Fairfield County Business Journal articles from July 2005

Fairfield County Business Journal archives from July 2005

Leasing business rises from dark past.(Somerset Capital Corp.)
July 4, 2005... Checks and balances aren't only for the branches of government, as Pedro Wasmer found out. Customers were flocking to his equipment leasing company in the 1990s. But for some strange reason the business was not making any money. Wasmer,...

Unilever sells, leases back Greenwich HQ.(Unilever Group)
July 4, 2005... After opening its new $23 million, 80,000-square-foot research and development center in Trumbull last month, Unilever mined its Greenwich headquarters building into some quick cash--$87.5 million to be precise. The company, which produces...

Malpractice placebo? Insurers say reforms won't stop rate hikes.(malpractice insurance)
July 4, 2005... Malpractice insurers say the legislature's recently passed reform bill won't prevent the type of steep rate increases that doctors blame for trimming their ranks and hurting quality of care. "It's really being generous to refer to this as a...

County housing market on a roller-coaster.(price rise in real estate industry)(M. Jodi Rell's insurance bill)
July 4, 2005... Curb appeal is just one of the many features home buyers look for in a property. Appealing interest rates in order to buy properties is another. As the clock ticks and people ask "when will the bubble burst?" Fairfield County's housing market...

Norwalk sustains positive bond rating.(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... For the 12th year in a row the city of Norwalk has received an AAA rating from Fitch Ratings in New York City for $23 million general obligation bonds scheduled to go on sale last month. The rating is the highest on Fitch's scale and is...

The list.
July 4, 2005... FCBJ THE LIST Highest-Paid Elected Officials Ranked by salary. Listed alphabetically in event of life. Name, address and phone number Area code: 203 Salary Title Rank (unless otherwise...

Employers staying put with health benefits.(small BUSINESS ZONE)
July 4, 2005... Jackie Mitler, managing partner, Health Insurance Solutions L.L.C., Stamford, said that due to escalating health-care costs, employers have flocked to health plans that have their employees paying higher deductibles and co-pays. The result...

Startups need plan, focus.(Ask Andi)(Column)
July 4, 2005... This week's question is about getting started and comes to us from Judy Rizzio, who is planning to hunch her second business this summer, JuD Blue Totes and Handbags. The business comes out of Judy Rizzio's search for the perfect handbag....

Business web directory.(Directory)
July 4, 2005... ACCOUNTING & BUSINESS MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE IntelliBridge LLC www.lntelliBridgeLLC.com 203-877-5766 Microsoft Business Solutions--Great Plains Partner Free Software Selection Kit Answers@lntelliBridgeLLC.com ACCOUNTING Eisman,...

Strategies for success: Pedro Wasmer, chief executive officer, Somerset Capital Group Ltd.(Brief Article)(Interview)
July 4, 2005... Q. What keeps you up at night? A. "I am not really a sound sleeper. From a business standpoint it has to do with complex transactions with questions like 'are we in the process of securing the right level of equity we need to compete in...

New magazine offers tips, advice for the caregiver.(FOCUS)(Caring Today)
July 4, 2005... The topics at dinner and cocktail parties used to revolve around real estate, work and of course, the kids. Today, however, talk has shifted toward parental care, said Susan Strecker Richard, editor in chief of Caring Today, a magazine whose...

Survey: sexual health is important for older adults.(FOCUS: Eldercareiour )
July 4, 2005... Sexual health is an essential element of the quality of life of adults 45+. according to AARP's recent study. The 2004 study focuses on almost 1,700 adults ages 45 and older and measures attitudes and other factors affecting their health,...

AARP report addresses needs of older population.(FOCUS: Eldercare)
July 4, 2005... Cities, towns and neighborhoods are not ready to serve the needs of their surging older population, warns the AARP report Beyond 50.05 Livable Communities: Creating Environments for Successful Aging, which takes a fresh look at the adequacy of...

Long-term care insurance looms as an important issue.(FOCUS: Eldercare)
July 4, 2005... Because we're living longer and because there are so many advantages for both employers and employees, long-term care insurance (LTCI) has become a fast-growing employee benefit. In 2001 only 3 percent of small businesses offered it, according...

Inheritance is not a priority for the silent generation.(FOCUS: Eldercare)
July 4, 2005... Eighty-three percent of "silent generation" pre-retirees and 90 percent of retirees are confident that they have enough money to live comfortably until at least age 85, according to the MetLife Retirement Income Decisions Study, The Silent...

