General Motors Announces CORVETTE C7 to be Built in Bowling...

National Corvette Museum: General Motors Announces C7 to be Built in Bowling...:

The General Motors Corvette Assembly Plant was packed full of community and state leaders, GM officials, media and supporters of Corvette today in hopes of good news with regards to the future of Corvette and Bowling Green. It was good news indeed as GM North American President Mark Reuss took to the podium and announced their plans to invest $131 million in the Bowling Green Assembly Plant, "This facility is particularly thrilling for me to be at because I've had Corvettes, in fact, Corvette is one of the reasons why I went to work for the company a long time ago," said Reuss.



"It's a thrill for me to be here today in Bowling Green as the bearer of good news at one of our very best facilities building" our most iconic car," Reuss said. "When I say our most iconic car, I really mean America's most iconic car."



Reuss then cut to the chase and made the announcement everyone had been hoping for, "I'm here to announce that GM will invest $131 million in Kentucky to ensure that the next generation Chevrolet Corvette will be produced by this team, in this plant, in Bowling Green - the Home of Corvette.



Reuss's announcement was met by resounding applause, cheers and a standing ovation



"Thank you to you because you are the reason and the quality and the innovation and the craftmanship that happens here is a direct reflection of our re-investment, but more importantly as much money as that is, we really are adding about 250 jobs to the area..."



Reuss said the current generation will continue for about two more years while work happens behind the scenes work will begin to update the facility and ensure the Corvette will continue to be the true American sports car built here for many years to come. The C7 model is predicted to be debuted Spring of 2013 for a 2014 model year Corvette.



"As you know Bowling Green is a special place and not just to me and to GM but to Corvette lovers around the world. This place is THE mecca for those who appreciate true affordable sports car performance and they come from the four corners of the globe to see what you do here," said Reuss. "It is amazing and it is inspiring and it is very American. "



Reuss added that they come to see the birthplace of the American car that holds it own against Porsche, Ferarri, BMW and the rest of the legendary European sports car makers, both on the street and on the track. "They come to see how on earth Americans can build such a car... a car that meets and beats the best in the world, and the world has to offer, although typically the world has to offer theirs at a MUCH higher price point."



Reuss praised the craftsmanship of the Bowling Green Assembly Plant, that the plants in Italy wish they could match. He added that though GM boasts the Corvette getting 27 miles per gallon, that he had a Corvette in school and would get better than that - 29 miles per gallon from Detroit to Nashville. "Like the ad says, you are building rockets."



"Unlike any other facility in North America your doors are open to our customers who make pilgrimmages to Bowling Green to see their car being built, meet the people, and visit the National Corvette Museum." Reuss also praised the Museum pointing out that it is not funded by General Motors. "I'm one of the lovers of the Museum and the heritage of Corvette and this state means a lot to me personally."



Reuss closed his presentation saying "Tadge and the team are doing the next generation Corvette and it will thrill all of the sports car drivers of the future and it will be built right here." He added that this is just one of their ongoing investments of billions of dollars in their US facilities, keeping and creating jobs for their American workers.



Later in the presentation Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear named Reuss a Kentucky Colonel, presenting him with a framed certificate and mint julep cup.



Watch a complete video of Reuss's speech on the National Corvette Museum's You Tube channel at www.youtube.com/corvettemuseum. High res images are also available for download at:
https://picasaweb.google.com/corvettemuseum/GMC7Announcement

Fannie Mae Announces 3.5 Percent Seller Assistance on HomePath® Properties

Incentive Part of Ongoing Effort to Stabilize Neighborhoods

WASHINGTON, DC — Fannie Mae (FNM/NYSE) announced today that people purchasing a Fannie Mae-owned HomePath® property will receive up to 3.5 percent of the final sales price to be used toward closing cost assistance or their choice of appliances. The offer is available to any owner-occupant who closes on the purchase of a property listed on HomePath.com before May 1, 2010.

"Attracting qualified buyers to the market and reducing the inventory of vacant homes is critical to stabilizing neighborhoods and helping the market recover. Many families are taking advantage of the federal homebuyer tax credit to buy a new home so this is a great time for Fannie Mae to offer some additional help," said Terry Edwards, Executive Vice President of Credit Portfolio Management. "Homebuyers have the option to choose between financial assistance toward closing costs or new appliances for their home."

