NAR - "Commercial Real Estate Index Levels Out in Third Quarter" (11-20-07)

"The Commercial Leading Indicator for Brokerage Activity* slipped 0.1 percent to an index of 120.6 in the third quarter from a record reading of 120.7 in the second quarter, but remains 0.7 percent higher than the third quarter of 2006 when it stood at 119.7. The dip follows nine consecutive quarterly increases; NAR’s track of the index dates back to 1990."

NAHB - "Increase In Multifamily Construction Lifts Total Housing Starts In October" (11-20-07)

"A bounce-back in the volatile multifamily market lifted total housing starts 3.0 percent in October to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.229 million units as the downswing in the single-family housing market continued, according to figures released by the Commerce Department today. Total starts were down 16.4 percent from a year earlier. Single-family housing starts dropped 7.3 percent for the month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 884,000 units, the lowest monthly production rate since October 1991 and 25.1 percent below October 2006."

CNN - "D.R. Horton Swings to 4Q Loss" (11-20-07)

"Homebuilder D.R. Horton Inc. said Tuesday it swung to a loss in the fourth quarter as the company again wrote down the value of unsold homes and land options, and the housing market showed few signs of improvement."

Bloomberg - "Freddie Posts Loss, May Cut Dividend; Shares Plunge" (11-20-07)

"Freddie Mac fell 29 percent, the biggest decline since it went public in 1988, as the second- largest U.S. mortgage-finance company posted a record loss, warning of a possible dividend cut and the need to raise capital. The worst housing slump in 16 years caused 'significant deterioration' in the third quarter that will continue through year-end, McLean, Virginia-based Freddie Mac said in a statement. The net loss was $2.02 billion, or $3.29 a share, three times what some analysts estimated."

CNN - "Single family home starts at 16-year low" (11-20-07)

"The collapse in home building continued in October as single-family home starts fell to a 16-year low and permits for all types of new homes dropped to levels not seen since 1993, according to the government's latest reading on the state of the battered home building market released Tuesday. While overall housing starts edged up to an annual rate of 1.23 million from 1.19 million in September, topping forecasts, that was due to a blip of sorts, a 46 percent spike in the more volatile starts in buildings with five or more housing units."

Bloomberg - "Credit Market Collapse Claims Victims as Lawyers Exit" (11-20-07)

"New York law firms are cutting associates for the first time since 2001 as the collapse of the subprime mortgage and credit markets causes private equity deal volume and structured finance work to slow. Clifford Chance, the world's highest-grossing law firm, dismissed six senior associates who worked on mortgage-backed securities in its structured finance practice on Nov. 5. At least two other firms asked associates, or salaried lawyers, to take sabbaticals or switch departments, a move that often precedes job cuts. Partners, about one-fourth of the attorneys at the biggest firms, may also face some belt tightening."

Bloomberg - "Northern Rock Declines on Doubts Over Bank's Value" (11-20-07)

"Northern Rock Plc, the U.K. bank bailed out by the Bank of England, slumped for a second day in London trading after saying that bids are 'materially below' its market value. The stock fell 6.9 percent to 97 pence, valuing the Newcastle, England-based company at 409 million pounds ($845 million). New York-based buyout firm J.C. Flowers & Co. is proposing to buy Northern Rock for a nominal sum in return for recapitalizing the company and paying off some of its debt, a person familiar with the plan said today."

Bloomberg - "Citigroup, Bank Credit Swaps Rise on Subprime Concern" (11-20-07)

"The risk that banks and brokerages from Citigroup Inc. to Bear Stearns Cos. will default on their debt is accelerating as analysts increase their estimates of losses from subprime mortgages, credit-default swaps show. Contracts on New York-based Citigroup, the largest U.S. bank by assets, rose 16 basis points to 95 basis points over the past two days, according to broker Phoenix Partners Group, setting a record today for the seventh time this month. Contracts on Bear Stearns have climbed 27 basis points the past two days to 177 basis points, the highest in at least six years. A rise signals investors are less confident in a company's creditworthiness."

Bloomberg - "At Subprime Event Too Early to Tell Who'll Survive" (11-20-07)

"They dubbed it 'The Survivors' Conference.' In early November, 2,000 people who handle asset- backed securities for a living crowded into a ballroom at the JW Marriott hotel in Orlando, Florida, just 3 miles from Disney World, to hear speaker after speaker explain why 2008 may be their worst year ever. The subprime crisis, which has claimed the jobs of three chief executive officers and prompted more than $45 billion in writedowns at the world's biggest banks, may end up spilling into 2009."

Orange County Register - "Developer banks on Seal Beach" (11-20-07)

"SEAL BEACH Steve Zubieta wanted a change in lifestyle for his family, but not too much of a change. He moved from his four-bedroom home in Seal Beach's College Park to one of six new homes – also in Seal Beach. His house is one of six two-story homes going for $1.75 million to $1.85 million that private developer Randy Allison just put on the market. The homes, on Fifth Street and Central Avenue, were built on the site of the former Seal Beach Inn and Gardens, a landmark downtown bed and breakfast. As home sales remain stale throughout Orange County, new homes in beach towns, like those in Seal Beach, are likely to sell sooner than later, analysts said."

eFinanceDirectory - "Home Prices Decline in 17 U.S. States" (11-20-07)

"First American LoanPerformance released its monthly Home Price Index (HPI) yesterday. The LoanPerformance HPI tracks prices in 7,416 zip codes, 956 Core Based Statistical Areas (CBSA), and 659 counties across the U.S. Because this HPI incorporates more than 30 years of repeat sales transactions, it is considered to be one of the most comprehensive indices available in the industry."

HousingTracker.net - "Collecting, Interpreting and Disseminating Real Estate Data" (11-20-07)

"The San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont Metropolitan Statistical Area approximation has 21,363 total listings of which 18,227 are either Single Family or Condo homes (browse San Francisco homes). The area includes the major cities of Berkeley, Concord, Daly City, Fremont, Hayward, Oakland, Redwood City, Richmond, San Francisco, San Mateo and many others."