Louisville house prices down but not as bad as most
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Louisville-area house prices are down 2.25 percent compared to a year ago, according to federal data released Wednesday, but Louisville was the 83rd best-performing market among 303 metro areas.

NYT: In Defense of Home Ownership
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A mortgage is still a form of long-term forced savings, after all. This is more important than ever, since fewer people have access to generous pensions than they did during the last big housing slump.

NYT: Foreclosures Fall, but Early Delinquencies Rise
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The foreclosure crisis might have finally peaked in the first half of this year, but with the continued weakness in the economy and the recent deterioration of the housing market, the gains may prove fleeting.

Banks owe Metro Louisville $200,000 on foreclosures
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A list of financial operations that owe the city more than $10,000 in property-maintenance violations recently was provided to the Louisville Metro Council, which is studying ways to hold property owners more accountable for the upkeep of vacant houses. All but one of the financial institutions are based outside the city.

Home sales slide: Low prices, interest rates fail to stem 27% drop in July
Courier-Journal.com for more: http://bit.ly/aYrajd
However, in Louisville, houses have been moving faster this year than last. Through July, the average home sold in 82 days, six days faster than the same period in 2009.

NYT: _Too Big to Fail_ View Hurts Small Banks, Fed Official Says
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OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (Reuters) — Thomas M. Hoenig, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, warned on Monday that landmark financial reforms may not end market perceptions that taxpayers will rescue the largest banks, and he cautioned against speculative investments in housing.

Mortgage fraud on the rise again
WSJ: http://bit.ly/cJclKr
New data suggests that mortgage fraud—which got tougher to pull off after the collapse of the U.S. real estate market—is returning in a big way.

NYT: Housing Fades as a Means to Build Wealth, Analysts Say
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Housing will eventually recover from its great swoon. But many real estate experts now believe that home ownership will never again yield rewards like those enjoyed in the second half of the 20th century, when houses not only provided shelter but also a plump nest egg.