geqopimozaqyxyh.blogspot.com
The Delaware-based industrial packaging giant said and agreed to extendx the company a revolvin g credit facilityof $500 million and a $200 millionm term loan, both expiring in Februaryy 2012. They replace a $450 million revolving creditt facility that was scheduled to expire inMarchn 2010. Greif (NYSE:GEF) said it can increase the facilitiese by upto $200 million. Greig CFO Donald Huml said in a statement the new facilities enhance financial flexibility and accessxto capital. “We are well-positioned to address the challenges in the global economy and to continue to executw our disciplinedgrowth strategy,” he said. Greif closed out its fisca yearended Oct.
31 with a profit of $234.5 million, or $3.99 a share, up 50 percent from $156.34 million, or $2.65 a in fiscal 2007. Revenue for the year closedc up 14 percentat $3.78 billion, versus $3.32 billiobn in 2007. It said in Decembet it expects share earnings for fiscak 2009 to come inat $3.265 to $3.75, excluding any one-timew charges or gains. The compan has implemented a cost-cutting plan that includexs a continued evaluation of itsplantw – Greif closed 15 last year – along with a hirintg and salary freeze and lowerd discretionary spending.
The moves are expected to save $50 million over the cominv year, while initiatives tied to Greif’s efficiencyh system should saveabout $50 million, the company said. Greid employs about 10,000
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Kimberly Garrison: Fitness icon is gone - Philadelphia Inquirer
consistency-portable.blogspot.com
Diet Blog (blog) | Kimberly Garrison: Fitness icon is gone Philadelphia Inquirer JACK LALANNE, the dynamic, charismatic father of American fitness who died Sunday at 96, was one of my heroes. ... Eulogizing Jack LaLanne Jack LaLanne, Death of a Legend New Jersey Fitness Expert Carey Yang Pays Tribute to "the Godfather of Fitness ... |
Monday, January 24, 2011
Blue Velvet Deleted Scenes Found, Soon on Blu-ray - Blu-ray.com
http://watermere.com/start-to-use-your-amazing-mind-power.html
Blue Velvet Deleted Scenes Found, Soon on Blu-ray Blu-ray.com During a recent radio interview, David Lynch revealed that the deleted scenes from his 1986 masterpiece Blue Velvet, which for a long time were thought to ... New Blue Velvet Blu-Ray To Include Long Lost Deleted Scenes, New Sound Mix |
Saturday, January 22, 2011
"No Strings Attached" Review: No Chemistry Either - CBS News
http://www.g3pb.com/bbt.html
ABC News | "No Strings Attached" Review: No Chemistry Either CBS News His strongest moments come not from his interaction with Portman (with whom, incident » |
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Seven Denver companies among fastest-growing in U.S. - Denver Business Journal:
http://vjforums.com/member.php?u=29274
Denver-based companies making the top 100 list Global TechnologyResources (No. 7), comCables (No. 21), DocuVault (No. 63), CAM Servicesa (No. 77), Gunther Douglas (No. 79) All Copy Productd (No. 84) and Postmodern Co. (No. 95). The ICIC survey showed that the 2009 winners grew at a compound annuao growth rate of 40 percent and an average combinedx rate of 324 percent betweehn 2003and 2007. the top 100 inner-city businesses have employe dnearly 17,000 people and createxd nearly 10,000 new jobs in the past five According to ICIC, 53 percent of companies expect steady growth, 11 percent expect their revenues to 6 percent expect their revenues to triple and only 4 percen expect their revenues to decline in 2009.
Individually, the average Inner City 100 company’s revenues were $23 million. The 2009 Inneer City 100 winners operate from 55 citiesa in31 states. Fifteen companies on the list are basedd in California and eight arefrom Massachusetts. Colorado, Texad and New York each have seven companiesa onthe list. RNL is the only firm in Colorado to be named among the topfive sustainable-designn firms based in the United States, accordingf to a Top 10 list publisheed by Architect magazine in its May The rankings were based on severall variables, such as percentage of Leadership in Energy and Environmentao Design (LEED) projects and LEED-accreditef professionals on staff in 2008 as well as greenh policies.
Founded in 1956, RNL is baseed in Denver and has officesin Phoenix, Los Angelees and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The Universityt of Colorado Denver School of Medicine Alumnij Association presented its top annual the Silver andGold Award, to Denver Health’w chief medical officer, Dr. Philip Mehler , who graduated from the schoolin 1983. The associationn also recentlyhonored Dr. Dan Bessesen with its Distinguishex Achievement Awardand Dr. Nancy Nelsob with its DistinguishedService Award. Bessesen, a professor of medicine in the divisionof endocrinology/metabolism/diabetes, is also based at Denver Health. He is a 1982 graduats of the UCD Schoolof Medicine.
