Inman News - "Bankers to new HUD chief: Axe RESPA changes" (2-13-09)

"Eight groups representing the banking and financial services industry are asking newly appointed Housing Secretary Shaun Donovan to scrap the Bush administration's changes to rules governing loan disclosures and the provision of settlement services like title insurance."

Yahoo - "Why This Recession Seems Worse Than '70s and '80s" (2-13-09)

"If you think this recession is the worst since World War II, chances are you weren't born or working during the downturns of the 1970s and '80s, you're listening to President Obama too much or you're a white-collar worker in financial services."

Yahoo - "JPMorgan, Citigroup halting foreclosures" (2-13-09)

"JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Citigroup Inc. are expanding their efforts to halt home foreclosures while the Obama administration develops its plans to help the U.S. housing market. JPMorgan Chief Executive Jamie Dimon said the New York company plans to halt new foreclosures for owner-occupied home loans through March 6. Dimon made the pledge in a letter to Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, who released it on Friday."

Bloomberg - "State Farm Gets Approval to Leave Florida Home Market" (2-13-09)

"State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co., the largest U.S. home insurer, received permission to withdraw from Florida’s residential market after agreeing to transfer policyholders to other private companies."

Orange County Register - "Insurer cuts mortgage brokers loose" (2-13-09)

"More bad news for mortgage brokers: National Mortgage News reports the PMI Group of San Francisco will no longer insure mortgages brought to them by 'third-party originators' unless they have a warehouse line of credit. In other words, no brokers, but mortgage banks are OK."

Orange County Register - "O.C. condo prices at Dec. 2002 level" (2-13-09)

"Single family homes sell for 44% less than their peak pricing (June ‘07) while condos sell 45% below their peak in March 2006. Builder prices for new homes are 45% below their February ‘05 top."

Realty Times - "What's Ahead for Real Estate in 2009" (2-13-09)

"Mortgage rates will drop, then rise, and finally stabilize. Investors will come back into the market in 2009. Buyers will jump off the fence and come back into the market. Sellers will become creative with alternative ways to add value to their home sale with incentives."

Realty Times - "Investor Report: Four Unit Limit" (2-13-09)

"Starting March first, Fannie Mae will abandon its controversial policy of refusing to finance investor mortgages where the borrower already owns more than three other income properties that have mortgages on them. The National Association of Realtors complained about the four-unit limit last year -- and it looks like Fannie's top executives finally got the message: That prudent investors can play a big role in buying up some of the wreckage left after the boom - the excess inventory of foreclosures and bank R-E-O - BUT they've got to have financing to do so."

Realty Times - "Lower Mortgage Rates Translate into Large Volume of Refinancing" (2-13-09)

"Freddie Mac (NYSE:FRE) today released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) in which the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 5.16 percent with an average 0.7 point for the week ending February 12, 2009, down from last week when it averaged 5.25 percent. Last year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 5.72 percent."

Realty Times - "Why to Buy a Home Now" (2-13-09)

"The longer you rent, the longer it may take you to eventually get into homeownership. If the market conditions have scared you, perhaps you're not looking at the other side of the coin. Owning a home becomes part of your investment portfolio, provides tax benefits, allows you to build equity (it still exists), and, if you buy now, you may get an excellent deal."