Tech cluster seeks national identity.(Connecticut Technology Council and the Software and Information Technology Cluster)
July 4, 2005... Dan Schwartz's NexVue Information Systems in Stamford, is the type of company That Gov. M. Jodi Rell and her business development lieutenants want to see more of. In 20 years, NexVue went from being a small software provider to a company...

Building permits.(ON THE RECORD)
July 4, 2005... Commercial Antinozzi Associates, Stratford, contractor for Unilever HPC N.A., install fitness and day care center on commercial premises at 50 Commerce Drive, Trumbull. Estimated cost: $600,000. Filed May 5. Arbar Properties, re-roof...

Connecticut Florists Association.(2005 Connecticut Florist of the Year award for Robert Roehrich)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Robert Roehrich of Trumbull, owner and operator of City Line Florist, Trumbull, a flower shop, was named the 2005 Connecticut Florist of the Year by the Connecticut Florists Association, Monroe, a floral trade association.

Synapse Group Inc., Stamford, a provider of customer acquisition and management services for publishers of consumer magazines, was named among the top "50 Best Small and Medium Companies to Work for in America" for 2005 by Great Place to Work[R] Institute Inc., San Francisco, based on an employee survey.(Credits, Clients and Awards)
July 4, 2005... Synapse Group Inc., Stamford, a provider of customer acquisition and management services for publishers of consumer magazines, was named among the top "50 Best Small and Medium Companies to Work for in America" for 2005 by Great Place to...

Catalyst Marketing Communications Inc. Stamford, an advertising and public relations firm, received a first-place award in the 2005.(Bell Ringer Award competition)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Catalyst Marketing Communications Inc. Stamford, an advert sing and public relations firm, received a first-place award in the 2005 Bell Ringer Award competition presented by The Publicity Club of New England, Newburyport, Mass., a professional...

People's Bank, Bridgeport, received eight awards, including three gold medals.(Advertising Club of Connecticut's 2005 Award Show)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... People's Bank, Bridgeport, received eight awards, including three gold medals, in the 2005 Award Show of the Advertising Club of Connecticut, Rocky Hill, for the bank's campaign focused on students at the University of Connecticut, Storrs.

First County Bank Foundation Inc.(grants)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... First County Bank Foundation Inc., Stamford, awarded a total $440,584 to 50 Fairfield County nonprofit organizations for 2005. Grantees represent all of the communities served by First County Bank: Stamford, Darien, Greenwich, New Canaan,...

The Stamford Museum & Nature Center.(raises fund for educational programs)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... The Stamford Museum & Nature Center. Stamford, announced that it raised $90,000 for educational programs at the museum at its annual wine-tasting benefit.

VogtGoldstein, Westport, a marketing and communications firm, announced that it has been selected as the advertising agency for Orange and Rockland Utilities Inc.(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... VogtGoldstein, Westport, a marketing and communications firm, announced that it has been selected as the advertising agency for Orange and Rockland Utilities Inc., Pearl River, N.Y., a subsidiary of Consolidated Edison of New York Inc.

Waggener Edstrom Inc.(appointments)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Richard Jones of Danbury was appointed senior vice president and general manager of the East Coast offices at Waggener Edstrom Inc., a provider of strategic communications. Jones is based in the company's Stamford office. Since 2002, he was...

GE Commercial Finance Corporate Lending.(appointments)
July 4, 2005... Randy Hicks of Easton was promoted to managing director for the East region at GE Commercial Finance Corporate Lending, Norwalk, a unit of GE Commercial Finance that offers financing to companies. Since 2000, Hicks was managing director,...

Verilux Inc.(Joseph A. Vincent appointed)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Joseph A. Vincent of Stratford was appointed chief financial officer at Verilux Inc., Stamford, a designer and manufacturer of lighting products. Since 1993, Vincent was executive vice president and CFO at Novametrix Medical Systems Inc. Prior...

Protegrity Corp.(Dr. David L. Taylor appointed)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Dr. David L. Taylor of Stamford was appointed vice president of strategic services at Protegrity Corp., Stamford, a technology company specializing in data security management. Most recently, Taylor was chief research officer of TheInfoPro, New...

