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Mortgage brokers feel pinch
Melbourne Herald Sun - Australia
THE glory days appear to be over for the mortgage broking sector, with new data showing that loan volumes slumped 14 per cent in the March quarter.
Melbourne Herald Sun

Space - the property hotspot
The Scotsman - Scotland
Owning a piece of outer space has, until now, been the preserve of only the most fantastical websites. You can have a star named after you for £25 or even follow the lead of Nicole Kidman and Tom Hanks and buy an acre of the moon for an economical £11.
The Scotsman

One house does not fit all
Mail and Guardian - South Africa
The government should not adopt a "one-size-fits-all" approach to upgrading informal settlements across South Africa, a leading housing development NGO has cautioned.
Mail and Guardian

Law protects property rights at the expense of land-use planning
Minneapolis Southwest Journal - USA
A new state law will restrict cities' ability to shape development patterns through zoning changes, strengthening property owners' ability to preserve their "grandfather" rights. The new law limits the effect of "downzoning", a tool cities use to phase out certain high-intensity land uses.
Minneapolis Southwest Journal

Land Registry Mess Slowing Estate Development
AllAfrica.com - Africa
A poorly managed land registry has frustrated real estate investment by pushing up the transaction costs of using land as collateral for credit in Uganda, the Private Sector Foundation of Uganda (PSFU) has said.
All Africa.com

Land issue should not delay reform: DA
Business Day - South Africa
The South African Government should not use the foreign ownership of land issue "as a red herring" to distract the South African public from delays and backlogs in giving people access to land and housing, says official opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) MP Maans Nel.
Business Day

Drop In Agent Numbers Predicted
Property24.com - South Africa
Thousands of estate agents are expected to drop out of the market over the next 12 months as the real estate industry goes through a shake-out.
Property24.com

US homebuyers risk rates 'time bomb'
Financial Times - United Kingdom
A red hot housing market and higher interest rates are pushing increasing numbers of US homebuyers into the most risky kinds of mortgages, spelling trouble for financially stretched consumers in years to come.
Financial Times

How much is enough?
Newsday - USA
You've just signed away your paycheck for the next 30 years and paid thousands of dollars to cover seemingly endless fees when your attorney leans over to remind you about one last payment expected of a new home buyer -- the tip.
Newsday

7 accused in mortgage fraud
Newsday - USA
The buyers were bogus, the seller a scam artist, Nassau prosecutors say. Their scheme was full of holes - including slapping a facade on a burned-out house to get a mortgage - but for a good while, it worked.
Newsday

Homing in on the dirty house deals
The Scotsman - Scotland
It was hard not to have a wry chuckle at the news that Scots TV property pundits Justin Ryan and Colin McAllister have been gazumped.

The pair, who make a living out of advising the nation's housebuyers on avoiding the pitfalls of the property market, reportedly lost out on a £1 million-plus flat in London's exclusive Pimlico district after the seller pulled out to accept a higher offer.
The Scotsman