The Valley's new home market showed more promise last month as both sales and construction permits increased, according to the latest Phoenix Housing Market Letter by analyst RL Brown.

New home sales totaled 912 last month, up from 713 in February but still down from 1,890 in March 2008. Sales had fallen slightly from January to February.

Most of the sales were of inventory or speculative homes - those built without having a contracted buyer - helping to diminish the amount of inventory homes on the market, Brown said. Sales were up despite "really stiff" competition from bank-owned homes, he said.

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Save-A-Lot Food Stores said Thursday it is opening three new stores in New Orleans this week.

Save-A-Lot, which touted its involvement in the rebuilding of New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, said the three stores would create 100 new jobs for residents.

Save-A-Lot said it is able to expand because it specializes in offering “extreme-value,” or cheaper groceries.

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Spike in refinancing following Fed moves leads to nearly 50% jump in Mortgage Bankers' index; home purchases also up.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Near record low mortgage rates sent mortgage applications shooting higher last week, especially for refinances, according to an industry report.
The Mortgage Bankers Association reported that its overall Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, shot up 48% on a seasonally adjusted basis for the week ending Dec. 19.

That was driven by a 62.6% leap in the group's Refinance Index. But the Conventional Purchase Index also increased 17.7%. The only component of the overall index to fall was the Government Purchase Index, which largely tracks FHA loans. It slipped 3.4%

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In a presidential campaign marked by bitter and often gratuitous negativity, Barack Obama campaigned on hope, painting the possibility of a better future. Millions across the U.S. and abroad were moved by his message.

Even amidst economic crisis and international turmoil, a shared sense of hope lifted and opened people's hearts, seeding their better dreams.

And with Obama's decisive win on November 4th, hope erupted into effusive joy. For millions of his supporters, dreams came true. "Yes, we can" morphed into "Yes, we did." Those highs will fade. Life goes on. Our daily routines - commuting, work, buying groceries, paying bills - eventually flatten such emotional peaks into foggy memories. Sobering us up further, we're told that economic times will get worse before they get better. Millions face or fear joblessness, lost homes, and more

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Patrick Henry Hughes on the lessons he’s learned about staying positive

Born with no eyes and crippling physical anomalies, Patrick Henry Hughes has had to overcome many obstacles. In his new book, “I Am Potential,” the successful pianist and trumpeter offers the eight lessons he’s learned about staying positive and recognizing potential. An excerpt.