CBIA - "Studies find new homes are only a tiny piece of the carbon footprint solution" (9-10-08)

"Two groundbreaking studies released today conclude that new homes have already met and in fact exceeded the state’s ambitious 2020 greenhouse gas emission reductions, and that the state must also look at retrofitting existing housing in order to meet the strict emissions requirements, the California Building Industry Association announced today."

Mortgage Bankers Association - "Mortgage Applications Increase In Latest MBA Weekly Survey" (9-10-08)

"The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) today released its Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending September 5, 2008. The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, was 496.2, an increase of 9.5 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from 453.1 one week earlier. This week’s results include an adjustment to account for the Labor Day Holiday. On an unadjusted basis, the Index decreased 13.6 percent compared with the previous week and was down 24.4 percent compared with the same Labor Day week one year earlier."

Mortgage Bankers Association - "Commercial/Multifamily Mortgage Delinquency Rates Up Slightly; Still Performing Well" (9-10-08)

"Delinquency rates ticked up slightly in the second quarter for most commercial/multifamily mortgage investor groups, but remained at the lower end of their historical ranges, according to a new report from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA)."

Bloomberg - "Mortgage Rates May Fall After Fannie, Freddie Rescue" (9-10-08)

"The U.S. government takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac on Sept. 7 may provide relief for homeowners who want to refinance mortgages and prospective buyers shopping for a loan. The U.S. average 30-year fixed rate fell today to 5.88 percent, the second day of decline, according to Bankrate Inc., a research firm in North Palm Beach, Florida. Last week, the rate was 6.26 percent, Bankrate said, almost half a percentage point higher, increasing monthly payments enough to price some potential buyers out of the market."

Bloomberg - "Mortgage Defaults Bring Lender Processing Bonanza" (9-10-08)

"The worst housing downturn since the Great Depression is a bonanza for Lender Processing Services Inc., the two-month-old spinoff that is the U.S.'s biggest processor of home-loan defaults and foreclosures. LPS has outperformed its former parent, Fidelity National Information Services Inc., which split off the Jacksonville, Florida-based company in July as foreclosures climbed to a record. The shares have also surpassed the Standard & Poor's 400 Midcap Index, and competitors including First American Corp. and LandAmerica Financial Group Inc., since they started trading."

Bloomberg - "Fed Loans May Give Lehman Breathing Room Bear Lacked" (9-10-08)

"Access to Federal Reserve loans means Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc., which has plunged this week on concern about its capital, may have breathing room that Bear Stearns Cos. lacked before its abrupt collapse. The program instituted in the aftermath of the Bear Stearns debacle, the Primary Dealer Credit Facility, could be used for funding while officials, regulators and executives find alternative sources of cash, Fed watchers said."

Yahoo - "Washington Mutual tumbles 30 percent to 17-year low" (9-10-08)

"Washington Mutual Inc shares sank 30 percent to a 17-year low and the perceived risk of its debt soared on worries the largest U.S. savings and loan will not find a buyer or raise enough capital to combat soaring mortgage losses."

The San Diego Union Tribune - "Study: California home to priciest housing markets" (9-10-08)

"Californians rave about year-round sunshine, temperate climate and easy access to surfing, snowboarding and everything in between. But when it comes to getting the most out of their homebuying dollar, they've got nothing on homeowners in the Midwest, a new study suggests. Eight out of the top 10 most expensive housing markets in the U.S. are in California, while eight Midwestern cities are among the 10 most affordable markets, according to the Coldwell Banker Home Price Comparison Index released Tuesday."

Bloomberg - "Wells Fargo Tightens Lending, Supports Fannie Seizure" (9-10-08)

"Wells Fargo & Co., the biggest U.S. bank on the West Coast, has tightened terms for riskier home- equity loans and said the seizure of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac should stabilize the housing market. Chief Executive Officer John Stumpf, 54, said today he's 'optimistic' conditions and investor confidence will improve because of the government's takeover of the mortgage-finance companies. Wells Fargo, the second-biggest U.S. home lender, services $1.5 trillion in mortgages."