House Extends Jobless Benefits and Home Credits - NYTimes.com

WASHINGTON — The House voted overwhelmingly on Thursday afternoon to offer up to 20 more weeks of unemployment benefits to those who have been out of work a long time, sending the measure to President Obama for his signature. The White House said that he would do so on Friday morning...

Pending Sales of Existing Homes in U.S. Rise 6.1% (Update1) - Bloomberg.com

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The number of signed sales contracts to buy homes rose in September for the eighth straight month, according to a real estate industry report released Monday.

The September Pending Home Sales Index from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) spiked 6.1% to 110.1, consolidating a 6.4% gain in August. It was the index's highest level since December 2006, when it stood at 112.8...