• Real Estate Target of New Investment Fund Launches

  A recent spate of fund launches targeting real estate collateral has created buzz in the fund sector.

• Fannie, Freddie Stocks' Slide Persists; Credit, Capital Cited

  Shares of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac continued to tumble on Thursday.

• Countrywide Debt's Status Still Unclear

  Bank of America Corp. has transferred Countrywide Financial Corp.'s debt to an indirect unit owned by the Charlotte company.

• B of A's Lewis: Mending our Mortgage Markets

  Kenneth D. Lewis, the chairman and chief executive of Bank of America Corp., gave his thoughts on the causes for the mortgage meltdown.

• Commercial Mortgage Delinquencies Rising But at a Lower Rate

  The delinquency rate this year is still relatively low compared to historical delinquency rates, said Citigroup analyst Darrell Wheeler.

• Goldman Dour on Commercial Real Estate

  Analyst: Commercial real estate is the next sector to take a dive, negatively impacting the earnings of equity REITs.

• State of Illinois to Sue Countrywide

  The suit will accuse the mortgage lender of deliberately loosening underwriting standards in order to gain market share.

• Putnam Finds Diminishing 401(k) Contributions

  A survey by Putnam Investments has found a troubling trend among 401(k) participants. The tough economic environment is causing them to decrease contribution levels.

• Debt Forgiveness: Ocwen Enters Uncharted Waters

  Servicers begin to forgive some debt for a large number of homeowners—large enough to cost investors in the mortgage pools some money.

• Deconstructing the Commercial Mortgage Market

  As lending slows, borrowers turn to insurers and hedge funds for loans.

• Mortgage Lenders, Brokers Getting Tighter Rules in New York

  New York lawmakers are expected to pass legislation this week that would require stricter underwriting by lenders and force brokers to act in a borrower's best interest.

• IPO Hopes for Invesco REIT

  Maryland-based REIT Invesco Agency Securities filed to go public this week.

• Real Estate Mutual Funds Rise 6%

  As dollar depreciation continues, it comes as no surprise that real estate mutual funds (REMFs) have grown 6% so far this year.

• Is It Time to REIT Rewards?

  Despite the flood of home foreclosures and a 27% drop in the real estate sector between January 2007 and February 2008, REITs appear to be pulling out of the bear cycle. But is it still too soon for investors to jump in?

• REIT Fund Redux

  Mutual funds investing in real estate investment trusts are "clawing their way back after taking a clobbering in the credit crunch last year," according to The Wall Street Journal.

• Slight Uptick in Home Prices, Condos Stagnant

  The latest quarterly survey by the National Association of Realtors ( NAR) shows higher median prices for single-family home in 48 metropolitan areas of the U.S. from a year ago.

• Failure Raises Concerns About CRE

  The failure of ANB Financial, which had the bulk of its lending in the commercial real estate market, may augur more bank collapses.

• REIT in Massachusetts Buy-Lease Deal

  American Realty Capital Trust Inc. has bought 18 branches from Rockland Trust Co. for $33 million and is leasing them back to the Massachusetts bank.

• BlackRock to Buy a UBS Portfolio

  BlackRock Inc.'s deal to buy a portfolio of subprime mortgage debt from UBS AG for $15 billion may have helped set a market-clearing price for such assets.

• KBW Adds Real Estate Group

  KBW Inc. has formed a real estate investment advisory group and hired three investment bankers from Wachovia Securities LLC to staff it.