"What a fun place this was in the late 50's, early 60's. We kids would spend the whole day there (when we could get a sunny day). The ocean water was green and you'd sometimes feel slimy vegetation brush across your legs. It seems like every year pranksters would add green dye to the water. There was also a large wading pool for the little kids in the zoo." - auburn [Fleishhacker Pool, Now a Parking Lot]
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Illustration of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's Farnsworth House by architect Tadao Ando; via The Philip Johnson Glass House Blog
EVERYWHERE—Modernist master architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe would have been 126 years old today. Happy birthday! [The Philip Johnson Glass House Blog]
BEL-AIR, CALIF.—The midcentury-modern home of the late TV host Art Linkletter has hit the market for $10.25M. Designed by Philmer J. Ellerbroek, the five-bedroom was featured in Arch Digest in 1959. [Realtor.com]
THE INTERNET—Trulia has just launched its Housing Barometer, which measures indicators of the housing recovery: new construction starts, existing-home sales, and the delinquency-plus-foreclosure rate. February's data shows construction starts only 22 percent of the way back from their April 2009 low; home sales 48 percent back from their Nov. 2008 low; and delinquency/foreclosure rate 32 percent back from its Jan. 2010 high. In total, the housing market is about a third of the way back to normalcy, with 100 percent not expected until late 2015. [Trulia via AOL Real Estate]
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· SF — one of the best cities for kids? [SFGate]
[Photo via Erik Wilson]
"No, Gareth, I said I wanted red suspenders for my birthday."Photo: Joshua McHugh/Arch Digest 
There's no taste like home... oh, we mean no PLACE like home! Our house-shaped wire basket welcomes your recipients home with an assortment of crunchy snacks and gourmet treats to enjoy: Italian seasoned Foccacia Crisp Crackers, Cheddar Cheese Spread, gourmet Tavalore Snack Mix, Artichoke Parmesan Cheese Biscuits, Peace Chai Tea, Joy Chai Tea, Cinnamon Shortbread Cookies, Chocolate Cream Puffs and Mobana Chocolate Noir. Each gift is hand crafted with attention to detail and includes a personalized gift card from you. Manufactured by Art of Appreciation Gift Baskets. Price:
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Tom Grill | Photographer's Choice RF | Getty ImagesIt's no surprise that the private mortgage insurance industry is fighting hard against proposed new risk retention rules for the mortgage industry. They are already trying to pick themselves up and dust themselves off from the near knockout punch the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) gave them, when the government mortgage insurer took over their market share while saving the housing market from complete and total bust. The FHA became the only game in town for the less credit-worthy borrowers with lower down payments. Now, just when the private guys are trying to get back in the game, they're getting battered again. The proposal for a "Qualified Residential Mortgage," which would be exempt from 5 percent risk retention by the banks, which of course the banks don't want to retain, requires, among many things, that the buyer put 20 percent down on the home. “We do not believe that affordability and sustainability are mutually exclusive goals,” Kevin Schneider, president of the Mortgage Insurance Companies of America testified before Congress yesterday (he's also CEO of U.S. Mortgage Insurance of Genworth Financial [GNW Loading... () 
] ). “We understand the drivers of sustainable, affordable homeownership because the private MI industry has a vested interest in assuring that low down payment homebuyers purchase homes with loans that they can afford to pay over time.” The FHA is exempt from QRM, so low down payment borrowers have to go there in the current market environment; there's really nowhere else. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac may be exempt from QRM, but that is still in question, and they are requiring higher down payments these days as well. Mortgage insurers are happy for Fannie and Freddie to be exempt from QRM, as long as they are under government conservatorship, because many of those borrowers get private mortgage insurance. But once the two are out of conservatorship, which is the big push, then they are no longer exempt from that 20 percent down payment, or so goes the theory. “A return to private capital in the new home finance structure is crucial. Privately insured mortgage loans should be included in the QRM definition to be given parity with FHA-insured loans," stressed Schneider. Questions? Comments? document.write("");document.write("RealtyCheck"+"@"+"cnbc.com");document.write('');And follow me on Twitter @Diana_Olick? Previous: Foursquare Declares El Paso, Texas, the Rudest City in the U.S.
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