Properties eligible for this incentive are listed on HomePath.com and most listings include detailed property descriptions, photographs, community and school information and more. In addition, many Fannie Mae-owned properties are eligible for special HomePath Mortgage and HomePath Renovation Mortgage financing which offers homebuyers an opportunity to purchase with as little as 3 percent down.

Program 3648 Representative Mark Tyree Providing Big Help to Homeowners in Small Towns - FOXBusiness.com

BOWLING GREEN, K.Y., Jan 11, 2010 (GlobeNewswire via COMTEX) ----Mark Tyree of Coldwell Banker Legacy Group partnered with Program 3648, a privately-sponsored, nationwide initiative to help homeowners avoid foreclosure, in November of 2008. Mark's efforts under the initiative have positively impacted the lives of many residents in small cities surrounding Bowling Green, Kentucky. In total, Mark Tyree has successfully assisted 20 families with short sale work-out solutions that prevented the families from going through the painful foreclosure process. Tyree is presently helping 26 additional families with many more on the horizon.

Debbie, one homeowner that Mark Tyree helped to avoid foreclosure, recently went through a divorce and as a result, could no longer afford the mortgage payments on her home. The stress of her circumstances began to be lifted from the moment she received a letter from Mark explaining that through Program 3648 he was volunteering his time and resources to help her at no cost whatsoever. She stated that she felt much better after speaking to Mark for the first time. She said, "Mark was a really big help. He was responsive to my needs and always answered my questions in a way I could understand. He did all the work for me; He was just a friend while I went through a difficult process. I felt much better once he solved my situation."

Tyree has only been a Realtor for three years, but since partnering with Program 3648 his Real Estate business has taken off. He states, "Leveraging with Program 3648 has given me the tools I need to reach distressed homeowners and then help them get a fresh start and rebuild their lives."

Program 3648 trains licensed real-estate professionals in most markets throughout the country. These licensed agents then act as a "ground army" of volunteers, reaching out to homeowners who may need assistance. Under Program 3648, Certified Program 3648 Representatives (CPR's), offer to help homeowners, at no cost whatsoever, avoid foreclosure and take advantage of any servicer or government incentives that apply to their particular situation. Allen Ciarlante, Mark Tyree's Program 3648 Transaction Coordinator states, "The best thing about Mark Tyree is that he really goes the extra mile for the homeowner. If I ever need any additional documents or information to complete the deal for the homeowner, I can always count on Mark to get me what I need right away. He is a pleasure to work with."

Co-founder of Program 3648 Jeremy Bowman states, "Hundreds of real-estate professionals throughout the country, like Mark Tyree, have responded to the call to action and are going above and beyond to help homeowners through one of the most difficult processes of their lives. Without them, we would be severely limited in our ability to penetrate most markets and help relieve distressed homeowners of their potential foreclosure." With certified representatives now positioned in most markets nationwide, Program 3648, along with their Representatives, stands poised, ready, and eager to help any homeowner who wants help.

The Program 3648 logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=6979

This news release was distributed by GlobeNewswire, www.globenewswire.com

SOURCE: Program 3648

CONTACT: Program 3648
Cindy Thompson, Director of Administration
1.502.301.8865
1.800.915.1988
cindyt@program3648.org
(C) Copyright 2010 GlobeNewswire, Inc. All rights reserved.


Program 3648 Representative Mark Tyree Providing Big Help to Homeowners in Small Towns - FOXBusiness.com

Posted using ShareThis

J.M. Smucker Company to Bring Jobs to Scottsville

Governor Beshear Announces the J.M. Smucker Company to Bring 25 Additional Jobs to Scottsville
Contact:

FRANKFORT, KY - Gov. Steve Beshear and Economic Development Cabinet Interim Secretary Larry Hayes today announced J.M. Smucker LLC will add a new production line to its Scottsville plant, investing $3 million dollars and creating an additional 25 jobs in the community.

"We're delighted with the positive news resulting from the success and growth of The J.M. Smucker Company plant in Allen County," said Gov. Beshear. "Kentucky is proud to partner with the company and community to bring this additional investment and jobs to the South Central Kentucky region."

