The big news this week was the Obama administration’s budget proposal, which takes on what has long been considered a sacred cow by trying to reduce the mortgage-interest tax deduction for top earners. Meanwhile, Iceland’s government has started selling off real estate to stay afloat. Here’s what else was going on: Click here to see more of Iceland’s properties LOCAL NEWS Condo auctions come to New York City (New York Times) Some New York buyers, meanwhile are walking away from six-figure deposits on apartments. (NYT) The population of Maricopa, Ariz., soared during the housing boom, rising to 37,000 last year from 1,400 a decade ago, making it one of the nation’s fastest-growing towns. Now the town is struggling as many homeowners are trapped in houses that are worth less than their mortgage and others... more...