Welcome to C.A.R.'s Market Matters, your weekly market response
guide.

Wall Street Journal

A walker's guide to home buying
Many home buyers today not only take into consideration the
neighborhood and school in which a house is located, but also
which amenities, such as stores and public transportation, are
within walking distance.

MAKING SENSE OF THE STORY FOR CONSUMERS

According to urban planners, changing demographics are driving
this growing trend. The baby boomer generation is approaching
empty-nest retirement age, while their children are buying their
first homes; neither group wants large lots in remote areas with
little access to big-box stores, public transportation, and
entertainment. Concerns about future oil prices also are
increasing the attractiveness of walkable communities, according
to planners.

Home buyers interested in finding homes in walkable communities
can use myriad Web sites; one commonly used site is
WalkScore.com. The site enables users to enter an address and
receive a score ranging from zero to 100 ("car dependent" to
"walkers paradise") indicating the walkability of the community.

Housing prices also are reflecting the new interest in walking
distances. A study published by the nonprofit group CEOs for
Cities found having more amenities in walking distance can boost
home values. As measured on Walk Score, walking-distance
amenities raised values by as much as $3,000 for each one-point
increase in rankings.
To read the full story, please click here:
http://takeaction.realtoractioncenter.com/ct/c7_yhq11HUXL/

In Other News...

San Francisco Chronicle

Low mortgage rates won't make up for tax credit
Mortgage rates fell to record lows last week, but analysts say
they won't fill the void in the housing market left by the
expired federal home-buyer tax credit, which is not likely to be
revived.

To read the full story, please click here:
http://takeaction.realtoractioncenter.com/ct/X1_yhq11HUXw/

Los Angeles Times

Wells Fargo to shut subprime lending unit
Banking giant Wells Fargo & Co. is closing its 638 subprime
lending offices that operated nationwide to supply higher-cost
mortgages, auto loans, and credit cards to lower-income
neighborhoods.

To read the full story, please click here:
http://takeaction.realtoractioncenter.com/ct/B7_yhq11HUXN/

Los Angeles Times

30-year mortgage rates down to new low
The average interest rate for a 30-year fixed loan in this
week's Freddie Mac survey was 4.57 percent, down from 4.58
percent a week earlier.

To read the full story, please click here:
http://takeaction.realtoractioncenter.com/ct/c1_yhq11HUXz/

New York Times

Changes in mobile-home lending
Mobile homes last year made up nearly a quarter of all new homes
sold for less than $200,000, according to an industry trade
group, making them an important component of the
affordable-housing sector.

To read the full story, please click here:
http://takeaction.realtoractioncenter.com/ct/Bp_yhq11HUX2/

Los Angeles Times

Home-equity loan delinquencies fall for first time in two years
The delinquency rate on home-equity loans has fallen for the
first time in two years, reflecting the slowly stabilizing
housing market and consumers' efforts to clean up personal
balance sheets, the American Bankers Association said Wednesday.

To read the full story, please click here:
http://takeaction.realtoractioncenter.com/ct/cd_yhq11HUXS/

Los Angeles Times

PACE loan program makes solar energy more affordable for
homeowners
For decades, the push for solar power has stalled not on public
support but on cost. That might be about to change with the
launch of a tax program that's exciting some industry veterans.

To read the full story, please click here:
http://takeaction.realtoractioncenter.com/ct/Bd_yhq11HUXM/

The Los Angeles Times

Lenders' focus turns to strategic defaults
With tougher mortgage underwriting rules a virtual certainty
under Congress' new financial reform legislation, lenders have
begun confronting still another vexing issue: Can home buyers
who have high credit scores really be trusted not to pull the
plug - strategically default - when the economy hits a rough
patch and home values tank?

To read the full story, please click here:
http://takeaction.realtoractioncenter.com/ct/B1_yhq11HUXA/