
A Slow Pace?
Some programs for green retrofits remain in limbo
There’s a lot of legal hubbub in California surrounding Property-Assessed Clean Energy programs. Also known as PACE, the programs could be headed for troubled waters.

Where Credit’s Due
Lifing the lending cap on credit unions
If lawmakers follow through on pending legislation in Washington, it could mean a boost for business for Capital Region credit unions.

Cash Advance
Small businesses secure big loans through the SBA
Bob Grandinetti needed $400,000 — fast.

The Loan Rangers
Attorneys see an upswing in loan workouts
As the economy continues to struggle, finance and banking lawyers across the country are seeing an increase in commercial loan workouts, which range from simple loan modifications to complicated bankruptcies.

Leave Me a Loan
Will new FHA rules reduce the housing inventory for banks?
The housing industry is still making its way into national headlines this year — this time, it’s the Federal Housing Administration’s lending program.

Opportunity Knocks
Low rents and killer deals reign the commercial market in 2010
Last November, San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank President Janet Yellen gave a speech on the national economy and put the prospects for the commercial real estate market in stark perspective.

Tap That Asset
The trade-offs of traditional credit vs. asset-based financing
Asset-based lending can be more expensive than a bank loan or line of credit, but for some it may be the best choice, providing flexibility and cash flow when others won’t.

Rescue Me
Working out a deal when a banker calls
It’s the meeting no business owner wants, an adult equivalent to sitting in the principal’s office.
Only instead of a principal, the person calling you in is a banker. And instead of the dreaded “permanent record,” the folder on the desk is an agreement for a business loan, a line of credit, equipment financing or some other form of borrowed money that helps keep the company afloat.
Overdue reform
Out of money, out of time
California is running out of money, pure and simple. As we go to press, the state is finalizing the budget and lurching from one financial crisis to the next thanks to elected leaders who put politics above fiscal responsibility.

Apartment Complex
Multifamily buyers build up cash and wait for bargains
The credit crunch and other broad changes in economic conditions cut a wide swath through the ranks of potential buyers. Those who are left are biding their time, lining up cash and waiting for a sweet deal, probably a distressed property at a bargain price. But far fewer multifamily properties are facing the default notices that helped drive down prices for single-family homes, and many landlords are trying to ride out the storm. The result is very few deals.