SGVTribune.com - "Wave of foreclosures hits homeowners across nation" (7-15-07)

"Those proverbial chickens are coming home to roost in the mortgage market, and the picture isn't a pretty one. The Riverside/San Bernardino metropolitan area ranked fourth in the nation for foreclosures in June 2007, according to a report released Thursday by Realty-Trac, with one of every 134 homes in the two counties in some stage of the foreclosure process."

The San Diego Union-Tribune - "The worst isn't over in mortgage meltdown" (7-15-07)

"When the Standard & Poor's and Moody's ratings services lowered the boom on mortgage-backed securities last week, the second shoe finally dropped on the real estate market. The first shoe dropped earlier this year, when a bevy of mortgage firms went bankrupt after helping far too many unqualified borrowers buy homes. With last week's action, two of Wall Street's most respected firms acknowledged that the problems associated with those “subprime” borrowers will be much worse than they previously thought. S&P and Moody's warned they may cut the credit ratings of more than $12 billion in mortgage-backed bonds issued by such respected names as Citigroup, Lehman Bros. and Merrill Lynch."

Los Angeles Times - "No magic formula" (7-15-07)

"DETERMINING how to price a house for sale is like working a jigsaw puzzle where some of the pieces don't fit. Of course, there are tangibles such as the number of bedrooms, bathrooms and square footage. But what about features that may matter to one person — a swimming pool, for instance — or be meaningless to the next — a professional Viking range for a bachelor who lives on takeout? How do views, zoning for horses or quality schools figure in?"

Los Angeles Times - "The sticks or the city? Well, both" (7-15-07)

"Early Elysian Heights settlers viewed their hilltop community as a place to escape the hubbub of central Los Angeles. Today, though residents can see downtown looming through their windows, the neighborhood and its adjacent park remain a sanctuary."

The Washington Post - "Foreclosure Bargain Hunters Find Their Quarry Elusive" (7-14-07)

"Bargain-hungry house hunters have turned their attention to the growing pool of foreclosures on the region's market. But the sweet deals, if they find them, come with plenty of challenges, in part because many buyers have unrealistic expectations about what it takes to buy a house owned by a lender. Some potential buyers don't find the rock-bottom prices they expect. Others can't get the banks to promptly respond to offers. Many give up before they get that far because they're overwhelmed by the repairs some homes require."

Journal Sentinel Online - "Housing sales may be worse than data show" (7-14-07)

"Here's a scary thought about the housing market: Things may be far worse than what's already being revealed by the troubling government and industry statistics. At issue is what goes into sales price data and what does not. When those numbers are crunched, many of the incentives that sellers are using to lure buyers - including cash rebates - aren't being included. That suggests prices may be falling faster in many markets than is now being reported."

MBA - "Media Alert: Joint Letter Asking Congress to Encourage OFHEO to Withdraw Proposed Guidance Allowing Them to Decrease Conforming Loan Limit" (7-13-07)

"Today the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), along with the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the National Association of Realtors (NAR) sent the attached joint letters to the leadership of the House Financial Services Committee and the Senate Banking Committee asking that they encourage the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO), the regulator of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, to withdraw proposed guidance that would allow the regulator to decrease the conforming loan limit."

MBA - "Freddie Mac Revise Underwriting Requirements for Nontraditional Mortgages Consistent" (7-13-07)

"Freddie Mac are implementing changes to our underwriting requirements consistent with the practices referenced in the Interagency Guidance on Nontraditional Mortgage Product Risks ('the Guidance'). The Guidance was issued to address risks associated with Mortgage products that allow Borrowers to defer payment of principal or interest and/or that could result in negative amortization ('nontraditional Mortgages')."

MBA - "Statement by OFHEO Director on Issuance of Letters by GSEs Regarding Nontraditional and Subprime Mortgage Products" (7-13-07)

"Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac today issued letters to their lender customers setting forth a program for assuring the Enterprises purchase mortgages made in conformance with the Interagency Guidance on Nontraditional Mortgage Product Risks. This guidance was promulgated by federal depository institution regulators and adopted by many state financial regulators. OFHEO made this guidance applicable to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The guidance focuses on certain classes of mortgages with unique underwriting criteria, which typically allow borrowers to defer principal and, sometimes, interest. They include loan products that offer low introductory interest rates that later reset to higher rates and/or have flexible payment options with the potential for negative amortization. The Interagency Guidance was designed to ensure consistent application of sound and prudent credit underwriting standards, risk management practices, and protections for the consumer."

MBA - "Fannie Mae Revises Policies inResponse to Interagency Guidance on Nontraditional Mortgage Product Risks" (7-13-07)

"On October 4, 2006 the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Office of Thrift Supervision and the National Credit Union Administration (collectively referred to as the Federal Banking Agencies) jointly issued the Interagency Guidance on Nontraditional Mortgage Product Risks (the Guidance).The Guidance applies to all institutions regulated by the Federal Banking Agencies, and was effective upon publication."

Bloomberg - "U.S. Urges China to Buy Mortgage Securities Amid Subprime Woes" (7-13-07)

"The U.S. is urging China's central bank to buy more mortgage-backed securities after a surge in defaults by risky borrowers in the world's largest economy eroded demand for such instruments. 'It's not a matter whether they're going to do more business in mortgage-backed securities, it's who they're going to business with,' U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson told reporters in Beijing. He met with central bank Governor Zhou Xiaochuan and Minister of Construction Wang Guangtao in the nation's capital this week."

Bloomberg - "GE Will Seek Buyer for Subprime Unit After Defaults" (7-13-07)

"General Electric Co. plans to sell WMC Mortgage, the company's three-year-old U.S. subprime mortgage unit, following a surge in defaults by borrowers. 'The mortgage industry has greatly changed since the purchase of WMC,' Laurent Bossard, chief executive officer of the division, said in an e-mail to employees yesterday. 'The current subprime market environment has made a significant negative impact on the business.'"

Bloomberg - "CDOs Lose Marbles; Credit `Kerplunks!'" (7-13-07)

"Investors asking how many beans make four in the market for collateralized-debt obligations are realizing that the likely answer is three if you're lucky, fewer if you're not. Moody's Investors Service cut its ratings on $5.2 billion of bonds backed by subprime home loans this week, and put a further $5 billion of CDOs on review. Standard & Poor's yesterday lowered its assessment of $6.39 billion of debt, after earlier putting the figure at $12 billion (which suggests S&P should spend some of its fees on new beads for the office abacus)."

CNN - "S&P: Whoops! A $5 billion subprime blunder" (7-13-07)

"Standard & Poor's admitted to making a nearly $5 billion blunder in correcting its own estimate for subprime securities it is reviewing for ratings cuts. S&P corrected the volume of residential mortgage-backed securities it placed under review for downgrade on Tuesday to $7.35 billion from $12.1 billion. 'This is obviously sloppy by S&P,' said Mirko Mikelic, a fund manager at Fifth Third Asset Management in Grand Rapids, Michigan. 'I don't think anyone's doing back flips.'"

Orange County Register - "Orange County home prices and sales" (7-13-07)

"For the 22 business days ending June 26, sales for all types of Orange County home sales decreased 29.8 percent. The median sales price increased .6 percent. The median is where half the homes sold for more and half for less. Types of homes selling, as well as home value changes, cause the median to change."

Orange County Register - "State No. 2 in foreclosures" (7-11-07)

"California homeowners are among the most likely in the nation to lose their home to the bank, according to an industry report released Thursday. In June, the Golden State logged the second highest rate of foreclosure – one filing for every 315 households – in the nation, said RealtyTrac of Irvine. In May it was third highest. Nevada was No. 1."

