TampaBay.com - "Homebuilders reconsider price cuts" (11-17-07)

"When freebies like granite countertops and no-cost closings didn't woo back buyers, homebuilders began trying to outdo one another with bigger and better price cuts. But now, the tactic may have backfired. The reductions, builders complain, have sliced into already thin margins. And buyers, fearful their houses will depreciate faster than a new car, won't make purchases until prices stabilize."

The San Diego Union Tribune - "Economists employ 'R' word on jobs data" (11-17-07)

"The slumping housing market led to thousands of job losses throughout California last month, prompting fears that the state and local economies are lurching into a recession. California lost 15,800 jobs and San Diego County lost 1,700 in October, according to seasonally adjusted data released yesterday by the state Economic Development Department."

The Arizona Republic - "Canadians get edge in real-estate buys" (11-17-07)

"Who knew that the loonie would come to the aid of Scottsdale's tepid real-estate market? The loonie refers to the Canadian dollar, which is giving our neighbors to the north increased buying power. Realtors here say that Canadian buyers increasingly are showing interest in houses here as winter residences and investments."

Forbes - "Atlanta Fed's Lockhart says Southeast housing 'too much of a good thing'" (11-17-07)

"The Southeast region of the United States 'recently has begun to suffer from too much of a good thing when it comes to housing,' Atlanta Federal Reserve Bank President Dennis Lockhart said today. Builders, lenders and others didn't see the end of the 2001-2005 housing boom coming, he said, and 'in the aftermath of residential overbuilding, a painful adjustment is taking place with house prices stagnant or declining and housing starts dropping sharply in many areas in the region.'"

MSNBC - "Fed and markets set to clash" (11-17-07)

"The risk of a collision between the Federal Reserve and the markets grew on Friday after Fed governor Randall Kroszner made it clear that the US central bank was not planning to cut interest rates at its next policy meeting, but was largely ignored by investors. Mr Kroszner said: 'the downside risks to growth now appear to be roughly balanced by the upside risks to inflation' and added that data and information since the Fed's October meeting 'have not changed my thinking in this regard.'"

Orange County Register - "How to snag higher-paying renters" (11-17-07)

"When The Lakes complex opened in Costa Mesa in 1987, it had all the conveniences of modern apartment living, including two swimming pools, tennis courts and a fitness center set amid landscaped lakes and streams. But while The Lakes remained pretty much the same over the past 20 years, the surrounding South Coast Metro area grew up. The $240 million Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall opened with great fanfare across the street last year, and South Coast Plaza, a few blocks away, went through its own $35 million facelift to give it a more contemporary look."

KSBY - "Locals tour foreclosed homes: experts say now is the time to buy" (11-17-07)

"Potential buyers hopped on a tour bus Saturday and got a glimpse of some of the bank-owned properties available in San Luis Obispo County. Along the way they picked up valuable advice on purchasing a foreclosed home. According to some local experts, now is the ideal time to buy a home on the Central Coast."