Washington, D.C.–U.S. wholesale prices and core inflation shot up in January and consumer confidence is down this month, according to a report released Tuesday by the Conference Board, a private research group, and the Labor Department.In addition, the Producer Price Index (PPI) for finished goods increased 1.0 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis, following a 0.3 percent decrease in December, the Labor Department said. The core index–excluding food and energy costs–was up a seasonally adjusted 0.4 percent in January, following an 0.2 percent December rise, The Wall Street Journal reports. Prices rose 7.4 percent on an unadjusted basis in the…

Atlanta–Fiscal fourth quarter net income at Home Depot Inc.–the largest U.S. home improvement retailer–declined 27 percent, Forbes.com reports.The Atlanta-based company’s net income fell from $925 million, or 46 cents a share, a year ago to $671 million, or 40 cents a share. Sales declined 4.7 percent, excluding an extra sales week factored into the results.Home Depot’s view of the coming year includes a predicted total sales decline of 4 or 5 percent and a drop in continuing operations earnings of 19 to 24 percent. In addition, the retailer only plans to open 55 new stores this year–half as many as…

London–The number of new home loans dropped in January compared to January 2007, according to the British Bankers Association.New mortgage loans, considered to be an indication of upcoming housing demand, fell 31 percent year-to-year, the Financial Times reports. However, overall net mortgage lending increased by £5.2 billion in January due to refinancings. In December, lending rose £4.9 billion. Home remortgages comprised 49 percent of all approvals in January and have increased sharply from September.New loans for equity withdrawal have decreased by 23.6 percent from 2007 to 2008.The London-based British Bankers Association represents roughly two-thirds of the U.K. mortgage market.

Bletchingdon, Oxfordshire–Prince Charles opened an affordable housing development in Bletchingdon, Oxfordshire that includes single-family homes and multifamily units, BBC News reports.The prince met with architects and builders who had worked on the project and residents before viewing one of the homes. The homes consist of 12 units, a mix of apartments and single-family dwellings. Built by the Oxford Citizens Housing Association, eight are rental units; four properties will be sold on a shared ownership basis. The complex was built on land owned by the Prince of Wales’ estate.

By Anuradha Kher, Online News EditorLargo, Md.–Kettler, a Washington, D.C.-based real estate development and property management company, has unveiled its plans for a luxury condominium community in Largo, Md.Midtown Largo Station, located near the Largo town center metro and The Boulevard at Capital Center, features one-and two-bedroom condominiums raging in price from $250,000 to $350,000. The condominiums are now on sale.To assist first-time homebuyers with financing, Kettler is arranging a free, on-site seminar on March 1 at Midtown Largo Station located at 8831 Lottsford Rd. Mortgage experts from Wachovia Bank will walk guests through the mortgage process including qualification requirements,…

By Anuradha Kher, Online News EditorCrest Hill, Ill., Lake Jackson, Texas–Redwood Capital Partners, a Chicago-based multifamily investment and management firm, has acquired two properties totaling nearly 1000 units located in Crest Hill and Lake Jackson, Texas.Redwood purchased the 730-unit Woodlands of Crest Hill located at 1615 Arbor Lane from Chicago-based Laramar Group for $49.1 million and the 228-unit Edgewater Apartments located at 514 That Way St. in Lake Jackson, from Chicago-based Alliance Holdings LLC, for $19 million.Redwood invests in multifamily properties with approximately 80 percent of the portfolio being value-add properties and the other 20 percent being tenant-in-common properties. The…

By Anuradha Kher, Online News EditorNew York–Terra Capital Partners, a New York-based real estate investment finance and management company, has closed on a $6 million mezzanine loan that will provide capital for a condominium conversion project called the Carriage House in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan.The property, located at 124 West 24th St. between Avenue of the Americas and Seventh Avenue, is a former parking garage structure that is being enlarged and converted into 24 luxury condo residences The term of the loan is 12 months and the sponsor is Broadmill Development Group, an investment partnership company.“The sponsor is using…

Chicago–Existing home sales fell for the sixth consecutive month in January and home prices dropped 4.6 percent from January 2007, the Chicago-headquartered National Association of Realtors said Monday.Home resales declined 0.4 percent to a 4.89 million annual rate in January from December’s revised 4.91 million annual rate, The Wall Street Journal reported. The December revision was slightly higher than NAR’s original 4.89 estimation.Median home price in January 2007 was $210,900; last month, prices were $201,100. December’s median home price was $207,000. “Inventories are high, so it’s not surprising prices are declining,” said NAR economist Lawrence Yun.Stricter lending standards that made…

Hamburg–HSH Nordbank–one of Germany’s biggest financial institutions–will sue Swiss bank UBS for selling it millions of dollars of subprime mortgage-related investments, BBC News reports.HSH Nordbank, a state-owned bank with offices in Hamburg and Kiel, is alleging that UBS didn’t manage its assets prudently enough and hopes to recover losses from a $500 million (£253 million) portfolio purchased in 2002. According to BBC News. if the lawsuit is successful, it could spark a wave of filings from banks and investors who feel they were misled about the security level of Collateralized Debt Obligations (CDOs).HSH Nordbank will file suit in the state…