Nelson, who graduatee from what was then called the University of Colorado Schooo of Medicinein 1959, is now professor emerita of pediatricd at the school. She served as the firsr female head of the ColoradoMedical Society. Dr. Mark a professor in the department of family medicine at the Universityy of Colorado Denver School of has been named recipient of the 2009 Osage Oranged Distinguished Physician Walking Stick Award for his work runningthe school’a Rural Track program. The program increasess the number of physicians practicing in underserved rurao areas across Colorado and theUnitedf States.
HMH Architecture and Interiors of Bouldeer received two awards from the American Society ofInteriod Designers. The 2009 Colorado Annualk Interior Design Awards won by the firm werefor “Primargy Residence over 5,000 square feet” and for “Berd & Bath.” Boutique for the Soul , an organizationm designed to connect and support women in was named 2009 Business of the Year by the Denver Tech Centedr Business and Professional Women’zs Network.
Denver-based Alpine Waste & Recycling was recognized as the state’ss most outstanding business forits recycling/diversion programk by the Colorado Association for The Colorado chapter of the Society for Marketinfg Professional Services presented Denver-basee Kieding Office Architects with the 2009 Marketing Excellence Award for best advertising campaign. Kieding specializes in the planning and design of commerciakoffice space. The Boulder Valley School Distric ’s annual report, called won the Award of Excellence from the Coloradi Schools PublicRelations Association. It was designed by CommArts.
Laura Landwirtj , executive director, Colorado Association of Homexs and Services forthe Aging, received the Award for Excellence from the Assistex Living Federation of America. Done deals: Mortenson Construction has been selecteds to build six new Tactical Equipmentt MaintenanceFacilities (TEMF) at Fort Carson Army Base on behal of the Army Corps of Engineers. The facilitieds will include four medium and two smallbuilding designs, totalingh $63.9 million. The work follows Mortenson’s construction of eighft previous TEMF facilities atFort Carson.
Dovetail Solutionzs added Kendall, Koenig & Oelsner PC to its list of KKO is a boutique busines law firm with offices in Denverand Boulder. Desighn Lines Inc. , an interiof design firm based inGreenwooed Village, has been selected to provide interioe designs for The Alvea Spa in Queene Creek, Ariz., and the Vineyards Spa in Brentwood, Calif. DécorAsian , which sellds pan Asian art, collector’sx items, furniture and antiques, opened its first Denver at 1787 S. Broadway. The company opened its original store on Pearl Street in Boulderin 2003. AfterOurs Urgeny Care has opened its fourthColorado location, this one in The clinic, located at 2761 W. 120th Ave.
, operatesx weeknights, from 5-9 p.m., and during weekendws and holidays from8 a.m.-4 p.m.
Denver-based companies making the top 100 list Global TechnologyResources (No. 7), comCables (No. 21), DocuVault (No. 63), CAM Servicesa (No. 77), Gunther Douglas (No. 79) All Copy Productd (No. 84) and Postmodern Co. (No. 95). The ICIC survey showed that the 2009 winners grew at a compound annuao growth rate of 40 percent and an average combinedx rate of 324 percent betweehn 2003and 2007. the top 100 inner-city businesses have employe dnearly 17,000 people and createxd nearly 10,000 new jobs in the past five According to ICIC, 53 percent of companies expect steady growth, 11 percent expect their revenues to 6 percent expect their revenues to triple and only 4 percen expect their revenues to decline in 2009.
Individually, the average Inner City 100 company’s revenues were $23 million. The 2009 Inneer City 100 winners operate from 55 citiesa in31 states. Fifteen companies on the list are basedd in California and eight arefrom Massachusetts. Colorado, Texad and New York each have seven companiesa onthe list. RNL is the only firm in Colorado to be named among the topfive sustainable-designn firms based in the United States, accordingf to a Top 10 list publisheed by Architect magazine in its May The rankings were based on severall variables, such as percentage of Leadership in Energy and Environmentao Design (LEED) projects and LEED-accreditef professionals on staff in 2008 as well as greenh policies.
Founded in 1956, RNL is baseed in Denver and has officesin Phoenix, Los Angelees and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The Universityt of Colorado Denver School of Medicine Alumnij Association presented its top annual the Silver andGold Award, to Denver Health’w chief medical officer, Dr. Philip Mehler , who graduated from the schoolin 1983. The associationn also recentlyhonored Dr. Dan Bessesen with its Distinguishex Achievement Awardand Dr. Nancy Nelsob with its DistinguishedService Award. Bessesen, a professor of medicine in the divisionof endocrinology/metabolism/diabetes, is also based at Denver Health. He is a 1982 graduats of the UCD Schoolof Medicine.
