NAHB - "Home Builder Confidence Posts Biggest Gain In Five Years" (4-15-09)

"Builder confidence in the market for newly built, single-family homes rose five points in April to the highest level since October 2008, according to the latest National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI), released today. This gain was the largest one-month increase recorded since May of 2003, and brings the HMI out of single-digit territory for the first time in six months – to 14. Every component of the HMI reflected the boost, with the biggest gain recorded for sales expectations in the next six months."

DQNews - "Southland home sales up; median levels off" (4-15-09)

"A total of 19,486 new and resale homes sold in Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego, Ventura, San Bernardino and Orange counties last month. That was up 27.9 percent from 15,231 for the prior month, and up 52.1 percent from 12,808 for March 2008, according to MDA DataQuick of San Diego."

Mortgage Bankers Association - "Mortgage Applications Decline in Latest MBA Weekly Survey" (4-15-09)

"The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) today released its Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending April 10, 2009. The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, was 1113.2, a decrease of 11.0 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from 1250.6 one week earlier. On an unadjusted basis, the Index decreased 10.9 percent compared with the previous week and increased 45.6 percent compared with the same week one year earlier."

Bloomberg - "Downtown Los Angeles Population Up 37%, Study Finds" (4-15-09)

"The population of downtown Los Angeles is growing, aging and better educated after a decade of residential and entertainment construction. The area’s population climbed to 39,537 last year from 28,878 in 2006, according to a study released today by the Downtown Center Business Improvement District and Los Angeles- based Lauren Schlau Consulting. The median age of survey respondents jumped to 37 from 31 two years earlier, and the percentage of participants who had finished four years of college rose to 78 from 76.5."

Bloomberg - "Fannie, Freddie Face Pressure to Revamp as U.S. Aid Increases" (4-15-09)

"Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are under pressure from lawmakers to revamp their operations as the mortgage-finance companies tap more government money to survive. Among the options under discussion are combining the companies, breaking them up or reshaping their missions."

Orange County Register - "Discounts increase at O.C. foreclosure auctions" (4-15-09)

"ForeclosureRadar.com also reports that last month at foreclosure auctions, known as trustee’s sales, banks were willing to accept an average 34.4% discount on money owned on each property. That was up from a discount of 29.3% in February and 16.7% in March 2008."

Inman - "Fidelity raises rates, cuts costs" (4-15-09)

"Fidelity National Financial Inc. has raised title insurance rates in 22 states and slashed $231 million in annual expenses by firing workers and closing offices since acquiring the underwriting subsidiaries of rival LandAmerica Financial Group Inc. in December. In announcing plans to issue 13.3 million shares of common stock, Fidelity disclosed that through the end of March it had fired 2,068 of the 5,500 workers formerly employed by LandAmerica subsidiaries Commonwealth Land Title, Lawyers Title and United Capital Title Insurance Co."

Inman - "Report: Lenders blacklisted appraisers" (4-15-09)

"A nonprofit that specializes in investigative journalism says it's obtained copies of blacklists that lenders used during the housing boom to boycott thousands of appraisers who refused to inflate home values."