Thursday January 3 Housing and Economic stories

Top Stories:

National City Cutting Dividend, Jobs – (biz.yahoo.com/ap)
With Builder in Bankruptcy, Buyers Are Outside Looking In – (www.nytimes.com)
How $100bn vanished - (www.guardian.co.uk)
Lender Lobbying Blitz Abetted Mortgage Mess - (online.wsj.com)
Stockton, city of debt, shows US housing woe - (news.bbc.co.uk)
Texas tax may surprise businesses - (www.chron.com)
Our kids are driving us broke - (money.cnn.com)
More bad news for folks trying to unload existing houses - (www.palmbeachpost.com)
Extra charges irk guests at Valley resorts – (www.azcentral.com)


Other Stories:

Disconnect between NAR assessment and reality on the ground - (www.thetrumpet.com)
Lower Price Missing from MLS - (patrick.net)
How a bank fell victim to loan fraud - (www.latimes.com)
Things That "Can't" Happen - (globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com)
Could Fan and Fred go bust? - (optionarmageddon.blogspot.com)
Investors and Refinancers Get Lumps Of Coal For Xmas - (www.sandiegopredatorylending.com)
Housing crash in top 3 stories of 2007 - (www.dailybulletin.com)
2007 Ending On Decidedly Sour Note - (www.courant.com)
Bad Housing Predictions of 2007 - (seekingalpha.com)
Jim Kunstler's Forecast for 2008 - (jameshowardkunstler.typepad.com)
Invitation to Financial Suicide - (patrick.net)


Gold Trades Near Record as Oil Gain, Weak Dollar Lure Investors - (www.bloomberg.com)
U.S. Stocks Drop, Sending Dow Average to Worst Start Since 1983 – (www.bloomberg.com)
Oil Trades Near Record After Reaching $100 on Nigerian Unrest - (www.bloomberg.com)
Fed Officials Cut Growth Outlook at Last Meeting, Minutes Show – (www.bloomberg.com)
U.S. ISM Manufacturing Index Fell to 47.7 in December From 50.8 – (www.bloomberg.com)
Housing slump will spread far and wide - (business.theage.com.au)
Top economist says America could plunge into recession - (business.timesonline.co.uk)
Stats on November's Housing Market: Ugly Stuff - (www.thetrumpet.com)
Dollar fear sparks rush to oil and gold – (www.ft.com)
Financial faith found wanting - (www.ft.com)
Private Equity's Loss of Leverage - (www.washingtonpost.com)
20 Surprises for 2008 – (www.thestreet.com)
Energy costs could rise more in '08, analysts say – (www.rockymountainnews.com)
Quant investing - (www.ft.com)

Bank worries bring in 2008 – (www.thestreet.com)
Amid high fuel prices, airlines count every dime – (www.boston.com)
Utility seeks to boost charge for delivery – (www.azcentral.com)
Danger ahead: The prospect of recession again confronts America - (www.ft.com) ($)
U.S. Retail Sales Rose 2.3% Last Week on Discounts - (www.bloomberg.com)
U.S. construction spending hits two-month high – (www.marketwatch.com)
South Florida house prices continue to slide - (www.sun-sentinel.com)
Crunch time puts squeeze on auditors - (www.ft.com)
Kenyan Stocks Drop After Disputed Election; Barclays Tumbles - (www.bloomberg.com)
Pakistan’s Days of Rage Leave Cloud of Uncertainty – (www.nytimes.com)
The Short View: So far, so bad - (www.ft.com)
'House Lust' Hits Home - (www.washingtonpost.com)