What do you see in your local housing market this weekend? Industry layoffs? "Charlotte-based online mortgage broker service LendingTree announced late Friday it will lay off 255 people, or 17 percent of its workers in its mortgage origination business. Most of LendingTree's cuts will be in Irvine, Calif., and Jacksonville, Fla."

"The cuts reflect 'the current realities of the market,' spokeswoman Rebecca Anderson said."

Lending difficulties? "Jack Haynes, executive VP with Countrywide Home Loans, said lenders are having a hard time interesting investors in purchasing the mortgages they make. 'Things are stacking up on everybody's shelf,' Mr. Haynes told builders meeting in Grapevine for the Sunbelt Builders Show. 'At a certain point that will strangle the mortgage industry if it doesn't get some relief.'"

Or REO discounts? "In 10 of Akron, Ohio's hard-hit neighborhoods, a report given to the city council this week said 79% of all homes sold from February to August this year were unloaded by lenders for a fraction of their value. In Akron, as elsewhere in the USA, the dumping of foreclosed homes on the market has squeezed both builders and sellers who must compete against additional properties."

Or foreclosures? "The flood of foreclosed homes has stretched the staffing limits of the Marion County, Indiana's sheriff's civil division and drenched the resale market with so many properties that it has nearly dried up profits for investors who deal in homes."

"Despite facing more foreclosures than any other county in the state, Marion County remains the only one that hasn't capped the number of properties per month it puts into its sheriff's sale. That's done out of fear the county would never catch up."

"'If we were to cap these, it would just be chaos,' said Shirley Challis, commander of the civil division. 'We do not see daylight now. We are working on three sales all the time' -- the last and current ones, plus the next one."

Or speculation? "Housing prices in the Edmonton area continue to drop. But that's not stopping homeowners from putting up 'for sale' signs in record numbers."

"'I haven't had a call yet and my place has been listed for three weeks,' said Jason, who's selling a new home for $455,000 after building it for just $270,000. 'The market has loosened up but the boom isn't going anywhere.'"

"Shashi is selling her home for $475,000 after buying it last year for $329,000. She only had three calls since listing the house two months ago. 'I'm not in a rush to sell, but I can tell people aren't in such a rush to buy either,' she said."