REAL ESTATE

Sanford Weill, the former chairman and CEO of Citigroup, has listed his penthouse at 15 Central Park West for sale for $88 million.

U.S. foreclosure filings increased by 7 percent in October to a seven-month high, according to data from RealtyTrac.

Median home prices fell in 111 of 150 metro areas in the third quarter, according to the National Association of Realtors.

Mortgage applications increased 10.3 percent in the week ending Nov. 4, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Canadian housing starts slipped in October, but came in higher than expectations, as low interest rates and condominium building helped offset the impact of negative global economic news.

For a cool $14 million, you can own the most expensive house in Brooklyn. The house sits at 70 Willow Street in Brooklyn Heights and boasts some extremely luxurious features.

Canadian housing starts are expected to stabilize into 2012, while sales of existing homes will rise slightly and price rises will moderate, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp (CMHC) said in its quarterly outlook on Friday.

When Brian Williams unveils NBC's newsmagazine show on Monday night, he'll be broadcasting from the venerable office complex that gives Rock Center its name.

Fannie Mae's and Freddie Mac's regulator on Saturday rejected criticism he was obstructing a housing recovery by taking too narrow a view of his mission to protect the financial health of the two massive, taxpayer-supported mortgage firms.

CBRE Group Inc., the world's largest real estate brokerage and services company, reported third quarter revenue to $1.5 billion, up 21% from $1.3 billion in 2010.

When Bernie and Ruth Madoff attempted suicide on Christmas Eve of 2008, they did so in the couple's penthouse duplex atop 133 East 64th Street. When Madoff went to jail, they had to forfeit their many homes, which each gained an aura of infamy. Some have done better than others in the luxury sales market.

Robert Charles Duffy, a co-founder of Marc Jacobs International, has sold 62 Bank Street for $7.05 million, according to New York City records.

Sales of new single-family homes were up 5.7 percent from the previous month to 313,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. However, sales activity declined 0.9 percent decline from September 2010, when an estimated 316,000 homes were sold.

The Case-Shiller home price index reported small increases in prices of 0.2 percent for 20 major cities between June and August. However, annual returns were down 3.8 percent for the 20 cities measured, compared to August 2010.

Occupy Wall Street has camped out at Zucotti Park in Lower Manhattan for weeks, but it probably isn't reaching as many bankers as it could. Which could have something to do with the fact that finance is no longer the area's biggest tenant.

Average mortgage rates essentially held steady this week as they remain near their 60-year lows.

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Confidence among home builders is up in October, although most still rate the market as poor.

With the housing market still struggling from the burst of the housing bubble several years ago, rental housing has been on an upswing.

Consolidated Edison is seeking $1.7 million in back rent from the developer of the Muslim community center and mosque near Ground Zero, the latest setback for the controversial project, known as Park51.

The wealthy couple tried to sell the home in 2009.

An employment report that was better than market expectations helped to lift long-term Treasury bond yields and mortgage rates as well, Frank Nothaft, vice president and chief economist for Freddie Mac, said in a statement.

Canadian housing starts jumped much more than expected in September, helped by a surge in the condominium sector, suggesting Canada's property boom stayed intact last month and should help the economy avert recession.

Incredibly, U.S. home mortgage rates continue to trend lower -- the average 30-year, fixed rate is now 4.07 percent, and they could drop even lower. Still, given soft home prices, jumping into the housing market is hardly a slam-dunk no-brainer, and here are five factors to consider before buying a home.

The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate fell below 4 percent for the first time in history to 3.94 percent.

Gossip Girl star Leighton Meester purchased a home in Encino, a less glamorous neighborhood outside of Los Angeles, for a reported $1.5 million.

Amid a sluggish U.S. economy with inadequate job growth, there has been one unabashed bright spot: home mortgage interest rates, currently about 4.10 percent for a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage, are the lowest in decades. Is now a good time to take the plunge a purchase a home?

Resale home prices rose to a record high in July, their eighth consecutive monthly gain, according to report on Wednesday that an analyst said signaled a gradual slowdown in a strong market.

Home prices in the 20-city Case Shiller Index rose for the fourth straight month in July, but the operative phrase remains: let the buyer beware. Demand conditions in most major U.S. cities remains soft, and even though home prices are attractive now, price retrenchments are possible.