iStockphoto/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) -- Sales of existing homes rose 0.6 percent in April to an annual rate of 4.97 million units. Sales are up nearly 10 percent over the past year.

“The market is in a solid recovery,” says Walter Malony of the National Association of Realtors. “Sales are now at the highest level in 3 1/2 years, back when the market was spiking in response to the homebuyers tax credit.”

That was a temporary tax credit. Since then, tight lending standards by banks and limited inventory have kept the total lower than it would be.

Wednesday’s report is the latest sign of improvement for the housing market. Existing home sales account for about 9 out 10 home sales each month.

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Jonathan Alcorn/Bloomberg via Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- Leslie Moonves, who was paid million, is the highest-paid CEO of S&P 500 companies with chief executives who have served at least two full years.

Equilar, an executive compensation data firm, put Moonves at the top of the list for fiscal year 2012, despite having a pay drop from the million he was paid the previous year.

Last year, David Simon, chairman and CEO of Simon Property Group, was at the top with 7 million after he received a large stock award accumulated over several years.

As part of Equilar's methodology, the company looked at proxies of companies that were filed Jan. 1 to April 30 of this year. Larry Ellison of Oracle, is not on Equilar's list because the tech company files its proxy statement in September. He is paid about million, which would place him at the top of the list.

Aaron Boyd, Equilar's director of governance research, said the 10 highest-paid CEOs are well-known names.

"It's hard to say there are surprises when you look at the highest-paid list, as the economy continues to improve and stock market is still growing," he said.

Notably, leaders of four media companies make the top 10 list. Robert Iger, chairman and CEO of the Walt Disney Company, parent of ABC News, is number three in the list.

Here's a list of the 10 highest-paid CEOs for fiscal year 2012, according to Equilar.

1. Leslie Moonves, president and CEO, CBS | Total compensation: ,253,647
Base salary: .5 million. Fiscal year 2011 compensation: ,422,211

2. David M. Zaslav, president and CEO, Discovery Communications | Total compensation: ,932,867
Base salary: million. Fiscal year 2011 compensation: ,404,119

3. Robert A. Iger, chairman and CEO, Walt Disney | Total compensation: ,103,208
Base salary: http://abcnewsradioonline.com/business-news/rss.xml.5 million. Fiscal year 2011 compensation: ,363,013

4. Philippe P. Dauman, president and CEO, Viacom | Total compensation: ,396,104
Base salary: .5 million. Fiscal year 2011 compensation: ,077,942

5. John J. Donahoe, president and CEO, eBay | Total compensation: ,705,081
Base salary: 0,353. Fiscal year 2011 compensation: ,456,528

6. Brian L. Roberts, chairman, president and CEO, Comcast | Total compensation: ,124,014
Base salary: http://abcnewsradioonline.com/business-news/rss.xml.8 million. Fiscal year 2011 compensation: ,934,077

7. Howard Schultz, chairman, president and CEO, Starbucks | Total compensation: ,909,773
Base salary: .5 million. Fiscal year 2011 compensation: ,079,480

8. Kenneth I. Chenault, chairman and CEO, American Express | Total compensation: ,012,789
Base salary: http://abcnewsradioonline.com/business-news/rss.xml million. Fiscal year 2011 compensation: ,490,401

9. Rex W. Tillerson, chairman and CEO, Exxon Mobil | Total compensation: ,229,300
Base salary: http://abcnewsradioonline.com/business-news/rss.xml.6 million. Fiscal year 2011 compensation: ,165,105

10. Kent J. Thiry, co-chairman and CEO, DaVita HealthCare Partners | Total compensation: ,799,121
Base salary: .05 million. Fiscal year 2011 compensation: ,541,645

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Jupiterimages/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) -- Close to 35 million Americans will mark the unofficial start of summer this Memorial Day weekend by hitting the road, a new forecast from AAA shows.

The automobile group projects 34.8 million people will travel 50 miles or more from home between Thursday and Monday -- a 0.9 percent decrease over last year.

