  We have assembled a dataset of 165 low redshift, $z<$0.06, publicly available
type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia). We produce maximum light magnitude ($M_{B}$ and
$M_{V}$) distributions of SNe Ia to explore the diversity of parameter space
that they can fill. Before correction for host galaxy extinction we find that
the mean $M_{B}$ and $M_{V}$ of SNe Ia are $-18.58\pm0.07$mag and
$-18.72\pm0.05$mag respectively. Host galaxy extinction is corrected using a
new method based on the SN spectrum. After correction, the mean values of
$M_{B}$ and $M_{V}$ of SNe Ia are $-19.10\pm0.06$ and $-19.10\pm0.05$mag
respectively. After correction for host galaxy extinction, `normal' SNeIa
($\Delta m_{15}(B)<1.6$mag) fill a larger parameter space in the
Width-Luminosity Relation (WLR) than previously suggested, and there is
evidence for luminous SNe Ia with large $\Delta m_{15}(B)$. We find a bimodal
distribution in $\Delta m_{15}(B)$, with a pronounced lack of transitional
events at $\Delta m_{15}(B)$=1.6 mag. We confirm that faster, low-luminosity
SNe tend to come from passive galaxies. Dividing the sample by host galaxy
type, SNe Ia from star-forming (S-F) galaxies have a mean $M_{B}=-19.20 \pm
0.05$ mag, while SNe Ia from passive galaxies have a mean $M_{B}=-18.57 \pm
0.24$ mag. Even excluding fast declining SNe, `normal' ($M_{B}<-18$ mag) SNe Ia
from S-F and passive galaxies are distinct. In the $V$-band, there is a
difference of 0.4$ \pm $0.13 mag between the median ($M_{V}$) values of the
`normal' SN Ia population from passive and S-F galaxies. This is consistent
with ($\sim 15 \pm $10)% of `normal' SNe Ia from S-F galaxies coming from an
old stellar population.
