The home-mortgage industry charges some people much higher fees than others, according to a study. It also found that loans arranged by brokers typically carried higher fees than those obtained directly from lenders.

Dublin office rents are the 12th highest in the world and London’s West End is once again the world’s most expensive office market, while rapidly-rising Moscow climbed to second place, according to CB Richard Ellis Group, Inc. (CBRE) Research’s semi-annual Global Market Rents survey. The report tracks world markets with the highest as well as fastest-growing occupancy costs for the 12 months ended March 31, 2008. Tokyo’s Inner Central Five Wards, Mumbai’s Nariman Point and Tokyo’s Outer Central Five Wards rounded out the top five most expensive markets.

The synthetic-turf industry is increasingly targeting the residential market. Artificial turf is convenient, the companies say, plus it saves water and cuts down on fertilizer use. But others say faux grass is anything but green.

CNN’s Soledad O’Brien has put her downtown Manhattan loft up for sale for $4.6 million . . . Sidney Sheldon’s widow has sold one of the Palm Springs, Calif., properties she listed earlier this year . . . and more.

Hotels are putting more glitz into their top suites as competition in the U.S. hotel industry escalates. They hope to use the suites to woo not only those rich enough to afford their eye-popping prices but also to generate buzz around their entire properties.

The market is in chaos. The inventory figures are misleading. The good news? For savvy buyers, deals abound.

Markets news on stocks, currencies and oil.

The US economy grew at an annual rate of 0.9 percent in the first quarter, compared with 0.6 percent in the fourth quarter, according to the “preliminary” estimates released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate was revised up from the “advance” estimate of 0.6 percent. BEA also released first-quarter corporate profits estimates.

The Competition Authority announced today that it has decided to carry out a full (phase 2) investigation in relation to the proposed acquisition by Kerry Group plc, of the entire ordinary issued share capital of Breeo Foods Limited and Breeo Brands Limited from Reox Finance Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Reox Holdings plc. Both parties are involved in the sale and distribution of consumer foods including rashers, sausages, puddings, cooked meats, cheese, spreads, chilled juice, fresh dairy products and pre-packed sandwiches. The proposed acquisition has not been required to be notified in any other jurisdiction.

The Minister for Social and Family Affairs Mary Hanafin told a  Pensions Conference in Dublin today that  almost 50% of workforce and majority of private sector workers in Ireland have no pension.