“Although AAA expects to see more people traveling this summer as a whole, it looks like the summer travel season will begin with a relatively stable start,” Jessica Brady, spokeswoman, AAA Travel, The Auto Club Group, said in a statement. “However, more Americans traveled during last year’s holiday weekend than initially projected, so we could again be surprised by an increase in people planning to take a trip this Memorial Day.”

AAA expects 31.2 million Americans will be traveling by car during the holiday weekend, while 2.3 million will be opting to travel by air.

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Virgin America(NEW YORK) -- Planning on taking a vacation soon? You may want to consider booking your flight with Virgin America.

The carrier is listed as the top-rated airline in a new Consumer Reports survey.

"Virgin America got very high ratings across the board. In fact, it was some of the highest ratings we've seen on an airliner for years," says Mandy Walker, a Consumer Reports senior project editor.

"People were very happy with the check-in ease, they like the cabin crew's service, they liked how clean the planes were, baggage handling got high marks and they like the in-flight entertainment; you know they have those seat-back screens with all the different programs on it," she says.

Following Virgin America on the list is Southwest Airlines. JetBlue Airways came in third.

As for which airline came in last: "Well at the bottom of our list was Spirit Airlines. It actually received one of the lowest ratings that we've seen in some time," Walker says.

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iStockphoto/Thinkstock(WACONIA, Minn.) -- Customers of the SuperAmerica gas station in Waconia, Minn., about 35 miles southwest of Minneapolis, were in for a treat to see discounted gas prices and tobacco products sold at half off over the weekend, not realizing that the new station owner was an alleged fraudster who paid for the station with a fake check.

The previous owner, Husein Sarameh, 51, said he sold the station in early April for 5,000. The buyer paid 3,000 for the down payment with a check, which Sarameh said bounced the next day.

But the new buyer, found through a broker, had already begun operating the business. Sarameh said his lawyers advised him he could not evict the new owner without a court order.

On Friday and Saturday, the new owner began selling discounted gas and tobacco and grocery products, some at half-off, as first reported by ABC affiliate KSTP.

Sarameh, who owns two other gas stations in a nearby town, said he was shocked by the brazen act of buying property with fake funds.

“You can’t buy property and write a fake check,” he said. “We have their driver’s license, name, and address. They think they can get away with it.”

Sarameh began reoperating the station on Monday with a grand re-opening sale with a discount of 5 cents a gallon; and customers with a rewards card can receive an additional discount of 3 cents a gallon.

Paul Tschida, commander at the Carver County Sheriff’s office, said the case has been assigned to the investigations division, which is looking into what happened, including whether there was a bounced check and the allegations that gas and other products were illegally sold at discounted prices.

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iStockphoto/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) -- Dramatic scenes of tornado-wrought devastation and wrecked properties in Oklahoma this week are another potent reminder to renters and homeowners all across the country to take an inventory of everything they own before a storm hits. It can make a big difference if your household suffers major damage.

“Go through your house with your smartphone,” suggests Kimberly Lankford, contributing editor of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine. “Smartphones make this so much easier. Just take pictures and video of everything, because if you do have a claim, you don’t have to piece together everything yourself.”

Smartphone apps can help you compile a complete list. “There’s one called knowyourstuff.org that makes it really easy to get that list of everything,” says Lankford.

This can really help when making a claim to your insurance company. “Especially in a situation where so much is destroyed you don’t have to go through and look and remember. Also, if you can then email that to the insurance company that puts you ahead of the people who are still waiting to put their list together,” Lankford says.

After a big storm, fire or earthquake many people are trying to get their claims paid at the same time. Putting your information on a secure site online can help you file a claim quickly and thoroughly.

“Anything you can do ahead of time can make a big difference,” says Lankford. “Getting your inventory squared away is a key thing.”

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Adam Gault/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) -- For somebody who's facing doctor bills or has missed a mortgage payment, selling your pension benefits for a lump sum can be tempting.

Partly for that reason, pensioners in growing numbers are accepting such offers, say financial regulators. But not all offers are legal, and some contain hidden costs.