Los Angeles Times - "State issuing Ameriquest refund forms" (7-13-07)

"Eligible California customers who took out loans with Ameriquest Mortgage Co. from 1999 to 2005 will soon be receiving forms to claim a share of $51 million the company has agreed to pay to settle accusations of predatory lending practices. The forms, which began being mailed Thursday by the state attorney general's office, will go to an estimated 78,000 households that had mortgages with Orange-based Ameriquest."

Real Estate Journal - "Strong Mortgage Data Draw Some Skeptics" (7-13-07)

"A rare piece of positive news about housing is raising some skeptical eyebrows among economists. The Mortgage Bankers Association survey of weekly mortgage applications showed a seasonally adjusted 3.8% increase last week in applications for mortgages to buy homes -- up 7% from the same week last year. Applications have been rising steadily since February, a lone indicator of looming strength in the housing market amid a sea of pessimistic news. Measures of home sales have been sinking."

Business Week - "More Subprime Woes to Come" (7-12-07)

"The subprime storm isn't blowing over. On July 10, credit-rating agencies Moody's Investors Service and Standard & Poor's (like BusinessWeek, a unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies (MHP)) warned of greater-than-expected losses for bonds backed by subprime loans—news that helped send stocks tumbling. The ratings changes were small. S&P put $12 billion worth of mortgage-backed securities, just 2.1% of the total issued from late 2005 to late 2006, on watch for downgrades, while Moody's cut its ratings on just $5.2 billion worth. S&P also said mortgage fraud is a bigger problem than it had foreseen and that it's tightening its rating practices."

Orlando Sentinel - "Dire forecast: Housing slump likely to linger" (7-12-07)

"Nationally known economist Mark Zandi told home builders and industry professionals meeting Wednesday in Orlando that the beleaguered U.S. housing industry could bleed for another year or more. Zandi, chief economist of Moody's Economy.com consulting company, said the good news he had for the residential-construction and home-sales business is that "the worst of the decline is over," roughly two years into a correction caused by overbuilding and resale-inventory buildup."

Yahoo - "Home foreclosures drop in June but spike likely" (7-12-07)

"U.S. home foreclosures fell in June after jumping to a 30-month peak in May, but default rates will escalate as a horde of mortgages resets at higher loan rates, real estate data firm RealtyTrac said on Thursday. Foreclosure filings fell 7 percent in June to 164,644 after jumping 19 percent in May, but they remain 87 percent above last June's pace, with one filing for every 704 households, RealtyTrac said in a monthly report."

TheStreet.com - "Managers: Subprime Blame Lies With Rating Agencies" (7-12-07)

"Robert Rodriquez, chief executive officer of First Pacific Advisors, was even more blunt. 'We haven't seen much of a problem in the subprime area [but only] because the pricing is a fraud; the ratings are bullshit,' said the two-time recipient of Morningstar's Fund Manager of the Year. 'I don't buy these prices, but as long as someone can provide capital to keep the finger in the dike, the charade will go on.'"

MSN - "Should home sale prices stay secret?" (7-12-07)

"If you live in a hot real-estate market, you may receive frequent postcards or fliers from real-estate agents touting the sales prices they recently nabbed for neighbors. In a handful of states, however, home sale prices are not a matter of public record. In several others, you'll have to extrapolate the sales price from the transfer tax the state collects on every ownership change."

Orange County Register - "84,000 O.C. homes planned" (7-12-07)

"Builders now have 84,368 new residential units on the drawing boards for Orange County, MarketPointe Realty Advisors recently reported. That's the projection emerging from the San Diego-based real estate consultant's second-quarter 2007 survey of proposed new housing."

Orange County Register - "Listing deletes homes' days-on-market data" (7-12-07)

"Home shoppers in Orange County and other parts of Southern California will no longer know how long a residence has been on the market unless they ask. The Southern California Multiple Listing Service has stopped providing "days-on-market" data in client reports. That decision has sparked some speculation in the blogosphere that the MLS is trying to hide details about old listings while driving more traffic to real estate agents. The Anaheim-based MLS, the nation's second-largest listing cooperative, maintains that the days-on-market data has been inaccurate and abused. The information can't be understood without some explanation, MLS leaders said."

Orange County Register - "Businesses feel pinch of high rent" (7-12-07)

"Office rents are skyrocketing across the nation, driving up costs for businesses large and small, thanks to a dearth of space in some major markets and a new breed of deep-pocketed landlords who can afford to hold out for premium tenants. Nationwide, effective rents on office properties – the amount tenants pay after concessions – jumped an average of 3.1 percent during this year's second quarter, up from gains of 2.8 percent in the first quarter and 2.1 percent in the year-earlier period, according to real-estate research firm Reis Inc."

NAHB - "Builders Urge Congress To Support Market-Driven Green Building" (7-11-07)

"The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) today told Congress how its members have been in the forefront during the past decade in promoting and developing energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly construction techniques for the mainstream home builder. 'More than 100,000 homes have been built and certified by voluntary, builder-supported green building programs around the country since the mid-1990s,' Bob Jones, vice president and secretary of NAHB and a home builder from Bloomfield Hills, Mich., said in testimony before the House Small Business Committee. 'The green movement in residential construction derives much of its strength from its voluntary nature, which provides builders and developers the flexibility that is essential for incorporating the principles of sustainable design.'"

NAR - "Home Prices Expected to Recover in 2008 As Inventories Decline" (7-11-07)

"Home prices are expected to recover in 2008 with existing-home sales picking up late this year and new-home sales rising early next year, according to the latest forecast by the National Association of Realtors®. Lawrence Yun, NAR senior economist, said a good buyers’ market has evolved. 'Buyers now have an overwhelming advantage given the wide selection of homes available in many markets,' he said. 'But with profit margins coming under pressure, homebuilders will limit new construction well into 2008. This should help the overall inventory level to move steadily into a more balanced state.'"

MBA - "Mortgage Applications Increase in Latest MBA Weekly Survey" (7-11-07)

"The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) today released its Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending July 6, 2007. This week’s results include an adjustment to account for the Independence Day holiday. The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, was 626.2, an increase of 1.1 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from 619.4 one week earlier. On an unadjusted basis, the Index decreased 19.1 percent compared with the previous week and was up 25.3 percent compared with the same week one year earlier. The Refinance Index decreased 3.0 percent to 1636.9 from 1687.2 the previous week and the seasonally adjusted Purchase Index increased 3.8 percent to 453.9 from 437.3 one week earlier. The seasonally adjusted Conventional Index increased 1.2 percent to 918.2 from 907.2 the previous week, and the seasonally adjusted Government Index decreased 0.1 percent to 139.3 from 139.5 the previous week."

MBA - "David Schultz Joins MBA as Senior Director of Education Operations" (7-11-07)

"The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) today announced the appointment of David Schultz as Senior Director of Education Operations for CampusMBA, MBA’s award-winning educational arm. David previously served as the Director of Workplace Learning and Performance for Sawyer Realty Holdings, a real estate investment firm specializing in multifamily housing ownership and property management. In this capacity, David was responsible for leading all organizational development and effectiveness initiatives while managing certification programs, onboarding, and leadership development activities. Additionally, David served as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1991 - 1994."

Yahoo - "The Rundown on REITs" (7-11-07)

"'What do you think about REITs?' That's a question I have been asked fairly frequently over the past few weeks. Rightfully so, since this asset class, which skyrocketed in the past few years, now appears to have fallen on hard times. Year to date through July 6, the Standard & Poor's Composite 1500 index gained 8.5%, while the majority of the six real estate investment trust indexes declined from approximately 3% to 6.5%. This erosion in performance has caused many to ask: 'Is this the beginning of the correction in real estate stocks?'"

