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Ex-auditor resigns from online real estate products board

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. (AP) A former auditor at Homestore Inc., which supplies online technology tools and Web sites for buying, selling and renting real estate, has resigned from its board of directors, the company announced Wednesday.

Barbara T. Alexander had served as a member of the audit committee since April 6, 2001, said Homestore Chairman Joe Hanauer. She was elected to the executive committee when it was formed on Nov. 15, 2001.

``Her longstanding leadership regarding corporate governance, including assisting the company in the implementation of rigorous internal audit controls, the adoption of a companywide code of conduct and the introduction of an anonymous 'whistle-blower' program, will continue to serve Homestore very well,'' Hanauer said.

Homestore discovered accounting irregularities late last year and Alexander supervised the company's finance department when the chief financial officer left.

As a member of the audit committee, she brought in independent experts, including forensic accountants, to restate the company's previous financial statements, Hanauer said.

Homestore Web sites include REALTOR.com; HomeBuilder.com; and Homestore.com.

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On the Net:

http://homestore.com/corporateinfo.

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