Earlier this month, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) issued a joint investor-alert cautioning pensioners to think twice before accepting cash-up-front deals.

In it, Gerri Walsh, FINRA's senior vice president for investor education, said: "Consumers should know that a series of potential pitfalls may greet anyone who is considering selling their rights to an income stream. And any investor who is tempted by the high yield offered by buying the rights to another person's income stream should know that yield comes with high fees and considerable risks."

Her second caution refers to the practice of bundling up purchased pensions into portfolios that are then re-sold to consumers as investments.

Asked by ABC News why FINRA chose now to issue its alert, Walsh says, "FINRA observes trends -- we look around the corner." FINRA viewed with concern pensioners' sale of future benefits.

Two reasons, says Walsh, explain the increased activity. First, she says, people want and sometimes need the value bound up in future benefits. The economic recovery, she notes, has not progressed a quickly for some as for others. More people are tapping into their 401(k)s. The same holds true for pensions.

Second, investors are confronting what she calls "a sustained low-interest environment" that leaves them hungry for higher returns. Some investment products based on portfolios of pensions promise, she says, yields of 5 percent to 7 percent.

Walsh tells ABC News that it isn't always a mistake for pensioners to sell their benefits. But they need to comparison shop (many companies on the Internet offer to buy pensions) and need to make sure they understand the terms of whatever deal they accept.

Typically, the lump sum offered by the buyer is substantially less than the seller would receive over time, if he or she opted not to sell.

"We encourage individuals to determine what that discount value is," says Walsh.

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Brett Deering/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- Even for those who don't lose a loved one after a tornado, the process to rebuild is "long" and "emotional," according to Tammy Cady, 59, who survived the tornado that hit Joplin, Mo., on May 22, 2011.

It took Cady, a graphic designer, and her husband, Kevin, 52, a year and eight months to rebuild their destroyed home in Joplin.

Fortunately for the Cady family, no one was injured, including their six children. But when the tornado hit, they had no homeowner's insurance for the home they bought in 1994. They had dropped their -a-month policy in 2010, after Kevin lost his job in construction.

"I think the worst part, especially at the beginning, is feeling helpless. I wasn't necessarily feeling helpless for ourselves, but I felt helpless for other people," Cady said. "That's how I feel right now. The only thing that carried us through, from every moment of that time, was knowing that God was helping us. He was definitely looking out for us. He has provided for us every step of the way. It makes me feel sad to the lost but also blessed to know we are taken care of."

After a devastating tornado hit Oklahoma on Monday, U.S. residents are mourning the loss of 24 people, including nine children.

"I can't imagine for people who lose family. I didn't lose anyone in our tornado. I'm really thankful for that," Cady said.

The government has more than billion in its disaster relief fund, which may be enough for victims in the suburb of Moore, Okla., outside Oklahoma City.

The costliest U.S. tornado was the one that hit Joplin, which did about http://abcnewsradioonline.com/business-news/rss.xml.8 billion in damage. There were 158 deaths as a result of that disaster.

Judith Spry, partner in the insurance claims services practice at BDO Consulting, said insurance companies have already started to send their people to Moore.

Spry said normal homeowners insurance would cover fire and windstorms. Tornados typically do not require separate policies, like flood insurance.

Record-keeping and paperwork will be important for homeowners and small businesses during the recovery process. Spry said accountants and banks may be able to assist with certain records if they have been destroyed by the tornado.

Loretta Worters, vice president of the Insurance Information Institute, said it could take weeks to calculate the number of insured losses and claims from Monday's tornado.

Worters said homeowner's insurance policies also provide for additional living expenses to support the cost of living away from home if you cannot inhabit your house due to damage from an insured disaster.

"It covers hotel bills, restaurant meals and other living expenses incurred while your home is being rebuilt. So this will be a great help to homeowners whose homes have been destroyed by the tornado," Worters said.

Car damage is covered under the optional comprehensive portion of a standard auto insurance policy.

