6 real estate headlines: 08-Mar

A daily dose of headlines for real estate agents, mortgage lenders and consumers.

Picky first-time homebuyers lose out on great deals Washington Post: Are today's first-time home buyers passing up great deals because they insist on flawless "move-in ready" houses requiring little or no changes?	FHA powers what's left of the housing market Wall Street Journal: As the government moves to reform the mortgage market, the FHA is heading for some changes that could limit borrowers' access to the loans.
The down payment dilemma Bankrate: Should homebuyers be required to make a down payment of at least 20 percent of a home's purchase price to qualify for a mortgage?	Million dollar home sales rise 20% CNN Money: In Washington, government workers continued to bolster the high-end market. The DC area is now the best educated place in the nation and one of the highest paid.
MERS? It may have swallowed your loan The New York Times: For more than a decade, the American real estate market resembled an overstuffed novel, which is to say, it was an engrossing piece of fiction.	Bridging the Waterfront in Southeast DC Mud: The architect says work could start as soon as this week, as piles have to be completed by end of March, before the start of spawning season (for fish, not architects).

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