The announcement comes after the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority approved J.M. Smucker LLC for tax incentives up to $550,000 under the Kentucky Rural Economic Development Act, an incentive program designed to increase manufacturing employment in the state.

Currently, 288 employees work at the Scottsville plant, which makes Smucker's Uncrustables frozen peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. The additional line will bring a new "grab and go" waffle product to the plant.

"The addition of the new Snack'n Waffles line to our Scottsville facility will allow us to better meet the needs of our consumers while continuing to grow the successful operation already in place there," said Maribeth Badertscher, director of corporate communications for The J.M. Smucker Company. "We are pleased to be adding these 25 new jobs and to be continuing to build our strong partnership with Scottsville and Allen County."

"The Smucker's plant is a great asset for Scottsville, Allen County and the entire South Central Kentucky region, and I am excited about the new product the company will be making in Allen County," said Richie Sanders, director of economic development for Scottsville and Allen County. "By adding another 25 jobs to their facility here, they are creating more wealth for our area and are making a positive impact on our community."

"Today is a great day in our community because of Smucker's commitment to bring additional jobs to Allen County," said Jordan Clarke, chairman of the Allen County Economic Development Authority. "We're grateful to Smucker for the opportunity it is creating for our citizens."

"We are dedicated to helping our businesses and industries grow in Allen County," said Judge Executive Bobby Young. "It's a great day when we can announce that one of our longstanding industries has decided to bring more jobs to our county."

Scottsville Mayor Rob Cline agreed. "With this announcement, Smuckers demonstrates its commitment to residents of Scottsville and Allen County. We're excited that they have decided to create more jobs here, and we're very appreciative of their decision."

Allen County is part of the South Central Kentucky regional partnership, taking advantage of the enhanced marketing package offered by the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce.

"The South Central Kentucky partnership was formed to help bring in new industries and expand current industries throughout the entire region," said Todd Davis, chairman of the 2009 Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce, "And the whole partnership is successful when an announcement comes like the one made today."

Coldwell Banker® Named #1 - Again!

Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC was once again named the #1 Real Estate brand by Franchise Times, making this the 9th straight year in a row!

Coldwell Banker climbs real estate Web rankings

Coldwell Banker Real Estate's ColdwellBanker.com Web site soared to eighth place in a monthly ranking of real estate sites by online metrics company Hitwise -- the site had sat at 18th on the list for several months.

LoopNet, a commercial real estate search site, jumped onto the top-20 list for the first time, rising from 24th place in August to 20th in September.

No other sites on the top-20 list climbed or fell more than two places in the rankings from August to September.

The market share of visits to top-ranking real estate site Realtor.com dropped from 7.04 percent in August to 6.63 percent in September, Hitwise reported.

Yahoo's realestate.yahoo.com site gained in market share, rising from 2.63 percent in August to 3.51 percent in September.

Zillow was third with 2.52 percent market share and ZipRealty was fourth with a 2.13 percent market share of site visits to real estate category sites.

Nine Web sites joined the top-100 list of real estate category sites in September that were not on the list in August. FrontDoor.com, a real estate search site and information site that is operated by Scripps Networks and integrates content from the Home & Garden Television network and the HGTV.com Web site, jumped from its 101st ranking in August to 46th in September.

Homes-justlisted.com rose from 116th in August to 66th in September, and other sites joining the top-100 list included: buyatimeshare.com (from 161st to 67th); lead.mbrokertools.com (129th to 80th); harrynorman.com (709th to 82nd); the Inman News Web site, inman.com (209th to 85th), landsofamerica.com (164th to 94th), the National Association of Realtors Web site, realtor.org (106th to 96th); and sibcycline.com (104th to 98th).

Sites that dropped off the top-100 list in September include: sublet.com (from 83rd in August to 104th in September), crye-leike.com (87th to 113th), realtyusa.com (88th to 102nd), lakehouse.com (91st to 117th), seniorhousingnet.com (93rd to 109th), circlepix.com (94th to 105th), nhmsi.com (95th to 110th), ehbsr.com (98th to 130th), and wyndhamvacationresorts.com (99th to 115th).