FXStreet.com - "US: The subprime story re-erupts" (7-11-07)

"Standard & Poor’s yesterday downgraded the outlook on USD 12bn of subprime-related debt, while Moody’s cut the ratings of USD 5.2bn of debt. The USD 12bn put on negative outlook by S&P corresponds to just over 2% of US residential-mortgage-backed securities. These are securities based on subprime debt originating in the latter part of 2005 and in 2006. Moreover, S&P indicated that they were looking at changes to the rating methodology for CDOs too. The amount of debt affected by the downgrades is not large compared to the total market, but for many investors it is another drop of water in the Chinese water torture of continuing bad news on the US housing market in general and subprime debt in particular."

Bloomberg - "Bond Risk Soars Most in Three Years on Subprime Debt Downgrades" (7-11-07)

"Corporate bond risk soared in Europe by the most in at least three years as debt rating downgrades on U.S. subprime securities triggered a worldwide selloff, according to traders of credit-default swaps. Europe's iTraxx Crossover Index of 50 companies from Italian automaker Fiat SpA to betting group Ladbrokes Plc in London jumped as much as 41,500 euros to 308,000 euros, the biggest daily move since the index was created three years ago, according to JPMorgan Chase & Co. The CDX North America Investment-Grade Index of credit-default swaps on 125 companies increased $2,500 to $50,750, the highest in 19 months, Deutsche Bank AG prices show."

Bank Net 360 - "Study Finds High-Income Blacks Get Expensive Mortgages" (7-11-07)

"Black and Hispanic consumers with higher incomes are getting mortgage loans with above-market rates, according to a study by the National Community Reinvestment Coalition. The Washington, D.C.-based organization found that in 2005 blacks in 171 metropolitan areas were at least twice as likely as whites to receive expensive loans. The report also concluded that while the disparity among blacks and whites existed at all income levels, it was more severe at higher income levels, rather than lower ones."

Bloomberg - "Subprime Losses Drub Debt Securities as Ratings Drop" (7-11-07)

"On Wall Street, where the $800 billion market for mortgage securities backed by subprime loans is coming unhinged, traders are belatedly acknowledging what they see isn't what they get. As delinquencies on home loans to people with poor or meager credit surged to a 10-year high this year, no one buying, selling or rating the bonds collateralized by these bad debts bothered to quantify the losses. Now the bubble is bursting and there is no agreement on how much money has vanished: $52 billion, according to an estimate from Zurich-based Credit Suisse Group earlier this week that followed a $90 billion assessment from Frankfurt-based Deutsche Bank AG."

Bloomberg - "Bear Can Unwind Funds in `Orderly Fashion,' SEC Says" (7-11-07)

"The funds' near-meltdown sparked concern that Bear Stearns would be forced to unload billions of dollars of securities at fire-sale prices. The New York-based firm eventually bailed out one of the funds with $1.6 billion in emergency financing. Bear Stearns said yesterday the second fund cut its debt in half to $600 million after negotiating with creditors and selling assets. Shares of Bear Stearns, which dropped 4.1 percent yesterday on concern it may face losses on mortgage bonds, rose 97 cents to $138.93 in 12:40 p.m. New York Stock Exchange composite trading."

Bloomberg - "SEC Asserts Authority to Sue Hedge Funds for Fraud" (7-11-07)

"The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission adopted new rules ensuring it can sue hedge funds for misleading investors, following a court ruling that put in doubt the regulator's authority over the $1.6 trillion industry. The SEC barred hedge funds from lying about investing strategies, performance, a manager's experience and the risks of putting money in a fund. SEC commissioners unanimously approved the rule in a public meeting in Washington today."

Bloomberg - "Steel, Warsh Don't See `Systemic Risk' From Subprime" (7-11-07)

"The U.S. Treasury Department's top domestic-finance official and a Federal Reserve governor said investor losses from subprime-mortgage delinquencies aren't posing broader risks to the financial system. Robert Steel, a Treasury undersecretary, said at a House Financial Services Committee hearing today that the sell-off in subprime securities 'does not seem to be a systemic issue.' The Fed's Kevin Warsh told the same panel that the losses 'don't appear to be raising, to this point, systemic risk issues.'"

Bloomberg - "U.S. Homebuilding Slump Will Last Through Next Year" (7-11-07)

"U.S. home sales and prices will fall further in 2007 and the housing slump will persist into next year as builders curtail production, the National Association of Realtors said. The group reduced its sales forecast today for the seventh consecutive month and said existing home sales will fall 5.6 percent to 6.11 million in 2007. Prices will drop 1.4 percent. In 2008, single-family housing starts will probably fall to their lowest since 1995, the Realtors said in a statement."

Orange County Register - "Listing deletes homes' days-on-market data" (7-11-07)

"Home shoppers in Orange County and other parts of Southern California will no longer know how long a residence has been on the market unless they ask. The Southern California Multiple Listing Service has stopped providing "days-on-market" data in client reports. That decision has sparked some speculation in the blogosphere that the MLS is trying to hide details about old listings while driving more traffic to real estate agents."

CNN - "Housing slump gets longer, and longer ..." (7-11-07)

"The slump in home sales and prices will be deeper and last longer than previously expected, according to the latest forecast Wednesday by the National Association of Realtors. The trade group is now looking for flat prices for existing homes in the first quarter of 2008 compared to the first quarter of 2007, and a more year-over-year declines for new home. The group's previous monthly forecast had projected that both new and existing home prices would start to rebound to show a year-over-year rise in the first quarter of 2008."

Market Watch - "Home builders drowning in losses, subprime fallout" (7-11-07)

"Two of the largest residential builders this week warned that they expected to post quarterly losses driven mainly by impairment charges. Additionally, a pair of widely followed ratings agencies said they planned to downgrade billions of dollars worth of mortgage-backed bonds threatened by the subprime mess."

Orange County Register - "Housing weakness worries push down indexes" (7-11-07)

"Stocks slid Tuesday as the subprime mortgage crisis escalated, undermining banking shares while Home Depot Inc. and other housing-related companies lowered their outlooks. Standard & Poor's roiled financial markets when it said it may cut ratings on $12 billion of subprime-related debt on forecasts of more delinquent and defaulted home loans. Shares of investment banks and mortgage companies were especially hard hit while U.S. Treasury bonds benefited from the flow of funds out of riskier assets. The S&P index of financial shares fell 2.2 percent, its worst one-day performance since mid-March."

Los Angeles Times - "When is it time to cut the price?" (7-11-07)

"Good morning. Pop quiz for sellers out there: If your property is sitting on the market, how long do you wait before reducing the price? Sixty days? One hundred days? Two hundred days? Would you believe... 300 days? That's what just happened at 2812 Elm Ave. in Manhattan Beach, according to the ever watchful Manhattan Beach Confidential: 'The obstinacy of the sellers has been on full public display since Sept. 13, 2006, when they began at $1.769m and then never budged.... The sellers wanted their $1.769m in part because they paid almost $1.6m in June 2005.... The new price is $1.699m, down $70k of the $185k extra the sellers had sought.'"

Los Angeles Times - "Why expensive houses are selling" (7-11-07)

"Leonhardt cites the usual suspects in explaining the strong market for homes at $1 million and above: The rich are getting richer, rich foreigners are buying U.S. real estate, and the credit squeeze is much more hurtful to buyers in lower price ranges."

Yahoo - "California Foreclosure Sales Reach $12 Billion in First Half of 2007: Up 95% From January to June" (7-10-07)

"ForeclosureRadar(TM) (ForeclosureRadar.com) today released its June 2007 California Foreclosure Report. This unique monthly report includes previously unavailable auction sales data providing a far more timely and accurate picture of California's foreclosure marketplace. ForeclosureRadar(TM) is the first statewide foreclosure information service to track each and every foreclosure auction throughout the state on a daily basis. Other foreclosure listing services rely primarily on documents recorded at the county which delays the reporting of actual foreclosure sales trends by weeks or even months."

