Reuters - D.R. Horton Inc , the top U.S. homebuilder, posted a first-quarter profit that beat market expectations, helped by a surge in orders indicating a stabilizing housing market, and said it was looking at spring selling season with “cautious optimism.”

AP - A realtor group says New Hampshire saw a 2 percent increase in home sales in 2011, while the median price of those homes fell by 6 percent.

AP - A southeast Georgia ethanol factory that cost taxpayers $70 million has been sold at a fraction of the cost in a foreclosure sale, leaving millions of dollars in government loans unpaid.

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The SEC, Securities and Exchange Commission, has charged six former Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac executives with securities fraud .   It is alleged that they misled investors about the extent of the exposure of the mortgage giants to risky subprime mortgage debt

The SEC, Securities and Exchange Commission, has charged six former Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac executives with securities fraud .   It is alleged that they misled investors about the extent of the exposure of the mortgage giants to risky subprime mortgage debt.

AP - Federal prosecutors say a former Davenport real estate agent has been sentenced to two years in prison for her role in a scheme to defraud banks and mortgage lenders.

AP - EXECUTIVES CHARGED: Two former CEOs at mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and four other executives, were charged with civil fraud, the Securities and Exchange Commission said Friday. They are the highest-profile individuals to be charged in connection with the 2008 financial crisis.

Reuters - Chemical maker DuPont cut its 2011 profit outlook on Friday due to weak electronics and housing markets, sending its shares down more than 3 percent.

AP - JPMorgan Chase & Co., one of the nation’s largest mortgage lenders, is not doing enough to help Americans avoid foreclosures, the Obama administration said.