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Mortgage loan applications fell by 0.4 percent nationwide over the last week, spreading unease among lenders concerned about the potential for a dip in the housing market, according to a study released by the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) on Wednesday. The decline in loan applications coincides with the lowest rates for mortgages in the last six months and the fewest applications for home purchases in nearly 15 years. Market analysts say people are "nervous," which can preclude signing on the bottom line to buy a home.

A recent national survey finds that approximately three in every four Americans regard home ownership as an important investment and want to own homes. A survey by Lake Research Partners and Public Opinion Strategies, found that 2 in 1 Americans who owe more on their homes agreed that home ownership is worth the risk, despite the perception of risk in the housing market. Participants from all age groups also agreed that owning a home is the best long-term investment, according to the survey.

As consumer advocates and mortgage lenders take to the streets fighting the implementation on the Qualified Residential Mortgage Rule. Potential home buyers were polled to see what they think about coming up with 20 percent for a home. The National Foundation for Credit Counseling shows no improvement on the ability for potential homeowners to raise 20 percent for a down payment from 2010 to 2011.

As the Dodd-Frank Act moves slowly to implementation, banking officials speaking at the recent Chicago Federal Reserve Bank's annual conference pointed to the need for continued monitoring of financial services markets to mitigate the risk of future economic crisis. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke called for regulators to focus on two key types of risk: gaps in regulatory coverage and risks that vary with the economy, such as the buildup of lending leverage.

Home values plummeted more in the first quarter of this year than they have in any quarter since 2008, according to Zillow's first quarter Real Estate Market Report. The Zillow Home Value Index fell 3 percent from the fourth quarter of 2010 and declined 8.2 percent year-over-year to $169,600. Home values have fallen 29.5 percent since they peaked in June 2006.

Icon Residential Lenders recently bolstered the company's West Coast sales team with two notable promotions from within the organization and a new hire joining Icon from 360 Mortgage Group. Rhett Hubbard was promoted to area sales manager for Orange and San Diego counties, and Justin Smith will also take on an upgraded role as area sales manager for Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Ventura counties. New to Icon, Debbie Hood has been appointed as the area sales manager for the Pacific Northwest.

Mortgage rates hit a two-month low, declining to 4.67 percent for 30-year fixed loans. That's down from 4.88 percent one week ago, according to Freddie Mac. The average 15-year loan was down to 3.97 percent.

The weekly data report tracking mortgage applications nationally showed a 0.7 percent drop in volume from last week's numbers, based on a seasonally adjusted composite index. On an unadjusted basis, the index decreased 0.5 percent, compared to the prior week ending March 11. The refinance index had increased by 0.9 percent since last week, making it the highest refinance survey since December 2010.

Gladstone Commercial finishes 2010 with a fourth-quarter FFO of 3.0 million, a 10.1 percent decrease compared to the same period in 2009. The downward movement is attributed to $386,000 in due diligence fees incurred in acquiring a $12.3 million property in Orange City, Iowa, which the Company was required to expense under new accounting guidance rather than capitalize as it had in years past.