MBA - "Fannie Mae Requires New ALTA Forms" (7-10-07)

"Mortgage loans delivered to Fannie Mae for purchase or securitization must have title insurance policies that provide title protection, generally the standard ALTA forms. The standard ALTA title insurance policy forms were revised in 2006; therefore, Fannie Mae is encouraging lenders to begin obtaining title policies written on the 2006 ALTA forms as soon as possible in states in which ALTA forms are approved for use. Use of the 2006 ALTA forms in those states will be required for all loans sold and delivered to Fannie Mae on and after January 1, 2008."

CNN - "Handicapping housing's recovery" (7-10-07)

"The last time Fortune checked in with Bob Toll, founder and CEO of luxury-home builder Toll Brothers, was in April 2005, when we dubbed him the "new king of the real estate boom." The moniker seemed apt: Toll Brothers was reaping record profits, and the company's stock chart looked like Cisco's in the late 1990s, with shares soaring 470 percent in less than three years. Needless to say, much has changed since then. The homebuilding industry is mired in a slump - sales of single-family homes dropped 16 percent in May, hitting their lowest levels since 2001, and the stock prices of Toll Brothers (Charts, Fortune 500) and most other homebuilders have been halved (citing a glut, competitor KB Home (Charts, Fortune 500) saw quarterly revenue fall 36 percent last month). Fortune senior writer Jon Birger recently spoke with Toll about housing's uncertain outlook."

Bloomberg - "S&P May Cut Ratings on $12 Billion of Subprime Mortgage Bonds" (7-10-07)

"Standard & Poor's may cut credit ratings on $12 billion of bonds backed by subprime mortgages, citing expectations that losses will continue. The bonds are from 612 classes of residential mortgage- backed securities, S&P said today in an e-mailed statement. Ratings on collateralized debt obligations that contain the mortgage bonds are also under review, S&P said."

The Boston Globe - "Consumer borrowing jumps on credit card debt" (7-10-07)

"The Federal Reserve reported yesterday that consumer credit rose at an annual rate of 6.4 percent in May, far above the small 1.1 percent gain of April. The increase was propelled by a surge in the category that includes credit cards, which rose at a rate of 9.8 percent in May after having a tiny increase of 0.2 percent in April. The jump in credit card debt was the largest since a 14.5 percent rate of increase in November."

CNN - "Mortgage resets: Record bill coming due" (7-10-07)

"More than two million subprime adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs) are poised to reset at much higher rates in coming months, worsening an already suffering housing market. Borrowers who took out hybrid ARMs in 2004 and 2005 to secure low 'teaser' rates for the first two or three years of the loan may see their monthly mortgage payments climb by 35 percent or more. Consumer groups and politicians worry that hundreds of thousands of subprime ARM borrowers will be unable to keep up with their mortgage payments and will lose their homes."

Market Watch - "S&P finally says subprime is mostly junk" (7-10-07)

"S&P, one of the three main credit-rating agencies that served as enablers of the subprime mortgage boom, announced Tuesday that it would lower its ratings on 612 bonds, a small portion of the mortgage-backed securities it had given its seal of approval to. See full story. But the bigger news is that S&P isn't going along with the charade any more. S&P said it would change its methodology for ratings hundreds of billions of dollars in residential mortgage-backed securities."

CNN - "Housing woes hammer Home Depot" (7-10-07)

"Home improvement retailer Home Depot cut its 2007 profit outlook Tuesday, citing continued weakness in the home building market and the sales of its supply business. Atlanta-based Home Depot, the No. 1 home improvement retailer, said it now expects earnings per share to fall by 15 to 18 percent to between $2.30 or $2.36 a share for the fiscal year. The company had previously estimated EPS of $2.54 a share for the year, but it said Tuesday that estimate included 18 cents a share that the HD Supply unit had been expected to contribute and which will now be missing from full-year results."

Bloomberg - "D.R. Horton to Report Net Loss After Orders Plunge" (7-10-07)

"D.R. Horton Inc., the second-largest U.S. homebuilder, will report a third-quarter loss after orders plunged 40 percent and said it sees no sign of a housing rebound. 'We expect the housing environment to remain challenging,' Chairman Donald Horton said today in a statement. The Fort Worth, Texas-based company is planning a 'significant' writedown in the value of its real estate and the shares fell to a three-year low."

Real Estate Journal - "Splitting the Cost of a Home When You Can't Go It Alone" (7-10-07)

"While most people want to own a home, young singles and couples often find it impossible to scratch together enough cash to make the purchase. More established folks, too, sometimes discover that the down payment for their dream house is just too big a nut to crack. It doesn't have to be that way. Simple financial strategies exist that allow disadvantaged buyers to split the cost of a house by sharing the wealth. 'We can do more when we join with other people's money,' says Marilyn Sullivan, a real-estate attorney in Arroyo Grande, Calif."

Bloomberg - "CDO Losses May Be $52 Billion, Credit Suisse Says" (7-9-07)

"Investor losses on bonds backed by U.S. subprime mortgages may total $52 billion, according to Credit Suisse Group, the low end of estimates, as analysts begin to determine the fallout from rising delinquency rates and foreclosures. Subprime defaults are 'clearly a huge problem' for investors in collateralized debt obligations, Credit Suisse analysts led by Ivan Vatchkov in London wrote in a report. 'But we do not think that they are a systemic one.'"

Real Estate Journal - "Martha Stewart House Sells at 26% Price Cut" (7-9-07)

"Martha Stewart sold her Westport, Conn., estate for $6.7 million -- 26% below the asking price. The four-acre property, known as Turkey Hill, includes a 3,168-square-foot, three-bedroom farmhouse, built in the 19th century, a converted carriage house and a 'party barn' that Ms. Stewart used to entertain guests. The property also includes a pool and gardens. Records show that Ms. Stewart and her then-husband, Andy Stewart, bought the property in two parcels in the early 1970s for a combined $80,750."

Bloomberg - "U.S. Housing Sales to Tumble to Six-Year Low on Rates, Defaults" (7-9-07)

"U.S. home sales in 2007 will drop to the lowest level since the start of the five-year housing boom in 2001 as mortgage rates and foreclosures increase, according to a forecast by Freddie Mac. Sales of new and previously owned homes probably will total 6.28 million, according to the world's second-largest mortgage buyer. That would be the lowest since 6.20 million in 2001. Residential lending will drop to $2.75 trillion, the lowest since 2002, the McLean, Virginia-based company said in today's forecast."

Bloomberg - "Why Haven't Home Construction Jobs Disappeared" (7-9-07)

"Illegal immigrants may lie at the heart of one of the persistent puzzles of the U.S. labor market. Overall payroll jobs rose by 132,000 in June, while the gains in April and May were revised to show 75,000 more jobs than reported earlier, the Labor Department said. The increase in jobs for the second quarter totaled 444,000, up modestly from the first quarter's 427,000."

Orange County Register - "RealtyTrac hopes to facilitate sales" (7-9-07)

"James Saccacio expanded RealtyTrac of Irvine by shedding light on a dark corner of real estate. Now he'd like to take the company further by breaking more taboos. Saccacio is in the foreclosure business. Actually, RealtyTrac has become the best-known name in foreclosures. Its steady barrage of reports on foreclosure filings are picked up by media outlets nationwide."

Orange County Register - "Two Platinum Triangle project possibilities" (7-9-07)

"Anaheim Condo dwellers seeking urban lifestyles aren't the only ones heading to high rises sprouting up around Angel Stadium. Office workers, too, could join those settling in hundreds of feet above the ground in the Platinum Triangle. A city panel soon will consider two major projects in the Platinum Triangle that include new office buildings, which have been slow to enter the transforming region meant to serve both as a place to live and work. About 8,700 homes amid cafes and shops are planned."

