ABC - "Vallejo homeowners get much needed help" (3-9-08)

"The high number of home foreclosures in Vallejo is one of the reasons why the city is facing budget problems. Today, on Mare Island, homeowners in danger of losing their property are getting help from real estate experts."

The Washington Post - "Some Once-Crowded Homes Now Stand Vacant" (3-9-08)

"The four-bedroom, 1950s rambler on Hanover Avenue in Springfield was an illegal boardinghouse, neighbors complained in February 2007. Some called it the "Hanover Hotel," a home with too many people, too much noise and a lot of cars. County inspectors, under pressure from residents and elected officials to deal with a growing number of cases of residential overcrowding, found that the basement had been improperly divided into four rooms and that the house was set up for as many as 15 occupants."

The San Diego Union Tribune - "Many ideas, but few are helping fix mortgages" (3-9-08)

"Last week, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke asked lenders to cut the principal on troubled mortgages to make payments cheaper for borrowers. Fed officials signaled they will probably cut interest rates again next week. Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Housing Administration eased the lending limits on their loans. And legislators kicked around the idea of reviving a New Deal program to help people buy their homes out of foreclosure. Unfortunately, some of the ideas that are getting the most attention will do little to fix the crisis. In fact, a cut in interest rates could make things worse. The best idea – re-creating a New Deal housing program – has not yet made it to the drawing board."

The San Diego Union Tribune - "HUD a dud at FHA refund payouts" (3-9-08)

"More than half a billion dollars owed to U.S. citizens sits unclaimed and under the department's control. And while HUD says it makes 'extensive efforts' to return the money, the number of people owed refunds has climbed in the past two years."

Los Angeles Times - "Building wealth by paying off mortgage debt" (3-9-08)

"It doesn't have to be, said Allen Fishbein, director of housing and credit policy at the Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group Consumer Federation of America, who believes the best way to build home equity and wealth is paying down -- and eventually paying off -- the mortgage."