The Washington Post - "More Hoops for Borrowers" (12-29-07)

"If you hope to get a mortgage this coming year, look beyond your credit score, because that's what lenders will be doing. The mortgage mess that has grabbed the attention of politicians, economists and investors has also altered the loan options available to borrowers. Mortgages that require no down payment or no verification of income or assets have fallen out of favor. So have mortgages that exceed $417,000, also known as jumbo loans. It's still possible to find all those types of loans, but count on paying higher rates and jumping through more hoops."

The San Diego Union Tribue - "Housing slump seen continuing far into '08" (12-29-07)

"Home builders are sharply curtailing construction and cutting prices across the country as they struggle to break out of the worst housing slump since the early 1990s. But buyers remain scarce, and analysts say the market may not bottom out until well into next year or even later."

Seeking Alpha - "New One Family Home Sales: Ugly!" (12-29-07)

"The Census Department released their New Home Sales data, and it warn't none too purty: Sales of new one-family houses in November 2007 fell to a 12-year monthly low. The seasonally adjusted annual sales rate was 647,000, far below the consensus of 720,000. As expected, October sales were revised downwards. This is down 9% from October's levels. Year over year, November '07 new-home sales were 34.4% lower than November 2006. That's the largest year-to-year decline since 35.3% in January 1991."

MSN - "The new ghost towns" (12-29-07)

"More people buying into new developments are being left high and dry when their builders file for bankruptcy. Here's how homeowners can protect themselves."