Commercial Lenders See Hike in Originations
Commercial mortgage origination volumes during Q1 2007 ran 37% ahead of the same period last year, according to a survey by the Mortgage Bankers Association. That increased volume was driven in large part by the acquisition of REITs, including Blackstone Group’s $38.7 billion acquisition of Equity Office Properties Trust, which resulted in some $31.2 billion of financings. Of the major lenders, conduits or securitized lenders saw a 61% increase in volume in Q1 ‘07, while agency lenders such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac saw a 22% increase. When compared to Q4 ‘06, historically the most active quarter of any year, Q1 ‘07 saw a 15% decline.

Unplugged!

I recently tried the experiment of unplugging all appliances that were
not being used, including cell phone chargers, and saved $15 on my
electric bill in one month.
Ilsa G.

Leftovers

Instead of saving leftovers in Rubbermaid or Corning containers, scoop
them into zip top bags and store in one of the drawers of your
refrigerator. They take up so much less room, and the family gets used to
looking in that one spot instead of moving things around on the shelves.
Things seldom get “lost” because they’ve been pushed to the back, and you
can see exactly what’s available. Use a permanent marker and label with
date and contents.
Barb C.