Valuations & Inventory

Fannie, Freddie May Waive Appraisals for Refinancings
By Dawn Kopecki — Fannie and Freddie may forego new appraisals on refinanced loans to help struggling homeowners
Dec 10 2008, NEW YORK, USA (BLOOMBERG)

Beazer Shares Drop on Report of Eighth Straight Loss
By Louis & Woodfield — Home prices in 20 U.S. cities declined in the year ended in September at the fastest pace on record, with` rising foreclosures
Dec 01 2008, NEW YORK, USA (BLOOMBERG)

With Change in Season, Home Prices Fall Together
By News Staff — Seasonal Trends Complement Foreclosure Discounts, General Market Weakness
Dec 01 2008, NEW YORK, USA (MARKET WATCH / WSJ)

China market pulls world down with it
By Jim Walker — With house prices plunging in Shanghai, Shenzhen and Guangzhou, China's construction industry may decline drastically next year
Dec 01 2008, BEIJING, CHINA (HURRIYET)

U.S. Oct. new-home sales fall 5.3% to 433,000 pace
By Ruth Mantell — Sales of new homes fell an estimated 5.3% in October to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 433,000, the lowest level since 1991
Nov 26 2008, WASHINGTON, D.C., USA (MARKET WATCH/WSJ)

Real Estate Industry Statistics
By NowAndFutures.com — Weekly and monthly statistical reports of various real estate data
Aug 22 2008, NEW YORK, USA (NOWANDFUTURES.COM)

Mortgage lending falls by 70%
By News Staff — Mortgage lending dived by nearly 70% in October as the credit crunch continued to stifle the market
Dec 01 2008, USA (GOOGLE / PA)

Smaller Mortgage Lenders See Opportunity in Turmoil
By Timiraos & Simon — Up and coming lenders may get a foot in the door as mammoth's hit the dirt
Dec 01 2008, NEW YORK, USA (WALL STREET JOURNAL)

Warning: Net mortgage lending to turn negative in 2009
By Dominic Welling — Net mortgage lending likely to turn negative for the first time ever in 2009
Dec 02 2008, LONDON, ENGLAND, UK (FT ADVISOR)

Mortgage Rates Drop! It Does Not Mean What it Used to
By Mr. Mortgage — We don't have a lack of liquidity in the mortgage market; we have a lack of qualified borrowers
Nov 26 2008, LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, USA (ML-IMPLODE.COM)

Sub-prime & Prime

Modifications Rise Despite Subprime, Prime Disparity
By Diana Golobay — Despite evidence that prime borrowers are less likely than their subprime counterparts to receive a loan modification, the gap is narrowing
Nov 25 2008, FORT WORTH, TEXAS, USA (HOUSING WIRE.COM)

FHA-Backed Loans: The New Subprime
By sJohn A. Byrne — The subprime wolves are back: the same people and reckless practices that triggered the global financial crisis are back
Nov 19 2008, NEW YORK, USA (BUSINESS WEEK)

How Much Will Foreign Banks Lose On US Mortgage Collapse?
By Jonathan Kennedy — $75 Billion... Or Maybe $450 Billion?
Aug 22 2008, CALIFORNIA, USA (CLUSTERSTOCK)

Subprime pain sweeps the world
By Michael West — Australia churches, charites sitting on a $2 billion black hole after buying subprime investments structured by Wall Street banks
Aug 16 2008, USA (THEAGE.COM.AU)

Adjustable Rate Mortgage (ARM) Resets

Solve the Housing Crisis by Rewarding the Prudent
By Ben Young — Steps that disarm the ARM mortgage resets disaster awaiting in 2009 Nov 19 2008, USA (SEEKING ALPHA)

Servicers Stretched on Capacity, Advances, Say Analysts
By Paul Jackson — For both subprime and Alt-A segments, ARM resets will peak this year and drop significantly in 2009 and 2010
Nov 06 2008, FORT WORTH, TEXAS, USA (HOUSING WIRE.COM)

Closer Look At The ARMs Reset Problem
By Mike "Mish" Shedlock — If rates stay low, 3-1 ARMs originated in 2006 are likely to see significant resets lower
Apr 03 2008, WASHINGTON, USA (SEEKING ALPHA)

Federal Housing Administration (FHA)

FHA Cash Cushion Has Fallen by 39%
By James R. Hagerty — FHA audit shows a steep drop in the capital cushion the U.S. agency holds against losses from mortgage defaults
Dec 01 2008, WASHINGTON, D.C., USA (WALL STREET JOURNAL)

Avoiding your own mortgage collapse
By Andre Eder — FHA programs can help to ease the burden before real trouble arises
Dec 01 2008, DELAWARE, USA (DELAWARE ONLINE)

FHA-backed loans: the next subprime crisis?
By Terhune & Berner — Within 12 to 18 months, ‘There is going to be FHA-insurance Armageddon’
Nov 23 2008, REDMOND, WASHINGTON, USA (MSNBC)

Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA)

FHFA Submits First Report on Homeowner Assistance to Congress
By FHFA — Plan to Maximize Assistance for Homeowners and Minimize Foreclosures under EESA
Dec 02 2008, NEW YORK, WASHINGTON, D.C., USA (.GOV)

Commercial

A List a Landlord Doesn’t Want to Be On
By Terry Pristin — List shows $107 billion worth of income-producing properties - hotels, offices, apartment complexes and warehouses — already in distress or headed that direction
Dec 16 2008, NEW YORK, USA (NY TIMES)

The Next Meltdown: Commercial Property
By Matt Apuzzo — Malls and hotels face coming mortgage crisis
Nov 28 2008, WASHINGTON, D.C., USA (BLOOMBERG)

Meltdown far from over, new mortgage crisis looms
By Matt Apuzzo — Malls from Michigan to Georgia are entering foreclosure, commercial victims of the same events poisoning the housing market
Dec 01 2008, WASHINGTON, D.C., USA (AP)

Perot Fund Liquidates as Debt Bets Turn Sour
By Wei & Strasburg — Record plunge of commercial real-estate securities market claims first major casualty: a $1.5 billion fund backed by Texas billionaire H. Ross Perot
Nov 26 2008, NEW YORK, USA (WALL STREET JOURNAL)

Commercial loan losses hurting insurers
By News Staff — New wave of commercial loan defaults hitting insurers, may be weighing on stock market
Nov 20 2008, NEW YORK, USA (BLOOMBERG)

Predatory Lending

Mortgage fraud incidents up 45 pct in 2Q
By News Staff — Reported incidents of mortgage fraud grew by 45 percent in the second quarter compared to the year-ago period
Dec 01 2008, MIAMI, FLORIDA, USA (AP)

Citi went wrong in real estate: CEO Vikram Pandit
By News Staff — Pandit blames prior management for diving too deeply into real estate
Nov 26 2008, NEW YORK, USA (BLOOMBERG)

Real Estate Downfall: The Housing Bubble bursts on a speculator
By 'Jamnospam' — Great parody of Hitler as a real estate investor (humor)
Nov 03 2008, USA (YOUTUBE)

Was There a Loan It Didn’t Like?
By Gretchen Morgenson — WAMU's corrupt mortgage practices
Nov 01 2008, NEW YORK, USA (NEW YORK TIMES)

Foreclosures & Displacement

Foreclosure Storm Will Hit U.S. in ‘09 Amid Job Loss
By Dan Levy — 1 million homeowners may foreclose on their properties in year ahead
Dec 11 2008, NEW YORK, USA (BLOOMBERG)

Mortgage Delinquencies, Foreclosures Rise to Record
By Kathleen M. Howley — One in 10 American homeowners fell behind on mortgage payments or were in foreclosure during the third quarter
Dec 05 2008, WASHINGTON, D.C., USA (BLOOMBERG)

Activist moves homeless into foreclosures
By News Staff — Man executes bailout plan of his own, moving homeless people into Miami's empty foreclosure buildings
Dec 01 2008, MIAMI, FLORIDA, USA (AP/MSNBC)

Wayne County Foreclosures Nov2008
By 'Firecatgreg' — A stunning look at published forclosure notices (video)
Nov 16 2008, DETROIT, MICHIGAN, USA (YOUTUBE)

Growing 'tent cities' blamed on foreclosure crisis
By Staff Correspondent — Foreclosures result in visible rise in homeless camps
Sep 19 2008, RENO, NEVADA, USA (CNN)

Malls & Retail

Malls Losing Customers, Businesses Thanks To Recession
By — 200,000 Stores Expected To Close In 2009
Jan 22 2009, CINCINNATI, OHIO, USA (MSNBC)

Dead Malls
By News Staff — The history of malls and the impact of time and competition on these establishments
2009, GLENS FALLS, NEW YORK, USA (DEAD MALLS.COM)

Real Estate Owned Properties (REO's)

Home sellers suffer amid wave of foreclosures
By Les Christie — Ordinary home sellers have a hard time competing against the cut-rate bank owned properties that are currently dominating the market
Dec 02 2008, NEW YORK, USA (CNN)

Stratas

Bad investments hurt condo owners
By Lena Sin — Owners of two B.C. condo complexes have lost substantial amounts from their reserve funds after making risky investments
Nov 17 2008, VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA (PROVINCE)

Rental Market

Renters Wanted
By Kevin Joy — With buyers scarce, several downtown housing projects try a different strategy to fill units
Nov 30 2008, COLUMBUS, OHIO, USA (DISPATCH)

Mortgage meltdown fuels demand for rentals
By Amie Jo Schaenzer — Mortgage refugess back in rental market are still suffering
Nov 01 2008, OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN, USA (NORTHWESTERN.COM)

Fanny & Freddie (see 'Government Intervention')