CAR - "March home sales increased 63.8 percent" (4-27-09)

"Existing, single-family home sales increased 63.8 percent in March to a seasonally adjusted rate of 522,980 on an annualized basis"

Bloomberg - "Home Vacancies Rise in U.S. to Record Amid Recession" (4-27-09)

"A record 19.1 million homes stood unoccupied in the first quarter and the U.S. homeownership rate fell as the recession sapped demand for real estate. The number of vacant homes, including foreclosures, properties for sale and vacation properties, jumped from 18.6 million a year earlier, the U.S. Census Bureau said in a report today. Households that own their own residence declined for the third straight quarter to 67.3 percent."

Bloomberg - "Four Indicted in $70 Million Mortgage Ponzi Scheme" (4-27-09)

"Four people were indicted in an alleged $70 million Ponzi scheme that promised more than 1,000 homeowners their mortgages would be paid off within seven years, authorities said."

Bloomberg - "Bank of America Says Some Mortgage Aid Depends on Legislation" (4-27-09)

"Lawmakers must pass legislation to shield mortgage servicers from bondholder lawsuits if the U.S. wants as many homeowners helped under President Barack Obama’s loan-modification plan as targeted, a Bank of America Corp. executive said."

Bloomberg - "Bernanke Warming Prompts Record Company Debt Sales" (4-27-09)

"The Libor-OIS premium that indicates banks’ reluctance to lend to each other fell to 0.85 percentage point today, the lowest level since before Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. collapsed in September, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Companies have raised a record $468 billion in U.S. bond sales this year. Prices of the most senior portions of mortgage bonds backed by prime U.S. jumbo loans have climbed 24 percent in the past five weeks, according to London-based Barclays Capital."

Bloomberg - "Simon Tried to Buy General Growth Malls, Chief Says" (4-27-09)

"Simon Property Group Inc., the largest U.S. shopping-mall owner by stock-market value, tried to buy real estate from rival General Growth Properties Inc. before it filed for bankruptcy, Chief Executive David E. Simon said."

Wall Street Journal - "House Hunt: Options Stir In Builders" (4-27-09)

"Among the companies in which there was robust trading was Beazer Homes USA Inc. Activity in Beazer options rocketed to 15 times the normal level, with investors picking up 15,000 calls that allow them to buy the company's stock"

Orange County Register - "Foreclosures drop in 54% of O.C. ZIPs" (4-27-09)

"Banks seized fewer homes in 45 of 84 ZIPs tracked by DataQuick in the first three months of the year vs. the same period in 2008, or roughly 54% of ZIPs. Foreclosure moratoriums by lenders and a state law requiring banks to communicate with borrowers at least 30 days before officially starting the foreclosure process are surely big reasons why."

Orange County Register - "Rents drop in all but 4 O.C. cities" (4-27-09)

"RealFacts’ first-quarter survey of large apartment complexes shows that the average rent fell in 19 out of 23 cities for which it reported data. Only four cities had an increase."