NAHB - "Housing Starts Fall Further In March" (4-16-08)

"Builders continued to reduce the pace of new-home construction in March amidst ongoing erosion in the overall economy and credit markets, according to the latest figures released today by the U.S. Commerce Department. Total housing starts fell nearly 12 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 947,000 units for the month, while single-family starts fell 5.7 percent to a rate of 680,000 units."

NAHB - "Builders Report Credit Squeeze On Loans To Build Homes" (4-16-08)

"Presently, funding for viable residential development and construction projects has been severely limited or blocked entirely at federally insured depository institutions, which are the sole source of housing production credit for the small businesses that comprise most of the home building industry, Mitchell told lawmakers."

Mortgage Bankers Association - "REFIs, FHA Lead Increase In Latest MBA Weekly Survey" (4-16-08)

"The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) today released its Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending April 11, 2008. The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, was 743.4, an increase of 2.5 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from 725.6 one week earlier. On an unadjusted basis, the Index increased 2.7 percent compared with the previous week and was up 16.4 percent compared with the same week one year earlier."

CNBC - "Most Americans Say Now Is Good Time to Buy a House" (4-16-08)

"A majority of Americans think now is a good time to buy a home, although few believe the U.S. economy can escape a recession, according to a Reuters/Zogby poll released Wednesday. The survey of 1,049 likely voters found that 53.8 percent thought this was a good buying opportunity as home prices have fallen sharply in many parts of the country. Some 41.6 percent said it was not a good time to buy, and the rest were unsure."

Orange County Register - "OC/LA rent hikes lowest in 8 years" (4-16-08)

"Rents for a primary residence in the LA-OC-Riverside area increased at a 4.4% annual rate in March, a major slide from the 6.9% clocked in March of last year. It was the lowest year-over-year increase since November of 2000, when rents rose at a 4.3% annual pace. March was the third consecutive month annual rent increases declined. The annual rate was 5.9% in January and 5.3% in February."

The Wall Street Journal - "Sunny Side of the Street" (4-16-08)

"Is now a good time to buy real estate? The size of your paycheck likely will play a big part in how you answer that question. While many average Americans are skittish about the housing market, some of the country's richest citizens see the current conditions as perfect for buying, according to the Annual Survey of Affluence and Wealth in America, released on Tuesday by the American Express Publishing Corp. and Harrison Group, a market research and consulting firm."

Bloomberg - "JPMorgan's Dimon Says Real Estate Is `Getting Worse'" (4-16-08)

"JPMorgan Chase & Co. Chief Executive Officer Jamie Dimon said he expects U.S. home prices to drop as much as 9 percent this year as even borrowers with the best credit have difficulty keeping up their mortgage payments."