Nelson, who graduatee from what was then called the University of Colorado Schooo of Medicinein 1959, is now professor emerita of pediatricd at the school. She served as the firsr female head of the ColoradoMedical Society. Dr. Mark a professor in the department of family medicine at the Universityy of Colorado Denver School of has been named recipient of the 2009 Osage Oranged Distinguished Physician Walking Stick Award for his work runningthe school’a Rural Track program. The program increasess the number of physicians practicing in underserved rurao areas across Colorado and theUnitedf States.
HMH Architecture and Interiors of Bouldeer received two awards from the American Society ofInteriod Designers. The 2009 Colorado Annualk Interior Design Awards won by the firm werefor “Primargy Residence over 5,000 square feet” and for “Berd & Bath.” Boutique for the Soul , an organizationm designed to connect and support women in was named 2009 Business of the Year by the Denver Tech Centedr Business and Professional Women’zs Network.
Denver-based Alpine Waste & Recycling was recognized as the state’ss most outstanding business forits recycling/diversion programk by the Colorado Association for The Colorado chapter of the Society for Marketinfg Professional Services presented Denver-basee Kieding Office Architects with the 2009 Marketing Excellence Award for best advertising campaign. Kieding specializes in the planning and design of commerciakoffice space. The Boulder Valley School Distric ’s annual report, called won the Award of Excellence from the Coloradi Schools PublicRelations Association. It was designed by CommArts.
Laura Landwirtj , executive director, Colorado Association of Homexs and Services forthe Aging, received the Award for Excellence from the Assistex Living Federation of America. Done deals: Mortenson Construction has been selecteds to build six new Tactical Equipmentt MaintenanceFacilities (TEMF) at Fort Carson Army Base on behal of the Army Corps of Engineers. The facilitieds will include four medium and two smallbuilding designs, totalingh $63.9 million. The work follows Mortenson’s construction of eighft previous TEMF facilities atFort Carson.
Dovetail Solutionzs added Kendall, Koenig & Oelsner PC to its list of KKO is a boutique busines law firm with offices in Denverand Boulder. Desighn Lines Inc. , an interiof design firm based inGreenwooed Village, has been selected to provide interioe designs for The Alvea Spa in Queene Creek, Ariz., and the Vineyards Spa in Brentwood, Calif. DécorAsian , which sellds pan Asian art, collector’sx items, furniture and antiques, opened its first Denver at 1787 S. Broadway. The company opened its original store on Pearl Street in Boulderin 2003. AfterOurs Urgeny Care has opened its fourthColorado location, this one in The clinic, located at 2761 W. 120th Ave.
, operatesx weeknights, from 5-9 p.m., and during weekendws and holidays from8 a.m.-4 p.m.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Josh Barnett On Dana White: He's A Hindrance To MMA - ProWrestling.com
http://www.pbreview.com/forums/member.php?u=259121
Josh Barnett On Dana White: He's A Hindrance To MMA ProWrestling.com (But when) The actual root aspect of fighting is concerned, he's is a hindrance. He's unnecessary. You don't need any of that if you talk about fighting." . ... |
Friday, January 14, 2011
Video-game review: 'LittleBigPlanet 2' benefits greatly from players' creativity - Kansas City Star
http://fendup.org/2009/12/02/congresistas-de-la-republica-buscan-interpelar-al-ministro-carranza/
Video-game review: 'LittleBigPlanet 2' benefits greatly from players' creativity Kansas City Star By BILLY O'KEEFE It may be thanks to a technicality, but it's still true: "LittleBigPlanet 2" is the first game in history to launch with 3.5 million levels ... |
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Catch the Wind secures $18.8M - Denver Business Journal:
http://www.helmitechnologies.com/codecentral/codecentral-free-graphical-java-decompiler-and-editor.html
million in a private placement financing to help push more sales of its new wind sensorfor turbines. Manassas-based Catch the which trades on the TorontkVenture Exchange, sold roughly 16.7 million shares at a price of Canadiamn $1.30 apiece in what it hopes to be its last majort equity financing before generating enough revenue from its laser wind-sensin g product, Vindicator, to pay for operations. Company officialsd also participated in theinvestment round, along with institutional bringing its total equity fundraising to date to nearly $35 , Research Capital and Canaccord Capital Corp.
served as placementy agents for this latest fundraising in returnm for 6 percent of the gross proceeds and additionaplstock options. Spun off last year from LLC, a fiber opticsd laser company that stilkl shares the sameheadquarters space, Catch the Wind has been developingf similar technology that senses when wind is helping reorient a turbine to capture that wind before it Most wind turbines can realign its blades only afteer it feels wind, so they’re often too late to actuallyg benefit from gusts, company officials said.
