets. The OTS closed the second bank in Florida, Turnberry Bank. NAFH National Bank will assume $196.9m in deposits and purchase $263.9m in total assets. The third bank, located in South Carolina, was the First National Bank of the South. It was closed by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). NAFH National Bank will assume $610.1m in deposits and will purchase $682m in total assets. For those three closings, the FDIC estimated the cost of closing these three banks to be $176.9m. Metro Bank of Dade County will cost the DIF $67.6m. The Turnberry Bank closing will cost the DIF $34.4m, and the First National Bank of the South will cost the FDIC $74.9m. Write to Jon Prior. Disclosure: the author holds no relevant investment positions.

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