Los Angeles Times - "RealtyTrac on the rise" (7-9-07)

"Good morning. Little news item: RealtyTrac, which has been criticized because its foreclosure statistics tally several foreclosure 'events' per home, is now keeping a new statistic that will eliminate double- and triple-counting of homes. Bigger news item: RealtyTrac is growing into the dominant source of information on foreclosure, and hopes to dominate foreclosure sales as well. From Mathew Padilla's interview with RealtyTrac CEO James Saccacio for the OC Register: 'RealtyTrac has become the best-known name in foreclosures. ... Saccacio has grown the company from about $575,000 a year in revenue to a projected $43 million this year.'"

Contra Costa Times - "New guidelines meant to help curb risky home loans" (7-8-07)

"IT WON'T MEAN the end to no-income verification or high-risk mortgages for subprime home buyers, but new guidance from federal financial regulators will almost certainly cut their availability sharply. In a long-awaited policy statement on loans to borrowers with imperfect credit histories, federal financial regulators last month urged banks, credit unions and their mortgage subsidiaries to verify income, assets and employment on all loans except in special cases where borrowers could demonstrate substantial financial reserves."

Los Angeles Times - "San Diego County sales activity for May" (7-8-07)

"The chart lists median prices in thousands of dollars for sales of existing single-family homes and iniums by ZIP Code. Community names are included for convenience. Some ZIP Codes include multiple cities that, due to space limitations, cannot all be listed by their individual names. Percentage changes are a year-over-year comparison for the reporting month. The price per square foot in the far right column includes only single-family home sales and does not include attached garages."

Los Angeles Times - "True concessions" (7-8-07)

"AS the housing market has slowed, many new-home buyers have been dancing around the dotted line before signing on it, seeking concessions from builders who just a few years ago were selling properties before foundations were even laid. Builders — in the same boat as resale homeowners — are doing everything they can to move unsold homes and to hold on to nervous buyers who may be thinking of backing out of a signed contract. Going beyond upgrades or attractive financing, some are offering price guarantees so buyers don't end up paying more than future neighbors. Others are reaching out to real estate agents who bring buyers in, rather than restricting sales to in-house staff."

Los Angeles Times - "Subprime Oversight Still Lacking" (7-8-07)

"Good morning. The paper is full of various angles on the sub-prime mess today, and there's a theme: the market for sub-prime mortgages is largely unregulated today. From Kathy Kristof's interview with Elizabeth Warren, who argues Americans need more financial protections from their government: 'But 52% of sub-prime mortgages were written by independent mortgage brokers and finance companies, which are subject to no federal oversight. ... This division not only creates enormous loopholes, it triggers a kind of regulatory arbitrage,' she said. 'If regulators push those institutions too hard, they're likely to reincorporate under another regulatory umbrella — or under no regulator at all.'"

Washington Post - "How Low Will It Go? Well, Where Do You Live?" (7-7-07)

"'How much lower is this residential market going to go? I have already lost over $200,000 in value compared to what I paid for my house in Gainesville last year! Even after taking the down payment into consideration, I owe more than what the house is worth! Help!!!' Let's pause and let that number sink in. Two hundred thousand dollars. Gone. Lea Morris, an agent with Long & Foster's Gainesville office, says a decline of that magnitude is indeed possible."

Bits Of News - "Bear's Market Blues" (7-7-07)

"Often, a big financial house will create its own hedge funds, specifically for the purpose of digesting risky tranches of mortgage debt. The hedge fund raises some capital…and then typically borrows additional money in order to leverage its returns... Anyone who would lend money to something called the High-Grade Structured Credit Strategies Enhanced Leverage Fund deserves the indigestion he gets."

Bloomberg - "Treasuries Fall as Employment Growth Renews Inflation Concern" (7-6-07)

"Treasuries fell, extending 10-year notes' biggest weekly decline in more than a year, after a government report showing second-quarter job growth exceeded estimates renewed concern that inflation will accelerate. The Labor Department's employment report for June also showed that wages and salaries increased faster than economists expected, reinforcing bets the Federal Reserve is unlikely to cut interest rates. Yields on 10-year notes rose more than those on two-year notes as investors demanded additional compensation for inflation risk."

Yahoo - "Best and Worst Home Improvements" (7-6-07)

"Before you install that custom wine cellar or bamboo flooring, it's wise to make sure such upgrades won't leave you in the red long-term. Fancy features such as these might not seem so essential to a buyer with different tastes. Rather, in a market slump, sellers whose properties have the right add-ons get the highest rate of return on their investment, allowing them to move their homes faster and for more money than their neighbors."

MSN - "Hedge funds face subprime 'haircut'" (7-6-07)

"Investment banks are demanding more capital to back loans to hedge funds investing in US subprime mortgage-linked debt, as they try to head off a repeat of the near-collapse of two Bear Stearns hedge funds. The "haircut", or margin requirement, on financing provided to buy collateralised debt obligations (CDOs) backed by subprime mortgage bonds has been increasing sharply, in many cases doubling, according to hedge funds, bank executives and prime brokers."

Defective-Homes.net - "Lennar Homes Employees Are Not Happy Either" (7-6-07)

"We've received a few emails and phone calls from current and former Lennar Homes employees. It seems like the problems the homeowners are experiencing is starting with the way Lennar Homes treats employees. We are going to take the recommendation below and keep up a web page for current and former Lennar Homes employees to post their comments."

Orange County Register - "Orange County home prices and sales" (7-6-07)

"For the 22 business days ending June 21, sales for all types of Orange County home sales decreased 29.5 percent. The median sales price remained the same. The median is where half the homes sold for more and half for less. Types of homes selling, as well as home value changes, cause the median to change."

Orange County Register - "Builders turn to canine castles amid sluggish home sales" (7-6-07)

"You may know Standard Pacific, John Laing and William Lyon as big-time homebuilders for people in Orange County – but you may not have encountered their canine castles. The new doghouse designs are part of an auction on Aug. 5 in San Clemente. It's an offbeat marketing strategy in this sluggish housing market to garner more interest in the roughly 500 homes to be built at San Clemente's Talega housing community. From July 28 to Aug. 5, six dog houses will be on display at the model human homes built by these manufacturers. These lavish 'dogabodes' span 4 feet by 6 feet by 4 1/2 feet. One dog house will look like a whimsical cottage, another will mirror a sand castle and one will be designed in Tuscan style, just like the human home."

Los Angeles Times - "Trouble at H&R Block" (7-6-07)

"News item worth watching: H&R Block's efforts to sell its mortgage unit are running into trouble. If the deal falls apart, it will mark a big vote of 'no confidence' from Wall Street: " H&R Block Inc.'s mortgage unit lost a $1.5-billion credit line, falling 'dangerously close' to the minimum amount of borrowing capacity demanded by a hedge fund firm that has agreed to buy the money-losing home lender.'"

Real Estate Journal - "'Dracula's' Romanian Castle, Now a Museum, Is for Sale" (7-6-07)

"Bran Castle, one of Romania's top tourist attractions and a must-see for fans of literature's most famous vampire, is up for sale. Those willing to brave a price tag that could exceed $100 million will get the keys to the castle that inspired settings in Bram Stoker's "Dracula," said Michael Gardner, chairman of Baytree Capital, the New York private-investment firm handling the sale. The building in the Transylvanian region of Romania has become known throughout the world as Dracula's Castle, and is currently being used as a museum, he said."

Real Estate Journal - "Mortgage Mess Shines Light on Brokers' Role" (7-6-07)

"In 2005, World Savings Bank honored Secure Financial Inc. with a "Top Broker Award." It was a tribute to the sales prowess of Zak Khan, who arranged more than a hundred mortgages out of the small real-estate firm's Union City, Calif., office. But Mr. Khan, a onetime professional cricket player, wasn't all he seemed. For starters, his real name is Altaf A. Shaikh. Contrary to California law, he never held a license to broker mortgage loans. Still, he managed to find jobs at a variety of mortgage firms since 1997, leaving a trail of unhappy borrowers and a lengthening list of criminal charges and lawsuits filed against him."