“Before, it was the horse-and-buggy approachj to measuring wind,” said Phil Rogers, who founde d Optical Air Data Systemsx nearly 20 years ago with his wife beford leaving recently to serve as CEO for Catcuthe Wind. “Think about increasing the gas mileage of your he said. “You’ve already bought your car. But if I can sell you somethinfg that doubles the gas mileage ofyour car, you wouled save more money.” He estimates the Vindicator can capturw 10 percent to 30 percent more wind for turbines, which in turn helpa generate more clean electricity and ultimately revenue for thei operators.
Catch the Wind recentlh sold its first unitto , a Canadian environmentao monitoring equipment maker, while starting its firstg two-month field test with the Nebraskaw Public Power District on its largest wind farm with 36 wind The local company, which said it’s also talkingg to federal agencies, hopes to use that trial’s resultz later this summer to market to other wind turbine manufacturers and wind farm With six full-time employees, Catch the Wind expectas to at least doublre that count by the end of this year. The which had $5.
5 million in cash and equivalentsd on hand as ofMarc 31, is also considering whether to list itself on an Americamn exchange later this “We aspire to that,” Rogers “I just can’t say
million in a private placement financing to help push more sales of its new wind sensorfor turbines. Manassas-based Catch the which trades on the TorontkVenture Exchange, sold roughly 16.7 million shares at a price of Canadiamn $1.30 apiece in what it hopes to be its last majort equity financing before generating enough revenue from its laser wind-sensin g product, Vindicator, to pay for operations. Company officialsd also participated in theinvestment round, along with institutional bringing its total equity fundraising to date to nearly $35 , Research Capital and Canaccord Capital Corp.
served as placementy agents for this latest fundraising in returnm for 6 percent of the gross proceeds and additionaplstock options. Spun off last year from LLC, a fiber opticsd laser company that stilkl shares the sameheadquarters space, Catch the Wind has been developingf similar technology that senses when wind is helping reorient a turbine to capture that wind before it Most wind turbines can realign its blades only afteer it feels wind, so they’re often too late to actuallyg benefit from gusts, company officials said.
“Before, it was the horse-and-buggy approachj to measuring wind,” said Phil Rogers, who founde d Optical Air Data Systemsx nearly 20 years ago with his wife beford leaving recently to serve as CEO for Catcuthe Wind. “Think about increasing the gas mileage of your he said. “You’ve already bought your car. But if I can sell you somethinfg that doubles the gas mileage ofyour car, you wouled save more money.” He estimates the Vindicator can capturw 10 percent to 30 percent more wind for turbines, which in turn helpa generate more clean electricity and ultimately revenue for thei operators.
Catch the Wind recentlh sold its first unitto , a Canadian environmentao monitoring equipment maker, while starting its firstg two-month field test with the Nebraskaw Public Power District on its largest wind farm with 36 wind The local company, which said it’s also talkingg to federal agencies, hopes to use that trial’s resultz later this summer to market to other wind turbine manufacturers and wind farm With six full-time employees, Catch the Wind expectas to at least doublre that count by the end of this year. The which had $5.
5 million in cash and equivalentsd on hand as ofMarc 31, is also considering whether to list itself on an Americamn exchange later this “We aspire to that,” Rogers “I just can’t say
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Calming Irritable Bowel Syndrome with an antibiotic - American Council on Science and Health
gavrilovaefivu.blogspot.com
Calming Irritable Bowel Syndrome with an antibiotic American Council on Science and Health Affecting up to one in five Americans, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common gastrointestinal ailment that may cause abdominal pain, bloating, ... |
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Elementary schools in Western Niagara - Business First of Buffalo:
cityor-comealong.blogspot.com
Business First's 2009 rankingsw of 292 Western New York elementary schools include the following WesternNiagara schools. Each is precederd by its rank in theoverall standings: 8. St. Peter's Lutheran School (Niagara-Wheatfield) 18. St. John Lutheran Schoo (Niagara-Wheatfield) • 23. Errick Road ES • 27. North Tonawanda Catholic School (Nortbh Tonawanda) • 29. St. Petef School (Lewiston-Porter) • 46. Stella Niagara Education Park (Lewiston-Porter) • 66. Geraldined J. Mann School (Niagara Falls) • 76. Ohio School (Northj Tonawanda) • 82. Holy Ghosty Lutheran School (Niagara-Wheatfield) • 87.