Fifth Street Capital L.L.C.(Lance M. Barrett appointed)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Lance M. Barrett of Fairfield was appointed vice president and controller at Fifth Street Capital L.L.C., White Plains, N.Y., an investment firm. Most recently, Barrett was finance manager at United Systems Integrators Corp., Stamford. Prior to...

VogtGoldstein.(promotions)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Kate Altmann of Fairfield was promoted to vice president, design director at VogtGoldstein, Westport, a marketing and communications firm. Altmann joined the firm in 2000 as an associate creative director. Prior to that, she owned and operated...

Sacred Heart University.(Michael L. Iannazzi appointed)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Michael L. Iannazzi of Fairfield was appointed to the newly created position of executive director of public relations at Sacred Heart University, Fairfield. Since 1997, Iannazzi worked at the School of Management of Yale University, New Haven,...

Quinnipiac University.(appointments)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Terry W. Goodwin of Greenwich was elected chairman of the board of trustees of Quinnipiac University, Hamden. Goodwin has served on the university's board since 1993. Before retiring in 2003, he was a vice president and manager of equity...

Connecticut Florists Association.(appointments)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Connecticut Florists Association, Monroe, a floral trade association, announced the election of the following individuals from Fairfield County to its board of directors: Lisa Fede of Shelton, owner and operator of Fruits & Rowers, Bridgeport;...

Court cases:.(ON THE RECORD)
July 4, 2005... Bridgeport Superior Court 296-298 Bunnell Street L.L.C., Bridgeport, et al.. Filed by Kris Asa Brown, Bridgeport. Plaintiff's attorney: Bruce J. Corrigan Jr., Westport. Action: plaintiff alleges he suffered painful and permanent injuries...

Deeds.(ON THE RECORD)
July 4, 2005... Commercial Andrews Realty Corp., Greenwich. Seller: Dianne and Richard Brand, Greenwich. Property: 9 Andrews Road, Greenwich. Amount: $2.3 million. Filed June 16. Beanie's Friends L.L.C., Trumbull. Seller: 5520 Park Avnue L.L.C.,...

Liens.(ON THE RECORD)(Public Notice)
July 4, 2005... Federal Tax Liens-filed Crosscurrents Investment Advisory, 40 Maplewood Drive, Danbury. $1,625.99, FICA and withholding taxes. Filed June 13. Federal Tax Liens-released Allen, Paul E., 88 Mount Pleasant Road, Newtown. $132,713.85...

Lis pendens.(ON THE RECORD)(Public Notice)
July 4, 2005... The following filings indicate a legal action has been initiated, the outcome of which may affect the title to the property listed. Argenio, Barbara J. Filed by People's Choice Home Loan Inc., Irvine, Calif., by Hunt Leibert Jacobson P.C.,...

Mortgages.(ON THE RECORD)(Public Notice)
July 4, 2005... 17 Harold Ave. L.L.C., Greenwich, by William Nethercott. Lender: Patriot National Bank, Stamford. Property: 17 Harold Ave., Greenwich. Amount: $964,000. Filed June 15. Andrews Realty Corp., Greenwich, by Jeffrey S. Stephens. Lender:...

On the agenda.(ON THE RECORD)(Calendar)
July 4, 2005... Thursday, July 7 FINE meeting, 9 a.m., Bridgeport Area Youth Ministry, Logan Street and Connecticut Avenue, Bridgeport. Call Harry Schaffer at 227-6617. Friday, July 8 Stamford Chamber of Commerce's "Soup 'n Sales" luncheon program, 11:30...

New business names.(ON THE RECORD)(Public Notice)
July 4, 2005... The Business Journal is not responsible for typographical errors contained in the original filings. 1st Flight Capital, 5 Ridge Road, Cos Cob, 06807, c/o Gary Cella. Filed June 2. A Cut Above Home Improvement, 1086 Essex Place,...

Public notices.(ON THE RECORD)(Public Notice)
July 4, 2005... Thursday, July 7 "Dear Brutus" production, 8 p.m., Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Powers St., Westport. Runs through July 24. $30 to $65. For tickets, call 227-4177. Sunday, July 10 Violinist Julie Lyonn Lieberman performance, 7 p.m.,...

Patents.(ON THE RECORD)(Public Notice)
July 4, 2005... The following patents were issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in Washington, D.C. Absorbent liner for sterilization process and method of sterilizing surgical instruments. Patent no. 6,902,712 issued to: Phillip Davis, Weston,...

