U.K. Housing Market Teeters on Edge of Northern Rock

"Nick Collins, an independent London real estate broker who's had record profits every year since 2003, took a hit in September -- and that may be bad news for a U.K. economy built on a housing bubble. Five of his 50 buyers pulled out of purchases, spooked by a run on mortgage lender Northern Rock Plc that left it 2 billion pounds ($4.1 billion) poorer."