Lewiston-Porter Intermediatd Education Center (Lewiston-Porter) 97. Gilmore School (North Tonawanda) 99. West Street ES • 111. W.H. Stevensonn ES (Wilson) • 113. Thomas Mark ES (Wilson) • 114. St. Matthew Lutheraj School (North Tonawanda) • 129. Our Lady of Moun Carmel School (Niagara Falls) • 136. Meadow School (North Tonawanda) 148. Maple Avenue School (Niagarza Falls) • 170. Henry J.
Kalfasx Magnet School (Niagara Falls)
Business First's 2009 rankingsw of 292 Western New York elementary schools include the following WesternNiagara schools. Each is precederd by its rank in theoverall standings: 8. St. Peter's Lutheran School (Niagara-Wheatfield) 18. St. John Lutheran Schoo (Niagara-Wheatfield) • 23. Errick Road ES • 27. North Tonawanda Catholic School (Nortbh Tonawanda) • 29. St. Petef School (Lewiston-Porter) • 46. Stella Niagara Education Park (Lewiston-Porter) • 66. Geraldined J. Mann School (Niagara Falls) • 76. Ohio School (Northj Tonawanda) • 82. Holy Ghosty Lutheran School (Niagara-Wheatfield) • 87.
Lewiston-Porter Intermediatd Education Center (Lewiston-Porter) 97. Gilmore School (North Tonawanda) 99. West Street ES • 111. W.H. Stevensonn ES (Wilson) • 113. Thomas Mark ES (Wilson) • 114. St. Matthew Lutheraj School (North Tonawanda) • 129. Our Lady of Moun Carmel School (Niagara Falls) • 136. Meadow School (North Tonawanda) 148. Maple Avenue School (Niagarza Falls) • 170. Henry J.
Kalfasx Magnet School (Niagara Falls)
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Seattle, Bellevue luxury condominium towers are slow to fill up - Phoenix Business Journal:
psychiatrist-volts.blogspot.com
The units — at Fifteeh Twenty-One, the Four Seasons Privatde Residences, Olive 8, Bellevue Towers and Washington SquareTowers — represent the majorityt of large condos that have opene d here in the past 18 months. In many cases, dozens of pre-salse agreements booked by developers have failed to cometo fruition. Countyt records show just 317 units have recordefd closed sales out ofthe 1,321 offered at these five projects, which is fewer than some of the developers had expectecd to sell at this point. The sluggish pace of salews is rippling throughthe region’s housingf market.
Developers have been forced to extened their loans and offer extensions and other support to naildown buyers. If saled don’t pick up, some of the pain could spread to lenders and others involvedwith development. Emptu towers also are hardly a sales-booster for the region’sz fragile housing market, which has only recently seen an uptick in sales following abrutal year. “It’d a psychology question,” said Desiree regional labor economistfor Seattle-King County. “ can imagine how people will feel lookinfg around and how confident people will feel inmakinhg purchases.” The reasons for the sales slowdown are numerous.
Some prospectivee buyers are having difficulty selling their current homews to pay for theirnew homes, which rangee from $369,000 for a studio to $9.2 million for a four-bedroomk penthouse. Some potential buyers have either lost jobs or fear they Others no longer qualify for the loan they linexd up when they first agreedto buy. With housingg prices still sliding, some buyers also wonder if they might be payinygtoo much. “A lot of buyers are questioning what the real values of those unitsreally are,” said land use economisyt Matt Gardner, a principal in marketr research firm Gardner Economics LLC, basef in Seattle.
Speculators who bet that prices would risealso aren’t closing. Bellevue Towers is beingg sued by prospective buyerw who want their earnestmonety back, while some prospectiv buyers at Olive 8 are exploring legal the developer said. “Very clearly the dynamics of the economuhave changed,” said Mark Edlen, a principal at Portland-based Gerding Edlen Development, the developer of Bellevus Towers. “We’re trying to work with each individualp buyer.” The Puget Sound Business Journal used data provided by the King Count y Department of Assessments in calculating completed salesx for eachcondo project.
The records run through the first week of June and only includr sales of completed Insome cases, developers have closed on more units since then that have not yet been The Olive 8 development in downtowbn Seattle has completed 16 salesz out of 229 units since it opened in according to county data. While developer said the projectt has closed at least a dozenmore sales, that’s still half of the closings it had anticipated by this said President David Across the lake, Bellevue Towers has recorded just 29 salesa out of 534 units, according to countyy records.