Vision Engineering.(acquires research and development building)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Vision Engineering, New Milford, acquired a 27,500-square-foot research and development building on 2.41 acres of land at 101 Commerce Road, Brookfield, for $2.16 million. Tower Realty Corp., Brookfield, was the broker.

Susquehanna International Group.(leases)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Susquehanna International Group, a financial services firm based in Bala Cynwyd, Pa., leased an additional 3,339 square feet of office space at Metro Center, 1 Station Place, Stamford. Eadier in the year, Susquehanna leased more than 6,800...

Morgan & Finnegan L.L.P.(leases)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Morgan & Finnegan L.L.P., a New York City-based law firm, leased 3,025 square feet of office space at 100 First Stamford Place, Stamford. CB Richard Ellis, Stamford, represented the tenant. W&M Properties, Stamford, is the marketing and...

Resource directory.(Directory)
July 4, 2005... Advertising Agencies * Wrightway Creative Group 203-354-3650 A full-service advertising agency providing award winning creative and marketing services. Advertising/Graphic Design * CREATIVE EXCHANGE A creative graphic and Web...

Services.(RESOURCE DIRECTORY)(Brief Article)(Directory)
July 4, 2005... Accountancy * Accountemps--Temporary Financial Staffing Stamford 203-324-3399 Fax: 203-351-9831 White Plains 914,682.8842 Fax: 914-287-0054 * ADECCO--Phone: 914-946-8570 Fax: 914-946-8595 Adecco--The World's Largest Employment/ Contingent...

Legal services.(RESOURCE DIRECTORY)(Brief Article)(Directory)
July 4, 2005... Bankruptcy * Rattet, Pasternak & Gordon Oliver LLP 914-381-7400 550 Mamaroneck Ave., Harrison, NY Business Law (Formation, Contracts, Trademarks, Purchase/Sale) * Koo, larrabee & Lau-Kee, LLP 914-674-8000 www.kllklaw.com ...

Faces and places.
July 4, 2005... 1. Susan Izeman, Ph.D., director of the Greenwich Autism Program, is pictured with First Selectman Jim Lash after having received a proclamation recognizing the dedication of the staff and volunteers to the work of the organization. 2. UBS...

Globalization is good for America.(VIEWPOINT)
July 4, 2005... Globalization is a hot topic right now. We constantly hear of factories closing and Americans losing their jobs. Lou Dobbs on MoneyLine rails against the trend towards globalization. There are talks in Congress and state legislatures of...

More to estate tax.(VIEWPOINT)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Recently, the Journal did a good job of outlining the new Connecticut estate and gift tax as enacted by the General Assembly. Unfortunately there were some items overlooked The $2 million threshold cited in the article is not an exemption....

Profits & passions: successful business people have many dimensions, they even manage to have some fun.(The Iron Businessman)(Steve Nelson of Health Net of the Northeast Inc.)
July 4, 2005... The corporate leader illustrating business strategy through sports analogies and metaphors is hardly a new phenomenon. But not too many top executives flashing pictures of mountain climbers at leadership seminars can claim a resting heart rate...

Red 7 Media seeing green.(COMPETITIVE EDGE: Red 7 Media L.L.C.)(Kerry Smith of Red 7 Media L.L.C.)
July 11, 2005... In 1987, Kerry Smith and his father, also Kerry, started PROMO magazine to target marketing professionals. But "The first four years was absolute hell. Sometimes we didn't leave the office for four days." However, they persevered using their...

Rell stumping for top job?(M. Jodi Rell's budget)
July 11, 2005... Gov. M. Jodi Rell is not saying if she'll run for the office she took over last year after John Rowland resigned in a corruption scandal. However, in a recent speech at The Business Council of Fairfield County, the Brookfield resident...

Land-grab law due for change.(law on land usage)
July 11, 2005... After the U.S. Supreme Court ailed that a Connecticut law allowing local governments to condemn private property for economic development is legal under the Constitution, state lawmakers are considering changing the statute. The question...

Worth quoting.
July 11, 2005... "Fairfield County is the epicenter of the world's top 100 hedge funds. That makes Fairfield County a close No. 2 globally behind New York City. On a global basis, the other big center of acitivity is London." --Bruce McGuire, president of...

