| CoStar Lead Street (Nov. 4-10): Timberland, Dorms Answer to Housing Woes?
In this week's issue of CoStar Lead Street, Real Estate Capital Institute says invest in dorms, Brookfield Asset Management says timberland; NCR moves towards virtual growth but sets anchor in the World Trade Center; Sinclair Broadcast strays into commercial real estate investing; and CB Richard Ellis wins kudos for forecasting corporations' labor growth. Plus, we tell you where corporations have decided to grow and give you the latest major properties under contract. Dorm Investment Anything but Dormant With more national firms acquiring and aggregating student housing portfolios -- especially in major university campuses -- the sector could promise dynamic growth as many institutions are severely in need of affordable and available student housing on or near campuses, according to the Real Estate Capital Institute in Chicago.
E-mails detail student loan firm's drive for profits
E-mails written by managers of Iowa Student Loan Liquidity Corp., the nonprofit organization that dominates Iowa's college loan industry, show how the agency uses aggressive marketing tactics and seeks "continued hypergrowth."
Iowa's college students are among the most deeply in debt in the nation. That fact has led state lawmakers to examine whether Iowa Student Loan's strategies could be partly responsible.
The topic is on the agenda for a meeting today of the Iowa Legislature's Government Oversight Committee.
Although Iowa Student Loan was created by state government, it is a private, not-for-profit corporation. Today, the agency plays a lead role in guiding thousands of young Iowans in how to pay for their college educations.
Watchdog groups warn students not to rely too heavily on loans to pay for college, especially private loans, which are those offered by a bank or a loan agency such as Iowa Student Loan.
A Viable Alternative to Bankruptcy
(ARA) - If you're carrying thousands of dollars in credit card debt, struggling to pay the rent every month and getting calls from collections agencies, you might be considering bankruptcy. Yet for almost all circumstances, a good financial advisor will tell you that's the last thing you should do.Once you declare bankruptcy, there are many unpleasant implications. Not only do you lose control of your assets and have your dignity taken away, but when the debt is finally paid off, it will be very difficult to obtain credit again. Bankruptcies remain on your credit report for 10 years.Despite the negatives, there were 2,078,415 filings last year --- 2,039,214 among individuals, 39,201 by businesses according to the American Bankruptcy Institute. The numbers are expected to be a lot lower this year as a result of The Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005, signed into law last year.
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The cuts came following a special membership meeting Sept. 16, where members reached a consensus of cutbacks, New Deal Café Board Secretary Bill Wilkerson said. The café, a cooperative enterprise run by a board of directors and located in the Roosevelt Center, has struggled financially for years. It has unpaid loans, a depleted line of credit and outdated equipment. With donations and loans from Greenbelt residents and organizations, the café has managed to stay open for seven years. ‘‘Since it has opened, the New Deal Café has been a great place to meet new friends and share new ideas and information. It has a very stimulating atmosphere," Wilkerson said. Joel Moodie, the café’s general manager since June, said the restaurant accumulated $60,000 in debt from unpaid loans and not investing in capital projects for the restaurant.
Countrywide Comments on Financial Condition
CALABASAS, Calif., Nov. 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Countrywide Financial Corporation (Nachrichten) today commented on its financial condition. Consistent with the commentary provided in connection with the Company's third quarter 2007 earnings conference call held on October 26, management continues to believe that Countrywide has ample liquidity and capital and will be a beneficiary of ongoing mortgage market consolidation. The Company disclosed that it had $35.4 billion in highly reliable liquidity available at October 31, 2007, up from $33.6 billion available at September, 2007. Countrywide Bank, the Company's primary operating entity, has sufficient liquidity available to meet its projected operating and growth needs and has accumulated significant contingent liquidity in response to evolving market conditions.
(AFX UK Focus) 2007-11-15 03:04 GMT: Hong Kong shares lower on profit-taking after Wall Street's decline - UPDATE
HONG KONG (Thomson Financial) - Hong Kong shares were lower in volatile trading Thursday as investors locked in gains after the key Hang Seng Index jumped more than 1,300 points in the previous session. Wall Street's decline overnight sparked caution after HSBC Holdings and Bear Stearns disclosed further writedowns due to the credit market crisis. The Hang Seng Index was last down 159.53 points or 0.6 percent at 29,006.48, off a low of 28,990.86. "We see a short-term consolidation after the sharp rebound yesterday" with Wall Street's fall dampening sentiment in some blue chips, said Peter Lai, investment manager at DBS Vickers. "But there are also other factors (affecting the market) including the Shanghai market which opened lower and due to worries over a likely interest rate hike soon," he said.
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