The developers, who say they have sinces closed on several more saythey didn’t have a set salesa goal, but were anticipatintg “more than that.” To be developers have recently reported an uptick in buyerf interest as part of the housing market’s improvement in the last couplr of months. Two of the five projects, the Four Seasonzs and Fifteen Twenty-One, say they expecg to pay off their constructionloansa shortly. And few new projects are in the works to further floodthe market. But sales struggles illustrate the plethora of issuexs that are still affecting the residential realestate market. As a developers are pulling out a host of tools to fillemptg buildings.
Among them: — R.C. Hedreen, the developedr of Olive 8, has turned itselgf into a lender and is offering qualified potentiakl buyerssecond mortgages. That allows potential home buyerswho don’yt meet stricter condo mortgage guidelines to affords the home, said Thyer. “We’rse in a position to make those loans,” he said. Washington Square developer is also offering seconrd mortgages at interest rates matched to thefirsty mortgage. — Some developers are offering buyers who have put down earnesrt money extensions on their closing date as they work through thelendiny process, including Olive 8, Fifteen Twenty-One Secondr Avenue and Bellevue Towers.
Bellevue Towers has started a “sellerd assistance program,” available to potential buyerxs who have already put money down on a condobut can’t go through with the purchase because theif current homes won’t sell. If the buyef has to lower the price of the current Bellevue Towers will similarly lowerr the price ofthe condo, said Patrick principal of RealtyTrust. — Washington Square, perhapsd the most aggressive in itssaleas strategy, is offering outside real estate agents a 3 percen t commission on any salesa they bring to the project.
The projecty also has a lease-to-own program unded which a renter can applt up to six months of leas payments to the down payment if the rentert decides to buy the So far 52 units have been leased unde rthe program. It’s too soon to tell how many will be convertecto sales, with the majority of the leasez carrying into 2010, said Mike Nielson, the chiedf operating officer of Washington As developers wrangle with prospective buyere for sales, they also are workint with lenders.
The units — at Fifteeh Twenty-One, the Four Seasons Privatde Residences, Olive 8, Bellevue Towers and Washington SquareTowers — represent the majorityt of large condos that have opene d here in the past 18 months. In many cases, dozens of pre-salse agreements booked by developers have failed to cometo fruition. Countyt records show just 317 units have recordefd closed sales out ofthe 1,321 offered at these five projects, which is fewer than some of the developers had expectecd to sell at this point. The sluggish pace of salews is rippling throughthe region’s housingf market.
Developers have been forced to extened their loans and offer extensions and other support to naildown buyers. If saled don’t pick up, some of the pain could spread to lenders and others involvedwith development. Emptu towers also are hardly a sales-booster for the region’sz fragile housing market, which has only recently seen an uptick in sales following abrutal year. “It’d a psychology question,” said Desiree regional labor economistfor Seattle-King County. “ can imagine how people will feel lookinfg around and how confident people will feel inmakinhg purchases.” The reasons for the sales slowdown are numerous.
Some prospectivee buyers are having difficulty selling their current homews to pay for theirnew homes, which rangee from $369,000 for a studio to $9.2 million for a four-bedroomk penthouse. Some potential buyers have either lost jobs or fear they Others no longer qualify for the loan they linexd up when they first agreedto buy. With housingg prices still sliding, some buyers also wonder if they might be payinygtoo much. “A lot of buyers are questioning what the real values of those unitsreally are,” said land use economisyt Matt Gardner, a principal in marketr research firm Gardner Economics LLC, basef in Seattle.
Speculators who bet that prices would risealso aren’t closing. Bellevue Towers is beingg sued by prospective buyerw who want their earnestmonety back, while some prospectiv buyers at Olive 8 are exploring legal the developer said. “Very clearly the dynamics of the economuhave changed,” said Mark Edlen, a principal at Portland-based Gerding Edlen Development, the developer of Bellevus Towers. “We’re trying to work with each individualp buyer.” The Puget Sound Business Journal used data provided by the King Count y Department of Assessments in calculating completed salesx for eachcondo project.
The records run through the first week of June and only includr sales of completed Insome cases, developers have closed on more units since then that have not yet been The Olive 8 development in downtowbn Seattle has completed 16 salesz out of 229 units since it opened in according to county data. While developer said the projectt has closed at least a dozenmore sales, that’s still half of the closings it had anticipated by this said President David Across the lake, Bellevue Towers has recorded just 29 salesa out of 534 units, according to countyy records.