Law firm seeks space in fertile office market.(Cummings and Lockwood to relocate)
July 11, 2005... Stamford-based law firm Cummings & Lockwood L.L.C. is looking for office space to relocate 135 employees before its present lease expires in February. The law firm has occupied space at Four Stamford Plaza for the past 25 years. It also...

CFOs optimistic on hiring based on anticipated growth.(Chief financial officers)
July 11, 2005... Financial executives expect to continue hiring in the third quarter, but the rate of growth is anticipated to ease somewhat from second-quarter levels according to the Robert Half International Financial Hiring Index. Seven percent o chief...

Assisted-living housing planned near Danbury Hospital.
July 11, 2005... A former nursing home adjacent to Danbury Hospital is getting a new breath of life as a result of a multimillion-dollar rehab project that will transform it into an assisted-living and memory-care facility. Construction on Maplewood at...

Executives cite organized retail theft as top issue.
July 11, 2005... More than three-fourths of executives polled in a survey said their company has been a victim of organized retail theft in the past 12 months and 46 percent said they have witnessed an increase in organized criminal activity over the past year....

Bradley's impact on state economy dramatic.(Bradley International Airport)(Brief Article)
July 11, 2005... Over the next 20 years, Bradley International Airport is projected to support an annual average of more than 140,000 jobs, $11.4 billion in personal income and $34.6 billion in output, according to a state study. The study uses a new...

Darien's downtown seeks makeover.(small BUSINESS ZONE)(Darien Revitalization Association)
July 11, 2005... Darien will be getting some needed help in addressing its downtown business problems now that it has become the first Fairfield County community to be accepted in the Connecticut Main Street Program. The program, aimed at revitalizing...

How to stay on course while starting up a business.(Ask Andi?)(Column)
July 11, 2005... This week's question is about getting started, and comes to us from Judy Rizzio, who is planning to launch her second business this summer, JuD Blue Totes and Handbags. The business comes out of Judy Rizzio's search for the perfect handbag....

Business Web directory.(Directory)
July 11, 2005... ACCOUNTING & BUSINESS MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE IntelliBridge LLC www.IntelliBridgeLLC.com 203-877-5766 Microsoft Business Solutions--Great Plains Partner Free Software Selection Kit Answers@IntelliBridgeLLC.com ACCOUNTING Eisman, Zucker, Klein...

Aetna's Westchester office headed to Norwalk.
July 11, 2005... Citing the office need to have a more centrally located in relation to its clients, Aetna Inc. will move from Purchase, N.Y., to the renovated former Caldor headquarters at 20 Glover Ave. in Norwalk. "We are returning our office to...

Urstadt Biddle buys Westchester shopping center.(Urstadt Biddle Properties Inc. purchases Staples Plaza Shopping Center )(Brief Article)
July 11, 2005... Greenwich-based Urstadt Biddle Properties Inc. has purchased Staples Plaza Shopping Center in Yorktown Heights, N.Y., for $28.425 million, excluding closing costs. Staples Plaza is 97 percent leased and anchored by a 107,000-square-foot BJ...

MTM Technologies Inc. gets $5m investment.(Brief Article)
July 11, 2005... Computer and communications technology management company MTM Technologies Inc. has completed an additional $5 million investment from Pequot Ventures and Constellation Ventures. The Stamford-based firm provides networking and data-center...

Raytech Corp. warned of NYSE delisting.(New York Stock Exchange)(Brief Article)
July 11, 2005... The New York Stock Exchange has warned Shelton-based Raytech Corp. that the company does not meet revised standards for maintaining its listing on the exchange. NYSE reviewed Raytech's financial condition and found that the company is...

GE MedPro sold to Berkshire Hathaway.(Protective Corp. sold to Berkshire Hathaway Inc.)(Brief Article)
July 11, 2005... Medical General Electric has sole Protective Corp., one of only three remaining companies that provide malpractice insurance in Connecticut, to Columbia Insurance, a unit of Berkshire Hathaway, for $825 million. With more than $700 million...

NewAlliance acquires Trust Company of Connecticut.(NewAlliance Bancshares Inc.)(Brief Article)
July 11, 2005... While waiting on regulatory approva2 of its acquisition of Stamford-based Cornerstone Bancorp Inc., NewAlliance Bancshares Inc. of New Haven has completed its acquisition of Trust Company of Connecticut. NewAlliance is now the third largest...