MBA - "Mortgage Applications Essentially Unchanged in Latest MBA Survey" (7-5-07)

"The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) today released its Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending June 29, 2007. The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, was 619.4, an increase of 0.1 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from 618.6 one week earlier. On an unadjusted basis, the Index decreased 0.1 percent compared with the previous week and was up 9.7 percent compared with the same week one year earlier. The Refinance Index decreased 2.6 percent to 1687.2 from 1731.6 the previous week and the seasonally adjusted Purchase Index increased 2.0 percent to 437.3 from 428.9 one week earlier. The seasonally adjusted Conventional Index decreased 0.2 percent to 907.2 from 909.2 the previous week, and the seasonally adjusted Government Index increased 4.1 percent to 139.5 from 134.0 the previous week."

Washington Post - "Foreclosures, Home Sales Cast a Pall on Public Spending Plans" (7-5-07)

"Residential property values are dropping lower than county and city officials had projected, foreshadowing an even tougher budget season next year. The Manassas City Council budgeted a 2.5 percent drop in real estate property assessments for fiscal 2009, but values have dropped 6 percent, said John P. Grzejka, Manassas's commissioner of revenue. There are 20 percent more houses for sale now than at this time last year, he said, and the number of foreclosures continues to rise. The foreclosure rate and the flooded market are blamed for the falling property tax base."

Bloomberg - "U.S. Subprime Defaults to Rise, Credit Suisse Says" (7-5-07)

"Delinquencies and defaults on U.S. subprime mortgages will keep rising as borrowers who received loans under relaxed underwriting standards miss payments, said Robert Parker, vice chairman of Credit Suisse Asset Management. The share of U.S. subprime mortgages entering default in the first quarter was the highest in almost five years, according to the U.S. Mortgage Bankers Association, as the country had its biggest decline in housing prices since the 1930s."

Miami Herald - "Congress sets its sights on mortgage brokers" (7-5-07)

"Mortgage brokers, who originate up to two-thirds of home loans, have exploited their lack of federal regulation to loosen lending standards in ways that sparked current high mortgage-default rates among borrowers with weak credit. Hearings before Congress this year made it clear that mortgage brokers and nonbank lenders took advantage of a regulatory gap to make unsound home loans to people with the weakest credit history, preying especially on minorities and the working poor. Now Congress must decide how best to bring brokers, who originated about 70 percent of so-called sub-prime loans over the past two years, under some form of federal regulation."

Bloomberg - "European Economies: Bank of England Raises Key Rate to 5.75%" (7-5-07)

"Bank of England policy makers raised interest rates for the fifth time since August and said they're concerned inflation will stay above their target, adding to investor speculation that another move is likely this year. The nine-member Monetary Policy Committee increased the bank rate by a quarter-point to 5.75 percent, the highest since April 2001, the central bank said today in London. The panel, led by Governor Mervyn King, said in a statement that 'the balance of risks' to price stability still 'lie to the upside.'"

Bloomberg - "Investors Shun `Falling Knife' of Real Estate Stocks" (7-5-07)

"Rising interest rates and declining profits from real estate are pushing investors to ditch European property stocks after a four-year rally. The Bloomberg Europe Real Estate Index just completed its worst quarter in a decade and the stocks are still expensive compared with European averages. Robert Parkes, who advises pension fund managers as a strategist at HSBC Holdings Plc, said the stocks have further to decline."

Reuters - "H&R Block falls as mortgage unit loses credit line" (7-5-07)

"Tax preparer H&R Block Inc. (HRB.N: Quote, Profile, Research) said the subprime mortgage unit it is selling has lost a credit line, cutting its borrowing capacity closer to the minimum needed to complete the sale of the money-losing business. The news sent H&R Block shares down 2.1 percent. Investors have been hoping H&R Block will complete its sale of Option One Mortgage Corp. to private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management LP (CBS.UL: Quote, Profile, Research) so that it can focus on other operations including tax preparation, its largest and most profitable business."

Los Angeles Times - "Mortgage Rates Keep Slipping" (7-5-07)

"Good morning, and good news: Mortgage rates continued to decline this week, pulling back from recent highs, Inman News reports."

Los Angeles Times - "Days on Market? None of Your Business." (7-5-07)

"We couldn't believe this item is true, so we read it three times, and it still says the same thing: The SoCal MLS (Southern California Multiple Listing Service) is removing 'days on market' and 'combined days on market' statistics from listings -- depriving buyers and sellers of crucial information. Days on Market is one of the first MLS numbers we look at, after price and square footage. It tells you how fresh the listing is. A high number tells you that, for some reason, the house isn't selling -- probably because the asking price is too high."

Bloomberg - "Ghost Towns Appear in Spain as Decade-Long Boom Ends" (7-4-07)

"Javier Usua and Ruth Graneda never got out of the car when they visited Sanchinarro and Las Tablas, two of Madrid's biggest new suburban developments. The concrete-block buildings and empty streets were all they needed to see. 'We came to look at apartments but found ghost towns,' said Usua, a 27-year-old taxi driver. 'You'd need to drive miles for a loaf of bread or cigarettes and my friend found it creepy and unsafe so we turned around and left.'"

Bloomberg - "U.K. Subprime Lenders' Practice Is `Poor,' FSA Says" (7-4-07)

"U.K. lenders are providing mortgages to customers who don't need them and may not be able to afford them, practices that may lead to 'serious wider consequences,' the country's financial regulator said. All the subprime-mortgage lenders examined failed to apply responsible lending standards, and five of 34 intermediaries are being investigated and may be punished, the Financial Services Authority said in an e-mailed statement today."

Times Online - "Fidelity chief Bolton warns packaged loans market echoes split-cap trusts" (7-4-07)

"One of Britain’s leading fund managers said yesterday that the $1 trillion (£500 billion) institutional packaged-loans market was flawed and posed significant risks to investors. Anthony Bolton, the founder of the fund manager Fidelity International, likened the so-called Collateralised Debt Obligation (CDO) market to the UK’s split-capital investment trust sector, which collapsed in 2001 and 2002. The warning came as souring sentiment in the credit market spilt over into the financing of private equity-backed buyouts. Private equity bosses such as Jon Moulton, of Alchemy Partners, told MPs that 'overenthusiastic' lending could lead to casualties."

Financial Times - "Buyers avoid Bear Stearns' cut-priced sale" (7-4-07)

"Investors in the worse-hit of two stricken Bear Stearns hedge funds are offering to sell their holdings for as little as 11 cents on the dollar but still finding no buyers, according to unfilled trades on Hedgebay, a secondary market for funds. Vulture funds and others have been quick to bid for holdings in the two funds, but the best bid for Bear Stearns High-Grade Structured Credit Strategies Enhanced Leveraged Fund, the more geared of the two, is just 5 cents on the dollar."

Los Angeles Times - "More Americans fall behind on debts" (7-4-07)

"Slow job growth and declining home prices are causing financial problems for more Americans, who are falling behind on consumer debt, including home equity loans, at the highest rate since 2001, the American Bankers Assn. said Tuesday. Credit counselors said consumers were paying the price for reckless attitudes about debt fostered by years of easy credit, particularly in the mortgage market."

NAR - "Pending Homes Sales Index Declines While Some Regions Are Up" (7-3-07)

"Pending home sales, a forward-looking indicator, shows existing-home sales may ease but should stay fairly close to present levels in the months ahead, according to the National Association of Realtors®. The Pending Home Sales Index*, based on contracts signed in May, rose in the West and Northeast but fell in the Midwest and South. The national index stood at 97.7 in May, down 3.5 percent from a downwardly revised April index of 101.2, and is 13.3 percent lower than May 2006 when the reading was 112.7. In April, the index was 10.4 percent lower than a year earlier."

