NYT: U.S. May Back Refinance Plan for Mortgages

U.S. May Back Refinance Plan for Mortgages
By SHAILA DEWAN and LOUISE STORY
Published: August 24, 2011

The Obama administration is considering further actions to strengthen the housing market, but the bar is high: plans must help a broad swath of homeowners, stimulate the economy and cost next to nothing.

Bloomberg: Orders for Durable Goods in U.S. Increase 4%, Twice as Much as Estimated

Orders for Durable Goods in U.S. Increase 4%, Twice as Much as Estimated
By Shobhana Chandra - Aug 24, 2011 01:12 PM

Orders for U.S. durable goods climbed more than forecast in July as a surge in demand for aircraft and autos eclipsed a decrease in business equipment, including computers and machinery.

CNNMoney: Foreclosure settlement: Spat among the states

Foreclosure settlement: Spat among the states
By Jennifer Liberto @CNNMoney August 24, 2011: 3:13 PM ET

WASHINGTON (CNNMoney) -- A deal to help victims of improper foreclosures has been slow going, in large part because of infighting among state attorneys general over giving banks a free pass from future lawsuits.

Bloomberg: Home Prices Decline 5.9% in Second Quarter

Home Prices Decline 5.9% in Second Quarter
By Kathleen M. Howley - Aug 24, 2011 07:21 AM

Home prices in the U.S. fell 5.9 percent in the second quarter from a year earlier, the biggest decline since 2009, as foreclosures added to the inventory of properties for sale.

Reuters: U.S. housing faces extra drag - low appraisals

U.S. housing faces extra drag - low appraisals
By Alexandra Alper
NEW YORK | Wed Aug 24, 2011 8:07am EDT

(Reuters) - When Sean McGowan signed a contract to buy a New Jersey home in November, he didn't expect he'd still be living with his parents nearly a year later.

Bloomberg: Homeowner Associations in Need of Cash Sue to Force Foreclosures

Homeowner Associations in Need of Cash Sue to Force Foreclosures
By John Gittelsohn - Aug 23, 2011 08:01 PM

Members of the Vintage East Condominium Association in Miami Beach got tired of waiting for JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) to foreclose on unit 9, so they sued the bank in February to take control of the property.

CNNMoney: Is yield curve signaling a recession?

Is yield curve signaling a recession?
By Hibah Yousuf August 23, 2011: 1:59 PM ET

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Amid the growing number of signs that the United States may tip back into a recession, the bond market is sounding its own siren.

SG: New home sales slumped to a five-month low in July (B. Jones)

Eco Analysis - New home sales slumped to a five-month low in July (B. Jones)

■ Consistent with our expectation, new home sales remained on a downtrend

The Census Bureau reported that the number of new homes going to contract slipped by 0.7% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 298,000 in July, boosting the cumulative slide since April to 5.7%. Downward adjustments to the previously reported figures for April through June pared the Q2 average by 7,000 to 308,000.

Bloomberg: New-Home Sales in U.S. Declined in July to the Lowest Level in Five Months

New-Home Sales in U.S. Declined in July to the Lowest Level in Five Months
By Timothy R. Homan - Aug 23, 2011 06:50 AM

Sales of new U.S. homes declined more than projected in July to the lowest level in five months, indicating the industry is struggling to stabilize two years into the economic recovery.

Bloomberg: Baby Boomers Selling Shares May Depress Stocks for Decades, Fed Paper Says

Baby Boomers Selling Shares May Depress Stocks for Decades, Fed Paper Says
By Vivien Lou Chen - Aug 22, 2011 12:20 PM

Aging baby boomers may hold down U.S. stock values for the next two decades as they sell their investments to finance retirement, according to researchers from the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco.