"In the first eight weeks of this year we have seen (mortgage) rates come down by anything up to 45 basis points, " Persimmon chief executive Mike Farley told the Reuters news agency.

BBC: Mortgage market boosted by lending schemes, says Redrow

MTV's mega-hit, "The Jersey Shore, " has successfully followed eight dark haired and tan strangers -- Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi, Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino, Jenni "JWoww" Farley, Paul "Pauly D" DelVecchio, Ronnie Ortiz-Magro, Sammi "Sweetheart" Giancola, and Deena Nicole Cortese (replacing Angelina Pivarnick in season three) from the New Jersey shores to most recently, Florence, Italy.

CNN: Obsessions: Snooki killed the video star