Private secondary schools Fairfield County.(THE LIST)
July 11, 2005... Ranked by number of students. Listed alphabetically in event of tie. Ra- Name, address, phone number Principal/Headmaster nk Area code: 203 (unless Director of admissions otherwise noted) ...

Economists say economy to expand moderately.
July 11, 2005... After a two-year period of rapid growth, the U.S. economy will slow to a more sustainable pace going forward, the American Bankers Association Economic Advisory Committee (EAC) said recently. "The economy has entered the Goldilocks...

Private secondary schools Westchester County, N.Y.(THE LIST)
July 11, 2005... Ranked by number of students. Listed alphabetically in event of tie. Ra- Name, address, phone number Principal/Headmaster nk Area code: 203 (unless Director of admissions otherwise noted) ...

M&A market heats up.(mergers and acquisitions in private equity market)
July 11, 2005... Corporate M&A activity will remain strong during the second half of 2005 as companies seek growth through acquisitions in consolidating industries such as automotive, retail, utilities, energy, health care and financial services, according to...

County's employment flat-lined for past five years.(FOCUS: Real Estate, Economic Development, Environment, Construction, Architecture)(Fairfield County)
July 11, 2005... Fairfield County's basket of challenges, including traffic congestion, escalating state and local taxes and its ever-increasing high cost of living, may finally be having a negative effect on the regions economy. Last month, the Federal...

Builders take steps to curb housing speculation.(FOCUS: Real Estate, Economic Development, Environment, Construction, Architecture)
July 11, 2005... Home builders have been taking steps to curb speculative home buying by investors in the nation's hottest housing markets, according to several surveys conducted by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). "Builders--especially...

Design trend, state jobs drive architect's expansion.(FOCUS: Real Estate, Economic Development, Environment, Construction, Architecture)(Antinozzi Associates)
July 11, 2005... After winning large state contracts to redesign and expand a pair of technical high schools, Stratford-based Antinozzi Associates expects to add workers to both its architecture and interior design businesses. "There's a much greater...

Flexible loans led to increased minority homeownership.(FOCUS: Real Estate, Economic Development, Environment, Construction, Architecture)
July 11, 2005... A closer look at the pricing of mortgage products reveals that the increase in minority homeowners was made possible by lenders' ability to offer more flexible loan products. "Risk-based pricing and flexible loan contracts have created...

NAHB plugs for zero down payment.(FOCUS: Real Estate, Economic Development, Environment, Construction, Architecture)(National Association of Home Builders of the United States)(Brief Article)
July 11, 2005... The nation's home builders told Congress recently that a bipartisan legislative proposal establishing a pilot program for Federal Housing Administration (FHA) insurance of zero down payment mortgages would mean that "50,000 families would be...

Hot housing market masks growing affordability problem.(FOCUS: Real Estate, Economic Development, Environment, Construction, Architecture)
July 11, 2005... In 2004, housing markets posted record growth. Homeownership reached an all time high of 69 percent, with households of all ages, incomes, races and ethnicities joining the home-buying boom. Single-family starts hit a record 1.6 million units,...

Delinquency rate dips.(FOCUS: Real Estate, Economic Development, Environment, Construction, Architecture)(Brief Article)
July 11, 2005... The first-quarter 2005 National Delinquency Survey by the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) shows that the seasonally adjusted delinquency rate for mortgage loans on one-to-four-unit residential properties stood at 4.31 percent at the end of...

New-home sales steam along at near-record pace.(FOCUS: Real Estate, Economic Development, Environment, Construction, Architecture)(Brief Article)
July 11, 2005... Sales of new single-family homes continued at a near-record pace in May, bumping up 2.1 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.298 million units, the U.S. Commerce Department reported recently. This was 4.4 percent higher than...

Freddie offers new mortgage option to finance housing.(FOCUS: Real Estate, Economic Development, Environment, Construction, Architecture)
July 11, 2005... The Federal Home Mortgage Corp. unveiled a new multifamily mortgage option for select loans and borrowers that could significantly reduce the lease-up occupancy requirements, extend the rate-lock option and increase liquidity for newly...

Commercial mortgage debt continues to rise.(FOCUS: Real Estate, Economic Development, Environment, Construction, Architecture)
July 11, 2005... The level of commercial and multifamily mortgage debt outstanding continued to grow in the first quarter, according to Mortgage Bankers Association analysis of Federal Reserve Board How of Funds data. At the end of the first quarter 2005,...