PROSPECTIVE homebuyers should buy now before Sydney prices start to climb again with signs of a recovery in the housing market looming, property insiders claim.

CITIGROUP yesterday reported a first-quarter net loss of $US5.1bn, including $US6bn in write-downs related to the subprime mortgage crises.

CONFIDENTIAL documents indicate Opes Prime was offered up as a sacrificial lamb as part of rescue attempts to save Tricom Securities.

JAMES Hardie Industries has devised a plan to undo its controversial move to The Netherlands, including a global restructure to dismember its Australian and New Zealand operations.

Centro will have to sell the properties in its Australian wholesale fund one-by-one as buyers lack the capacity to buy the entire $2.3bn fund.

PANIC selling of Brambles yesterday wiped $2.5bn off the stock's market capitalisation at one point during the trading session.