MBA - "Second Half 2006 Mortgage Originations Survey Shows Shift to Fixed Rate Products from Adjustable Rate Products" (7-3-07)

"First mortgage originations shifted dramatically to fixed rate products in the second half of 2006 from the first half of 2006 according to the Mortgage Bankers Association's (MBA's) Mortgage Originations Survey released today."

MBA - "Percentage of Subprime Loans Used by First-Time Home Buyers Up During the Second Half of 2006" (7-3-07)

"The percentage of subprime loans being used by first-time home buyers increased from 12 percent to 15 percent in the second half of 2006 according to the Mortgage Bankers Association's (MBA's) Subprime Mortgage Originations Survey released today. The percentage of subprime loans used for repeat and first-time home purchase increased from 46 percent to 47 percent."

Gold Seek - "Investment Landfill: How Professionals Dump Their Toxic Waste on You" (7-3-07)

"THIS IS NOT the idle chatter of permanent bears. The subprime mortgage collapse now hitting Bear Stearns may be just the start. Serious analysts from big investment firms are talking ominously about 'the big one'. It will make you angry to learn just how the investment industry has got you involved. If you can understand what's happening, you should have time to move. So let's get to the bottom of it now, and in plain English."

The San Diego Union Tribune - "Financial predators score with new scam" (7-3-07)

"With the housing market in decline, financial predators are finding yet another way to take advantage of people who fall behind on their payments. The schemes take various forms and often involve promises to distressed homeowners of cash upfront, free monthly rent and a chance to retain their houses in the long run. But in the process, someone else takes over the deed, borrows as much as possible against the value of the house and pockets the cash."

Yahoo - "Late Payments Up for Home Equity Loans" (7-3-07)

"Late payments on home equity loans climbed to a 1 1/2-year high in the opening quarter of this year, while delinquencies on credit card bills fell, painting a mixed picture of how people are managing their debt. The American Bankers Association, in its quarterly survey of consumer loans, reported Tuesday that late payments on home equity loans rose to 2.15 percent in the January-to-March quarter. That was up sharply from 1.92 percent in the final quarter of last year and was the highest since the late summer of 2005."

Realty Times - "Feds Issue Final Subprime Rules" (7-3-07)

"Federally regulated banks started the week with new rules governing how they write subprime loans. Critics consider the rules too-little too-late because they don't apply to mortgage brokers and lenders that are not federally regulated. Also an estimated 2 million homeowners, many of them saddled with subprime loans they can't afford, are already in or destined for the foreclosure pipeline."

Bloomberg - "U.S. Pending Home Resales Drop to Lowest Since 2001" (7-3-07)

"Americans unexpectedly signed fewer contracts to buy previously owned homes in May as buyers waited for lower prices and lenders made it harder to get mortgages. An index of signed purchase agreements, or pending home resales, dropped 3.5 percent to 97.7, the lowest level in more than five years, from a revised 101.2 in April, the National Association of Realtors said today in Washington."

Bloomberg - "Cioffi's Hero-to-Villain Hedge Funds Masked Bear Peril in CDOs" (7-3-07)

"The two hedge funds that Ralph Cioffi managed were so hot that some investors had to call a friend at his firm, Bear Stearns Cos., to get his attention. Cioffi's employer and associates, dazzled by 40 consecutive months without a loss for one of the funds, invested at least $35 million of their own money with him. Cioffi was so successful that colleagues insisted that his eight-figure compensation placed him among the highest-paid employees in 2006. Bear Stearns officials and Cioffi declined to comment."

The Seattle Times - "Debt buries mortgage lender" (7-3-07)

"In April, as he shut down the 300-employee mortgage business he'd built from scratch, Layne Sapp said he hoped to find a buyer who would resuscitate MILA. Instead, the Mountlake Terrace firm Monday asked the federal bankruptcy court to protect it from its creditors, joining scores of other lenders felled by the subprime-mortgage implosion."

Bloomberg - "United Capital's Devaney Halts Hedge Fund Withdrawals" (7-3-07)

"John Devaney, who invests in subprime mortgage bonds, halted redemptions in some of his Horizon hedge funds to cut the odds they'll be forced to dump more holdings. 'We have received an unusually high number of redemption requests,' Devaney's United Capital Markets Holdings Inc. said today in a statement. One investor wanted to withdraw about a quarter of the money-losing funds' money. The Horizon funds, which aren't being liquidated, last month sold off a 'large amount' of securities and also closed out derivative bets on subprime-mortgage bonds at a loss, the company said."

Los Angeles Times - "Cars, Trucks and Housing" (7-3-07)

"Trouble in Detroit: Auto sales in June were really bad, notably for GM (down 24% -- Ouch). What does that have to do with housing? Construction workers and home builders aren't building as many houses, so they don't need new trucks. And homeowners aren't pulling as much money out of their houses in cash-out refinancings, so they have less to spend on new cars. Bottom line: Housing is hurting the economy."

Real Estate Journal - "Wary Buyers, Lending Standards Depress Housing Market" (7-3-07)

"The National Association of Realtors' index for pending sales of existing homes decreased at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.5% to 97.7 from April's 101.2, the industry group said Tuesday. Its index, based on signed contracts for used homes, was 13.3% lower than the level of 112.7 in May 2006."

Real Estate Journal - "Popular Financial Advice To Ignore for 20-Somethings" (7-3-07)

"If you're in your 20s, the world may not throw money at you -- but you'll get plenty of free financial advice. For instance, you have no doubt been told to save diligently, fully fund your employer's 401(k) plan and avoid credit-card debt. And those are all good suggestions. But there are other suggestions that aren't quite so good -- including these four popular pieces of advice."

Real Estate Journal - "Regulators Tighten Rules For Subprime-Lending" (7-3-07)

"Federal bank, thrift and credit-union regulators issued beefed-up guidelines Friday aimed at curbing weak underwriting standards for 'subprime' mortgage loans. The move was welcomed by consumer advocates, who had called for more-restrictive policies, while some in the banking industry argued that the changes could restrict many borrowers' access to credit."

NAHB - "Registration for the 2008 International Builders' Show is Now Open" (7-2-07)

"Online registration and housing are now open for The 2008 International Builders’ Show® (IBS), being held February 13-16, 2008 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. Produced by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), the show is expected to draw more than 100,000 attendees representing all facets of the building industry. Attendee registration and hotel information can be found online at www.BuildersShow.com. More than 1,900 exhibitors will showcase their latest products and services at The 2008 IBS, the largest annual light construction show in the world, covering more than 1,000,000 net square feet. The Show will also feature nearly 300 education sessions, taught by nationally recognized speakers and designed to help attendees stay current on industry trends and issues."

NAR - "Realtors® Raise Walls on Habitat Home For Las Vegas Family" (7-2-07)

"Saturday was a special day for the Parker family of Las Vegas; it was the day the National Association of Realtors® raised the walls of their new Habitat for Humanity home at 1933 Gregory Street. Patty Parker and her two daughters, Jasmine, 14, and Cassidy, 12, were joined by leaders of NAR, the Nevada Association of Realtors®, the Greater Las Vegas Association of Realtors® and Habitat for Humanity Las Vegas at the wall raising ceremony."

