"The ability to hide a blemish is gone," Steven Antonakes, Massachusetts' state banking commissioner, said in Boston.

In the last two years Massachusetts has issued more than 215 enforcement actions against lenders and brokers.

The Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System, an online database that will make it easier for states to monitor mortgage companies and exchange key information, went into business on Wednesday, Stateline.org reported Friday.

Officials hope the system will be active in most of the nation by the end of 2009.

In addition to Massachusetts, states using the system include Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Nebraska, New York and Rhode Island. Another eight states are slated to join by July.