| Subprime Borrowers: Not Innocents
A simple look at the blunt reality reveals that borrowers themselves should assume primary responsibility for the current subprime crisis. Millions of borrowers, all over the country, knowingly signed mortgage contracts they cannot now afford to honor. Provided that lenders did not engage in force or fraud—and there's no particular evidence they did so on a large scale—borrowers should do whatever they can to live up to the contracts they signed. The policies of lenders and government certainly helped the current crisis develop—but ultimately, do not absolve borrowers of responsibility for their debts. And in most cases, the mortgage lenders not only are innocent of the predatory practices borrowers complain about but also are feeling the pain right along with them.
Triple Net Properties Sells Caledon Wood Apartments In Greenville ...
SANTA ANA, Calif., Jan. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Chief Investment Officer Jeff Hanson announced today that Triple Net Properties LLC has sold Caledon Wood Apartments on behalf of tenant-in-common investors. The disposition closed on December 27, 2007. .
Historic cruise ship rendezvous
It was the first and only time the three ships will ever meet. The Queen Victoria was launched in December and the QE2 will be retired later this year and turned into a floating five-star hotel in Dubai. Thousands of New Yorkers stood along the waterfront of Lower Manhattan to watch the three grand vessels twinkling in the winter darkness as they lined in front of the Statue of Liberty amid fireworks. "They are big!" said Brammy Sturley, 8, who watched from aboard a Circle Line boat nearby in the harbor. Brammy's dad Steve described the boy as a "Cunard fanatic." A cold rain began to fall on the crowd on shore before the fireworks were over, but Manhattan resident Nadine Ellman, who sailed twice on the QE2, wasn't about to leave early. "This is for the die-hards," she said.
Assembly leaders propose $180M subprime relief package
New York State Assembly leaders have proposed a $180 million legislative package designed to combat the subprime lending crisis. The plan, put forth by Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan), Assembly Banking Committee Chairman Darryl Towns (D-Brooklyn) and Assembly Housing Chairman Vito Lopez (D-Brooklyn), includes $150 million for grants to homeowners who are in default and $30 million for organizations that provide counseling, mediation assistance and representation during the foreclosure process. The grants would be reserved for those homeowners who are actively engaged with lenders or loan servicers in developing work-out arrangements or modifying the mortgage. Lenders also would be required to participate in alleviating the debt. The bill, dubbed the "Responsible Lending Act of 2008" also would address predatory lending practices, such as negative amortization, prepayment penalties and lending without regard to prepayment ability by increasing the responsibilities lenders and brokers have toward borrowers.
Heavy early voting spurs high turnout expectation for primary
Party and elections officials said Florida's moving its primary from March to January this year has engaged voters who feel like the race is still undecided, and a heavily publicized property tax cutting amendment is likely fueling interest. More than 1 million of the state's 10.2 million registered voters had already cast an early ballot through Sunday, state officials said. That includes just more than 500,000 Republicans and about 435,000 Democrats. For Democrats, that's a more than fourfold increase from the March 2004 presidential primary, when 97,000 Democrats voted early. There was no Republican presidential primary in 2004, because President Bush ran for re-election. The turnout figures for the 2004 and 2000 primaries were about 20 percent. The heavy participation by Democrats surprised even party officials, because the Democratic National Committee punished Florida for moving its primary earlier by stripping all its delegates in the nominating process.
Just how low can you go?
They are everywhere. Encased in lace, just visible beneath the check-out girl's uniform at Sainsbury's, harnessed by spandex at the gym, like two setting suns about to disappear beneath the horizon of Victoria Beckham's slashed Cavalli dress, spilling from overly ambitious frocks at award ceremonies. Enough, I say. British women are confused about breasts: we need new guidelines - a little breastiquette, please. .
Radio & TV Talk
And more scripted shows run out of episodes. Thursday night, for instance, featured the final original episodes of "Ugly Betty" and "Chuck." There are still three "House" episodes. "Brothers and Sisters" has two. "CSI: NY" has one. Otherwise, most of the top 20 scripted shows are out of fresh episodes, including the two other CSIs, "Grey's," "Two & a Half Men," "Desperate," "Heroes," "NCIS," "Without a Trace," "Criminal Minds" and "SVU." TV Guide tracks the coundtown here.. "Price Is Right" ratings are down 9 percent with Drew Carey vs. Bob Barker. And poor Carey—his primetime game show "Power of 10" was yanked after two tries vs. "Idol" and horrible ratings results. That fascinating History Channel two-hour doc "Life After People" about what the world would be like if we all just disappeared pulled in a network record 5.4 million viewers earlier this week.
Institutional Investor and Alpha Present the 14th Annual MARHedge ...
In addition, since Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC acquired Metal Bulletin Plc in October 2006, Ms. Alfano has managed the MARHedge business. As Managing Director, Ms. Alfano oversees more than 90 employees in New York, London, and Hong Kong with responsibility for every aspect of the business, including sales and editorial content as well as the marketing, client services, and logistics functions. Since 1987, she has supervised new product development for the division, which conducts business in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East with annual revenues of more than $40 million. Her division is the largest and most profitable business group within Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC. Prior to joining Institutional Investor in 1984, Ms. Alfano was a Sales Account Executive with the Burroughs Corporation from 1979 to 1983.
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