Reuters - Bank of America Corp said on Friday it agreed to acquire battered mortgage lender Countrywide Financial Corp in a $4 billion transaction that could help avert one of the biggest collapses from the U.S. housing crisis. Read more…

AFP - Swiss banking giant UBS on Friday warned of a "difficult" year ahead after losing 10 billion dollars (6.8 billion euros) in the US subprime mortgage crisis. Read more…

AFP - Bank of America announced Friday it was buying mortgage lender Countrywide Financial in a four-billion-dollar deal. Read more…

AP - Consumer confidence fell to an all-time low as worries about jobs, energy bills and home foreclosures darkened people's feelings about the country's economic health and their own financial well-being. Read more…

FT.com - Alistair Darling on Thursday played down speculation that the government would soon be able to secure private sector finance to cover the billions of pounds lent to Northern Rock, the beleaguered mortgage lender. Read more…

Reuters - UBS AG said it cannot predict the final impact of the subprime crisis but that a new capital injection would strengthen its position as it called on shareholders to support its emergency capital hike. Read more…

AP - Two of the biggest names on Wall Street are scrambling again to secure major cash infusions from foreign governments to offset billions of dollars in losses from risky subprime mortgage securities, analysts said on Thursday. Read more…

AP - Bank of America's anticipated proposal to rescue mortgage lender Countrywide Financial Corp. would also come as a relief to federal regulators. Read more…

Reuters - Republican White House hopefuls differ over whether the United States is headed for a recession but agree the economy faces serious risks -- from housing market turmoil to record-high oil prices. Read more…

FT.com - The Bank of England left interest rates unchanged at 5.5 per cent on Thursday, as fresh evidence emerged that mortgage borrowers are not yet getting the full benefit of December's quarter-point cut. Read more…

NEVER lower your asking price before calling a Professional Home Stager. Staging your home before it goes on the market is a key ingredient in maximizing your selling price. Read more…

Even a few months ago, it seemed like a good idea to hold a debate between real estate bulls and bears. Read more…

FT.com - Paragon is close to announcing it will be the first UK mortgage lender to undertake a hugely discounted rights issue because of the credit squeeze. Read more…

AP - Rising worries about a weak economy pushed rates on 30-year mortgages below the 6 percent mark for only the second time in more than two years. Read more…

AP - Treasury prices fell sharply Thursday after stocks advanced on news that Bank of America Corp. might buy struggling mortgage lender Countrywide Financial Corp. Read more…

FT.com - A possible acquisition of Countrywide, the embattled US mortgage lender, and the signalling of more rate cuts from the Federal Reserve, helped dispel some of the recent equity market gloom on Thursday. Read more…

AFP - Shares of Countrywide Financial shares rallied Thursday after a report said Bank of America is in "advanced talks" to buy the troubled mortgage lender. Read more…

Reuters - Bank of America Corp , the second-largest U.S. bank, is in advanced talks to buy Countrywide Financial Corp , the largest U.S. mortgage lender, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday. Read more…

AFP - Shares in Australia's top banks came under pressure on Thursday after a report put their exposure to the US subprime crisis at one billion dollars (884 million US). Read more…

FT.com - Asian stocks dropped for the first time since Monday, with financial stocks and property developers leading the way down as worries continued about the extent of losses in US credit markets. Read more…

Every home that is for sale should be a for sale by owner. All homeowners should take the opportunity to market their home to friends and family, co-workers and social acquaintances. Many homes are sold the old-fashioned way, networking. Read more…

In today's market "for sale by owner" may be the best way to sell. Trust me, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to be successful at selling your own home. The information in this article may provide you with in-site you may not have had before. You can do it yourself! Read more…

FT.com - How much is enough? MBIA (NYSE:MBI), the bond insurer caught up in the US subprime mess, on Wednesday detailed its plan to bolster capital - the price of retaining its key credit rating. In a normal world, it should do the trick - providing MBIA with a capital cushion of $3.4bn-$4.5bn according to Bank of America (NYSE:BAC), more than enough to cover the losses Standard & Poor's modelled as part of its stress test. Read more…

AP - Countrywide Financial Corp.'s shares tumbled for the second day Wednesday after the nation's largest mortgage lender said the delinquency and foreclosure rate of home loans in its portfolio surged in December. Read more…

Reuters - Washington Mutual Inc shares fell 13 percent on Wednesday amid concerns that rising residential defaults could be worse that expected in coming months. Read more…