Kansas City-area shopping centers of at least 50,000 square feet had a 7.7 percent vacancy rate, or almost 3.2 million square feet vacant, in 2008, according to LANE4 Property Group’s 2009 Kansas City Retail Report, issued Wednesday.

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The U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission does not want to suspend “mark to market” accounting rules that some blame for the financial distress of U.S. banks and mortgage lenders.

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New home starts and closings declined considerably in 2008, but employment numbers and a slight reduction in the vacant developed lot supply were a bright spot for the Austin area in 2008, according to a report released Wednesday from Residential Strategies Inc.

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Orlando was the seventh most searched ZIP codes by prospective homebuyers in 2008, said a report by ZipRealty Inc.

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Portland’s residential real estate market is about to get a new player.

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The housing market may have tanked, but Miami-Fort Lauderdale remains on ZipRealty’s Top Ten list of the hottest housing markets in 2008 for prospective homebuyers.

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U.S. consumer confidence fell to an all-time low this month due to dismal conditions in the fourth quarter, according to a Conference Board report released Wednesday.

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One of the region’s largest home builders has taken an initial step towards constructing a new subdivision in Clarence.

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Developer Randall Davis has put plans for his next Galleria area condo tower on hold indefinitely.

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The Dow closed up 184.46 (2.17 percent) at 8,668.39 on Tuesday. (CBR) (ASTI) (ARRY) (JNS) (EEE) (LVLT) (SPNC)

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