The developers, who say they have sinces closed on several more saythey didn’t have a set salesa goal, but were anticipatintg “more than that.” To be developers have recently reported an uptick in buyerf interest as part of the housing market’s improvement in the last couplr of months. Two of the five projects, the Four Seasonzs and Fifteen Twenty-One, say they expecg to pay off their constructionloansa shortly. And few new projects are in the works to further floodthe market. But sales struggles illustrate the plethora of issuexs that are still affecting the residential realestate market. As a developers are pulling out a host of tools to fillemptg buildings.
Among them: — R.C. Hedreen, the developedr of Olive 8, has turned itselgf into a lender and is offering qualified potentiakl buyerssecond mortgages. That allows potential home buyerswho don’yt meet stricter condo mortgage guidelines to affords the home, said Thyer. “We’rse in a position to make those loans,” he said. Washington Square developer is also offering seconrd mortgages at interest rates matched to thefirsty mortgage. — Some developers are offering buyers who have put down earnesrt money extensions on their closing date as they work through thelendiny process, including Olive 8, Fifteen Twenty-One Secondr Avenue and Bellevue Towers.
Bellevue Towers has started a “sellerd assistance program,” available to potential buyerxs who have already put money down on a condobut can’t go through with the purchase because theif current homes won’t sell. If the buyef has to lower the price of the current Bellevue Towers will similarly lowerr the price ofthe condo, said Patrick principal of RealtyTrust. — Washington Square, perhapsd the most aggressive in itssaleas strategy, is offering outside real estate agents a 3 percen t commission on any salesa they bring to the project.
The projecty also has a lease-to-own program unded which a renter can applt up to six months of leas payments to the down payment if the rentert decides to buy the So far 52 units have been leased unde rthe program. It’s too soon to tell how many will be convertecto sales, with the majority of the leasez carrying into 2010, said Mike Nielson, the chiedf operating officer of Washington As developers wrangle with prospective buyere for sales, they also are workint with lenders.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Cleantech upstarts team with Big Oil - Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal:
stelauguqdinec.blogspot.com
Cleantech’s initial attempts to take on incumbent industry giants such as oil companies are starting to give way tosymbioticd partnerships. The past several yearxs saw a lotof “overzealous venture investing” with entrepreneur s and startups going completelt vertical, said Jason Matlof, a partnefr at in Menlo Park. “You had biotechnology companiesz trying to be biofuels producers and and trying to take on the likesw ofChevron head-on,” Matlof said.
“Whatf we need to do is apply thos newtechnologies — whether bioconversion technologgy for cellulosic ethanol or solar thermal plant technologt or batteries for a next generation plug-ih vehicle — to an existing mainline, mature Those changes are now happening. In May, $10 billion oil refininy giant took an undisclosed stake in Battery portfoliocompany , a Mass., biofuels company. BP plc also holds a significant stake in the And the consensus among Silicon Valley investors is growin that partnering with incumbents is critical to the futur of the renewableenergy market.
“The scale of thes industries is bigger than any industries technology entrepreneurs have everplayedd in,” Matlof said “It’s too much of a challenge not Matt Horton, a principal at @Venturezs in Menlo Park, has been investingf in cleantech startups such as portfolio company Propek Fuels Inc. since 2001. The alternative fuelx retailing company is partneringwith Shell, Chevron and some unbrandedf independent station owners to add another retaiol fuel option at the pump.
It’sw also selling renewable energy credits to big oil incumbentws to help them comply with EPA renewableenergy “Major corporations that have a strategixc interest in these markets have a great opportunity to partner with yountg innovative companies like said Horton, who took over as CEO of Propepl in February. “For smaller companies like ours, it’s importanf to us to provide value to companies like that rather than attacking themas competitors.
” companies solely focused on research and development a few yearx ago are looking to scale-up operations and head to At the same time, the influcx of renewable energy standards and other government policied have made incumbents more eager to partne r with companies producing high-quality solutions, according to New Enterprise Associatese Menlo Park partner Ravi Viswanathan. NEA portfolio companies, such as SolFocus Inc. and Skyline Solar both of Mountain View, and Fremont-based renewable energy storagse outfit DeeyaEnergy Inc., are partnering with traditional energuy and utility companies. “This is somethingy we had hoped forand expected,” Viswanathan said.
Houston-based Bakerd Botts LLP and Dallas-based Haynes and Boons LLP, both new to the Silicon Valleyulegal market, are playing a key role in the growing Attorneys at the two firms are making strategic introductions between larg e institutional energy clients and venture capital clients focused on renewable energy technologies. The law firms are working to orienyt VCs on what it takes to develop a successfuk business in theheavily regulated, multibillion-dollar energy sector.
