Step right up to CoRE 99. On the the eve of the 100th birthday of the carnival of real estate, things are looking grim in most major metropolitan real estate markets with great pressure being exerted by the collapsing mortgage market and the dire straits Fannie and Freddie now find themselves in.

The always sage Dan Green got this week’s pic with an incisive look at the worsening conditions for home buyers looking to obtain a mortgage and another potential freezing of the mortgage market as the Government prepares to intervene and create stability.

Brad Inman didn’t nominate himself for the Carnival but I liked his historical look at the secondary mortgage market so much I just had to mention it. The article describes how the secondary market began and now that it has been given a Monty Python flesh wound, his predictions for what will happen next. Including: “Home sellers will become active lenders, but only those who have equity. Seller financing will help some transactions.”

From the serious to the not so serious. Spencer Rascoff traces down a phantom telephone pole installer and explains your rights in such a situation. Marc Grayson suspects that this ‘just listed’ property brimming with holiday trimmings and winter language may not be so just listed. And Cindy Jones explains just how far some clients are willing to go to view a property (hint: it may not be legal in all 50 states).

And be sure to check back at the Carnival of Real Estate site who looks like they’ll be hosting the big 1-0-0 next Monday!