FT.com - Persimmon said it remained too early to tell how the housing market would develop in 2008 after the group revealed forward sales had fallen 14 per cent and legal completions were down 5 per cent on last year. Read more…

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Reuters - Countrywide Financial Corp , whose shares have tumbled on concern it might not survive the nation's housing crisis, said on Wednesday it made more loans than expected in the fourth quarter, though foreclosures among loans it services increased. Read more…

BusinessWeek Online - In case you were still harboring a tiny bit of optimism about the U.S. housing sector, just take a look at a couple of headlines from Jan. 8. KB Home President and Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Mezger said in a conference call with investors that he sees "no sign" that the sinking housing market is stabilizing in 2008, after announcing a staggering $9.99 loss per share in the last quarter of 2007. Read more…

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AP - Bear Stearns Cos. said Tuesday that Chief Executive James "Jimmy" Cayne will give up control of the fifth-largest U.S. investment bank amid unprecedented losses from the subprime mortgage crisis. Read more…

FT.com - There is "no evidence" the US housing market is bottoming out, Hank Paulson, Treasury secretary, said on Tuesday, offering a sober view of US economic prospects. Read more…

FT.com - US stocks suffered a late afternoon plunge on Tuesday as downbeat news from AT&T and more trouble in the housing market raised fresh fears over the health of the US economy. Read more…

Reuters - Mohammed Ibrahim is overwhelmed by people asking for help. Read more…

AP - Black neighborhoods in Baltimore were disproportionately affected by the subprime mortgage fallout, according to a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday by the city, which is attempting to recoup the costs of maintaining neighborhoods wracked by foreclosures. Read more…

AP - Shares of Countrywide Financial Corp., the nation's largest mortgage lender, sank to an all-time low Tuesday as a major homebuilder offered a grim outlook for the industry and the Bush administration signaled it is growing more concerned about rising mortgage defaults. Read more…

AFP - US President George W. Bush warned Tuesday that "it's going to take a while to work through the downturn" in the crisis-hit US housing market, but said the US economy was resilient. Read more…

AFP - UBS does not need a new capital hike after Singapore helped plug a 10 billion dollar (6.8 billion euros) hole caused by the bank's exposure to the troubled US subprime home loan market, the bank's CEO Marcel Rohner said. Read more…

The first step in actually selling your property is to make your home sellable to the buyer. Before the issue of the price, your home must look appealing to potential buyers. Try to take some time and check your property and discover flaws that might discourage potential customers. Read more…

AP - Shares of Countrywide Financial Corp., the nation's largest mortgage lender, partially recovered from a midday plunge Tuesday after the company denied rumors that it was planning to file for bankruptcy protection. Read more…

AP - Pending U.S. home sales dipped in November, a trade group for real estate agents said Tuesday, but it expects the sales pace to pick up significantly in the second half of 2008. Read more…

Reuters - Countrywide Financial Corp on Tuesday denied market speculation it might seek bankruptcy protection, after shares of the largest U.S. mortgage lender slid to their lowest level in nearly eight years. Read more…

Reuters - Stocks were little changed on Tuesday as investors bought defensive shares such as utilities and food producers, offsetting the drag from financial companies and fallout from the mortgage market. Read more…

Reuters - Bear Stearns Cos Inc's management shake-up could make the investment bank a takeover target, but the specter of more write-downs and possible legal entanglements from the subprime credit crisis might keep suitors on the sidelines, analysts said on Tuesday. Read more…

AFP - US pending home sales fell 2.6 percent in November, data from the industry showed Tuesday, in a further sign of the struggles in the real estate market. Read more…

AP - KB Home, one of the nation's largest homebuilders, said Tuesday its fourth-quarter loss swelled as ongoing housing market woes led to fewer home sales and lower revenue, prompting the company to book charges to write down unsold inventory and for a tax allowance. Read more…

FT.com - A slide in home sales expected to close in the next few months combined with a much higher than expected quarterly loss at one of the biggest US homebuilders set a gloomy tone for the New Year in the beleaguered housing industry. Read more…

FT.com - Barclays (NYSE:BCS) Capital's co-president, Grant Kvalheim, has quit the investment bank in the wake of its losses in subprime mortgages, leaving Jerry del Missier as president and heir apparent to Bob Diamond as chief executive. Read more…

Reuters - Pending sales of existing U.S. homes slipped in November but were much stronger than previously thought in October, according to a report on Tuesday that offered mixed news on the battered U.S. housing sector. Read more…

AP - Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said Tuesday the administration was exploring what would be a significant expansion of the program to help at-risk mortgage holders. Read more…