MBA - "HUD Offers Guidance on Truncated Social Security Numbers on Credit Reports" (7-2-07)

"Recently, in response to the growing incidence of identify theft, some providers and resellers of consumer credit reports have implemented a policy of printing only a truncated version of the individual’s social security number (SSN) on the credit report product it offers to lenders and other users of these reports. This mortgagee letter provides assurances to FHA-approved mortgagees that credit reports with truncated SSNs, subject to the additional guidance described below, are acceptable for FHA mortgage insurance purposes"

Bloomberg - "Bear Stearns Meets Possums in Georgia as Foreclosures Increase" (7-2-07)

"Only the possums are enjoying the backyard of 2035 Lilac Lane in Decatur, Georgia, where Wall Street titan Bear Stearns Cos. is just another homeowner by default. 'It's a mess,' said Kiwanna Ford, 31, who grew up next door to the vacant brick ranch-style house four miles south of the DeKalb County Courthouse. Bear Stearns seized the property three months ago after Ford's neighbor stopped making payments on his mortgage. 'If we wanted to sell our house right now with that next door, it would hurt,' she said."

Bloomberg - "Bear Stearns Dismembers U.S. Treasury Bear Market" (7-2-07)

"Treasury investors can thank Bear Stearns Cos. for smothering the bear market. Traders who cut their holdings of U.S. government debt just a few weeks ago as retail sales increased and job growth accelerated are now snapping up Treasuries. Demand is being fueled by speculation that losses at hedge funds owning subprime mortgage bonds such as those managed by New York-based Bear Stearns and London-based Cambridge Place Investment Management LLP will spread and slow the economy."

Seeking Alpha - "Are Subprime Mortgages an Illiquidity or Credit Event?" (7-2-07)

"There are two popular views that I am seeing among those who are currently in the media limelight regarding subprime mortgages. There may be more, but I will point at James Cramer’s assertions that this is an illiquidity event, and not a credit event, and the assertions of Bill Gross that this event heralds a wider credit event, and soon. Neither are correct in my opinion."

Realty Times - "Alt-A Loan Defaults Yet To Peak" (7-2-07)

"It's not just the subprime stew that helped slide the housing market into a slough. Housing is also mired in a muskeg of failing "Alt-A" mortgages. Suffering from the same untried underwriting and difficult to decipher disclosures that swamped subprime borrowers with foreclosures, "Alt-A" loans made in 2006 suffered 90-day or longer delinquency rates 2.5 times higher than those made in 2005 and 4 times higher than those in 2004, according to LoanPerformance data crunched by analysts at Standard and Poors."

Bloomberg - "Trump Entertainment Says Talks Ended Without Deal" (7-2-07)

"Trump Entertainment Resorts Inc., the casino company founded by real estate developer Donald Trump, failed to find a buyer after a three-month search, sending its shares to the biggest drop in two years. The offers the company received weren't likely to lead to a transaction, Trump said today in a statement. Trump hired Merrill Lynch & Co. in March to explore a sale. It held negotiations with a group of investors that included Dennis Gomes, the former manager of the Trump Taj Mahal."

Patrick.net - "A House Buyer's Advice To Real Estate Agents" (7-2-07)

"Just because I don't happen to have my agent with me on this visit, doesn't mean I don't have one. Without an agent with me, we both know that your first question is likely to be, 'are you working with somebody?' This really means you're trying to find out if there's any chance you can function as a dual agent and double your percentage. Or, maybe that same question is your way of determining if I'm really a serious buyer or just one of the neighbors from down the block. See those MLS sheets and Google maps in my hand? I'm not a neighbor from down the block. I'm looking to buy something. You'll see that in my eyes once you stop worrying about 'establishing a dialog" or "getting to know your buyer" or when you stop asking yourself, "How can I tuck in an extra 2.5 points on this deal?'"

Voice of San Diego - "It's Not a Subprime Problem" (7-2-07)

"I covered the distinction between subprime mortgages and what S&P calls 'higher risk' loans back in March, and again in April, but the vast majority of analysts continue to act as if the problems are limited to subprime loans. So I'm going to use the latest Bloomberg piece as an excuse to revisit the topic yet again. 'Subprime' is a label that is given to borrowers with low credit scores. A borrower who has a good credit history and a track record of paying the bills on time is not considered subprime. 'High risk mortgages' are those that have features that increase the likelihood of the borrower being unable -- or unwilling -- to make the payments at some point in the future. The most notable of such features are the tendency for the loan's monthly payment to reset substantially higher in the future, limited documentation of borrower income or assets, and very low down payments. Many high risk loans contain a combination of these vulnerabilities, if not all of them."

Los Angeles Times - "Foreclosure Hurts: The Commercials" (7-2-07)

"This can't be good for buyer morale: The Ad Council is rolling out a series of 'foreclosure prevention' public service spots. The blog at Inman.com has links to the Ad Council spots, as well as this one from the Mortgage Bankers Assn. Who's paying? The mortgage industry, hoping to limit foreclosure-related losses: The Inman blog: 'Why would lenders pay for ads that acknowledge the mental anguish that financial troubles can bring on a family? Lenders rack up $30,000 or more in costs on every mortgage they foreclose.'"

Real Estate Journal - "Steps to Modify Loans and Avert Foreclosures Draw Controversy" (7-2-07)

"As defaults on home loans mount, mortgage companies are scrambling to work out deals to help as many borrowers as possible stay in their houses. On the surface, it seems an obvious tactic. Lenders usually end up losing money on foreclosed homes because of legal and other costs and the need to sell those properties fast, often at a knockdown price. Also, politicians are pressing mortgage companies to minimize the damages foreclosures cause to families and neighborhoods."

Miami Herald - "Real estate sales listings are easy targets for abuse" (7-1-07)

"The Multiple Listing Service is a real estate agent's bible. But it has also become a tool for fraud. The MLS includes virtually all properties on the market except those for sale by owner, and it is sometimes used as a guide for pricing homes. But real estate agents say they are sometimes asked to raise the list price of a home. In mortgage fraud cases, that allows a broker to pay the seller at the original list price and keep the rest of the money as cash back at closing. The false sales information means other sellers can end up overpricing houses that then get stuck on the market, and other buyers can end up paying more than they should."

Executive Intelligence Review - "Bear Stearns Funds' Failure Opened the Door to Credit Crash" (7-1-07)

"Major sectors of the world financial system were paralyzed by the failure, two weeks ago, of two Bear Stearns hedge funds, linked to the subprime mortgage and Mortgage Backed Securities (MBS) market. The failure has caused the near-freezing up of the highly risky $2.6 trillion Collateralized Debt Obligations (CODs) market. By June 28, at least five planned bond or IPO issuances had been cancelled, and another billion-dollar hedge fund, Caliber Global Investments, had failed because of MBS losses. The Plunge Protection Committee—officially the President's Working Group on Financial Markets—has worked frantically behind the scenes to try to relieve pressure, first on one crisis, then on another, but the Bear Stearns crisis is merely one part of a shock wave that could splinter the foundations of the world financial system."

Miami Herald - "Appraisers feel heat to inflate property's value" (7-1-07)

"Inflated appraisals can send prices rippling up through neighborhoods and raise property taxes."

OC Register - "The up side of a down market" (7-1-07)

"Tough times in the real estate industry mean booming business for Michael S. Buescher, a Trabuco construction contractor who specializes in cleaning and fixing up repossessed homes. As more property owners fail to refinance or repay their subprime loans, Buescher's pay days are getting bigger and bigger. In Orange County, the number of foreclosures through May hit 1,031 – seven-fold the number a year ago. Default notices soared 121 percent, to 4,520 homes, during the first five months of the year."

Bloomberg - "S&P 500 Stalls on Concern Subprime Losses to Worsen; Dow Gains" (6-30-07)

"The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was little changed amid heightened concern that losses from loans to the riskiest borrowers will mount, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained, capping its biggest quarterly advance since 2003. Bear Stearns Cos., Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. led financial firms to the second- steepest retreat among 10 industries in the S&P 500. Bear Stearns this week said it would spend $1.6 billion to bail out two hedge funds that made bad bets on bonds backed by subprime mortgages."