“We’rse looking to enable capital sources, management larger strategic companies to exploit opportunities we see developintg in the sector over saidScott Wornow, a partner in the Palo Alto office of Bakert Botts, an 800-lawyer firm. “Ij think that’s going to become even more so with respectr to international players as cleantech becomedmore mature.” Oil companies have a naturao role in the development of alternative energy and certainl y alternative fuels, said Haynes and Boone cleantech partner Paul The 500-plus-lawyer firm absorbed the San Jose and Orange Countt offices of MacPherson Kwok Chen Heid LLP in February.
“Not only do the incumbenty energy players have decades of experience inenergy markets, but they have deep pockets,” Dickerson “These partnerships are something that assist our cleantech entrepreneursa in achieving their goals in a time frame that’sx consequential.” Dickerson served as chief operating officer of the Energh Department’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energyu during the Bush administration.
By bringing togethe r developing technologies with established existing markets can be better served by thosew who already operate inthat
Cleantech’s initial attempts to take on incumbent industry giants such as oil companies are starting to give way tosymbioticd partnerships. The past several yearxs saw a lotof “overzealous venture investing” with entrepreneur s and startups going completelt vertical, said Jason Matlof, a partnefr at in Menlo Park. “You had biotechnology companiesz trying to be biofuels producers and and trying to take on the likesw ofChevron head-on,” Matlof said.
“Whatf we need to do is apply thos newtechnologies — whether bioconversion technologgy for cellulosic ethanol or solar thermal plant technologt or batteries for a next generation plug-ih vehicle — to an existing mainline, mature Those changes are now happening. In May, $10 billion oil refininy giant took an undisclosed stake in Battery portfoliocompany , a Mass., biofuels company. BP plc also holds a significant stake in the And the consensus among Silicon Valley investors is growin that partnering with incumbents is critical to the futur of the renewableenergy market.
“The scale of thes industries is bigger than any industries technology entrepreneurs have everplayedd in,” Matlof said “It’s too much of a challenge not Matt Horton, a principal at @Venturezs in Menlo Park, has been investingf in cleantech startups such as portfolio company Propek Fuels Inc. since 2001. The alternative fuelx retailing company is partneringwith Shell, Chevron and some unbrandedf independent station owners to add another retaiol fuel option at the pump.
It’sw also selling renewable energy credits to big oil incumbentws to help them comply with EPA renewableenergy “Major corporations that have a strategixc interest in these markets have a great opportunity to partner with yountg innovative companies like said Horton, who took over as CEO of Propepl in February. “For smaller companies like ours, it’s importanf to us to provide value to companies like that rather than attacking themas competitors.
” companies solely focused on research and development a few yearx ago are looking to scale-up operations and head to At the same time, the influcx of renewable energy standards and other government policied have made incumbents more eager to partne r with companies producing high-quality solutions, according to New Enterprise Associatese Menlo Park partner Ravi Viswanathan. NEA portfolio companies, such as SolFocus Inc. and Skyline Solar both of Mountain View, and Fremont-based renewable energy storagse outfit DeeyaEnergy Inc., are partnering with traditional energuy and utility companies. “This is somethingy we had hoped forand expected,” Viswanathan said.
Houston-based Bakerd Botts LLP and Dallas-based Haynes and Boons LLP, both new to the Silicon Valleyulegal market, are playing a key role in the growing Attorneys at the two firms are making strategic introductions between larg e institutional energy clients and venture capital clients focused on renewable energy technologies. The law firms are working to orienyt VCs on what it takes to develop a successfuk business in theheavily regulated, multibillion-dollar energy sector.
“We’rse looking to enable capital sources, management larger strategic companies to exploit opportunities we see developintg in the sector over saidScott Wornow, a partner in the Palo Alto office of Bakert Botts, an 800-lawyer firm. “Ij think that’s going to become even more so with respectr to international players as cleantech becomedmore mature.” Oil companies have a naturao role in the development of alternative energy and certainl y alternative fuels, said Haynes and Boone cleantech partner Paul The 500-plus-lawyer firm absorbed the San Jose and Orange Countt offices of MacPherson Kwok Chen Heid LLP in February.
“Not only do the incumbenty energy players have decades of experience inenergy markets, but they have deep pockets,” Dickerson “These partnerships are something that assist our cleantech entrepreneursa in achieving their goals in a time frame that’sx consequential.” Dickerson served as chief operating officer of the Energh Department’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energyu during the Bush administration.
By bringing togethe r developing technologies with established existing markets can be better served by thosew who already operate inthat
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