Three out of four U.S. drivers choose to purchase comprehensive coverage, Worters said.

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Benjamin Krain/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- The tornadoes that struck the Midwest this week, killing dozens and destroying hundreds of homes and schools in the Oklahoma City-suburb of Moore, likely caused more than billion in damages.

And it's not just tornadoes that wreak this kind of havoc. From wildfires to hurricanes, the country has suffered dozens of natural disasters that have left billions of dollars of damage in their wake.

Here's a look at seven of the most recent well-known U.S. natural disasters that cost at least a billion dollars:

Hurricane Sandy - October 2012

The storm that destroyed beachside communities along the Eastern Seaboard killed more than 130 people and cost between and billion, according to a Brookings Institution estimate. No hurricane on record has been wider in terms of geographic scope.

Hurricane Irene - August 2011

The storm that devastated parts of North Carolina and the mid-Atlantic coast cost at least billion and killed at least 45 people.

Joplin Tornado - May 2011

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration rates the tornado in Joplin, Mo., as the single most deadly tornado since modern record keeping began. It killed about 160 people. That tornado, along with other tornados that struck at the same time across the central and southern states, cost at least billion.

Mississippi River Flooding - May 2011

Higher-than-normal rainfall combined with melting snowpack resulted in deadly flooding that destroyed crops and homes from Arkansas to Missouri. The flooding cost billion and killed at least seven people.

New Mexico/Arizona Wildfires - Spring 2011

Wildfires raged across the states and scorched hundreds of thousands of acres of earth. At least five people lost their lives to the fires, which cost at least billion.

Southwest Drought/Heat Wave - Spring/Summer 2011

Extended drought conditions and unwavering heat destroyed crops across the southern states. A majority of range and pastures in Texas and Oklahoma were classified "very poor" during much of that year's growing season. Nearly 100 people died as a result of the drought and heat. The total cost was about billion.

Hurricane Katrina - August 2005

The country's most costly natural disaster destroyed parts of New Orleans after the levee system there failed, and left thousands of people without a place to stay for months. The hurricane cost at least 5 billion and killed more than 1,800 people.

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Jaclyn Fraley(ZALESKI, Ohio) -- An online fundraising effort has surpassed its goal to allow a 91-year-old man in Zaleski, Ohio, to buy back his home before his daughter has the chance to evict him from it.

Jaclyn Fraley, 35, and her grandfather, John Potter, started fundraising for enough money to make an offer on the home he built 56 years ago.

"It means a little bit of everything," Potter said, when asked what his home means to him. "I bought the land when I was a teenager."

After an ABC News story last week described Potter's situation, Potter and his granddaughter have raised about 8,000, topping their goal of 5,000.

"So many people who don't have grandparents anymore have adopted him from so far away," Fraley said. "A lot of people have said, 'I love you and you're my grandpa'."

Fraley said she is shocked and grateful by the 5,136 people who donated to the campaign in one month, including a large number of U.S. veterans.

"I kept refreshing the page," Fraley said of her GoFundMe fundraising website once the ABC News story was published. "Everyone I knew was refreshing."

The story goes back to 2004. It was then that Potter and his wife, who has since died, gave the general power of attorney to his daughter for future matters if they declined in health, including taking care of her autistic adult brother, now 63.

Potter's daughter Janice Cottrill eventually used that power to convey the deed to the one-story home to herself. In 2010, Potter said he learned of the deed transfer and switched power of attorney to his granddaughter, Fraley.

Early this year, his daughter and her husband sent Potter an eviction notice, saying they had terminated his "existing lease."

An eviction hearing will take place on June 12, during which the judge will have no choice but to evict Potter, Fraley told ABC News.

When Fraley called her grandfather on Thursday morning after reaching their fundraising goal, he said, "I never knew people could love an old man so much," according to her.

Fraley said the money from the GoFundMe is deposited into a separate account, and she said she is willing to be "completely transparent" with how the money may be spent.

Next up, the home is getting appraised on Wednesday before Potter can make an offer on it.

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