1. Real Estate Could Be A Red Flag For Smaller Banks [New York Times]
During the financial crisis, it appeared that America's small banks could do no wrong. President Obama said the world would have been better off if the entire financial system had been more like them. Legislators tried to ease their burden, often at the expense of their bigger competitors. Community bankers even won a meeting last week with the president to try to persuade him to reduce regulatory red tape.

2. FBI Deluged By Fraud Cases From Real Estate Bubble [PilotOnline.com]
The criminal cases against Brian W. King and Ronnie E. Brodie are typical of what the FBI is seeing as a result of the rise and fall of the real estate market. King, 42, of Virginia Beach, pleaded guilty this month to falsifying mortgage applications, obtaining more than $700,000 in loans he never should have qualified for by inflating his income.

3. Top 10 Real Estate Stories Of 2009 [CBS Money Watch]
As we're getting ready to say goodbye to 2009, I have just two words - good riddance! Like many Americans, hubby and I took advantage of lower prices to buy a home, but like many Realtors, my income took a dive (a shocking 40 percent off last year). In general, for real estate, it was a lousy year, but at least eventful. Thanks to all the MoneyWatch readers who sent in your comments and questions - I'm sorry that I couldn't answer them all! Below, in a trip down memory lane, were the top real estate stories of 2010.

4. China's Premier Pledges To Control Real Estate Bubble, Holds Firm On Yuan [Business Week]
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said the government will cool property prices, resist pressure for the yuan to appreciate and keep inflation at "reasonable" levels. "Property prices have risen too quickly in some areas and we should use taxes and loan interest rates to stabilize" them, Wen said yesterday in an online interview with the official Xinhua News Agency. China will "absolutely not yield" to calls for currency gains, he said.

5. Home Prices In 20 U.S. Cities Rose For Fifth Month [Bloomberg]
Home prices in 20 U.S. cities rose in October for a fifth consecutive month, putting the housing market and economy farther along the path to recovery. The S&P/Case-Shiller home-price index increased 0.4 percent from the prior month on a seasonally adjusted basis, after a 0.2 percent rise in September, the group said today in New York. The gauge was down 7.3 percent from October 2008, the smallest year-over-year decline since October 2007. The median forecast of economists surveyed by Bloomberg News anticipated a 7.2 percent drop.