About 65.6 percent of all visits to real estate Web sites went to the top-100 Web sites in that category in September, Hitwise reported, with 36.8 percent of visits going to the top-20 Web sites and 25.1 percent going to the top-10 Web sites in that category, which is comparable to the August statistics.

The average visit duration to real estate category Web sites was 11 minutes, 24 seconds in September, compared with 11 minutes, 36 seconds in August, and 11 minutes, 28 seconds in July.

Coldwell Banker is the first national real estate brand to debut home search interface for the iPhone

Continuing to blaze a path of innovation in the real estate industry, Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC has become the first full-service national real estate brand to launch a customized online platform for iPhoneTM users.

The Coldwell Banker flagship Web site, coldwellbanker.com, now has a different look and feel, along with navigation specifically tailored for optimal viewing on the iPhone, most notably with the property listings search and home value estimator functions. When a user accesses the site through his or her handset, the Coldwell Banker Web site automatically recognizes that it is being accessed by an iPhone, and will serve up the special iPhone interface. iPhone users do not need to download any special software to benefit from this enhancement to the Coldwell Banker mobile technology.

“Providing easy access to real-time real estate information is critical for consumers in the home buying and selling process,” said Michael Fischer, senior vice president of marketing for Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. “Distribution of listings is crucial in today’s environment. Our mobile society is moving away from the desktop and utilizing cell phones and PDAs for more and more content and entertainment. With so many connecting to the Web by phone, we have to be where the consumer is in a way that makes sense.”

Those looking for a home will be able to search for homes and utilize the brand’s home value estimator. In addition, consumers will be able to enter specific search criteria such as city, state, price as well as optional filters including number of bedrooms and bathrooms. When a property is selected, iPhone users can view all of the specifications for that home and contact an agent directly.

“Now more than ever consumers want to access information about a home as they see it, pass it or hear about,” continued Fischer. “Being in front of a computer should not be mandatory.”

Earlier this year Coldwell Banker became the first national real estate brand to put its listings on in-car GPS devices through an exclusive feed to Dash Navigation. Drivers can now call up Coldwell Banker listings, map them, get directions and view other Coldwell Banker listings in close proximity.

iPhone is a registered trademark of Apple Computers, Inc.

COLDWELL BANKER® LAUNCHES NATIONAL 10-DAY SALES EVENT

Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC today announced a bold initiative to bring home buyers and sellers together and help jump-start the U.S. real estate market. Starting on October 10, 2008, the nation’s oldest residential real estate brand will kick-off its first-ever national “10-Day Sales Event” – during which participating home sellers from across the United States will reduce the listing prices of their homes by up to 10 percent. The Coldwell Banker® 10-Day Sales Event will run nationally through October 19, 2008.

“Despite the difficult headlines regarding our overall economy, the residential real estate market has been showing several positive signs over recent months that could be signaling a tipping point,” said Jim Gillespie, president and chief executive officer, Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. “Because of higher inventory, buyers have more homes to choose from and they can take advantage of near historically low interest rates and affordability levels that are the best they have been in years. The recent housing and economic recovery legislation also provides first-time homebuyers with the added incentive of a $7,500 tax credit.[1]

“Yet our research and discussions with our brokers and sales associates shows that in many markets sellers remain reluctant to list their homes at the proper prices necessary to attract buyers,” continued Gillespie. “It’s our hope that the Coldwell Banker 10-Day Sales Event will move buyers off the sidelines and into the market. We are embarking on this initiative – which has never been done before on a national basis – because we believe it is critical for Coldwell Banker, as an industry leader, to help serve the needs of those individuals listing homes with a Coldwell Banker broker and to help move the U.S. real estate market in the right direction.”

In a recent survey of 3,379 Coldwell Banker real estate professionals in markets across the United States, 56 percent said that listing prices in their market remain above where they need to be to attract qualified buyers. Additional findings from the survey include:

-77 percent agreed that the majority of sellers in their market still have unrealistic expectations regarding the initial listing price for their homes
-79 percent agreed that homes in their market that are priced appropriately are attracting more buyers and moving more quickly
-76 percent feel that a 10 percent or less reduction in listing prices in their area is all it will take to help push these homes over the “tipping point” to a sale

“Our brokers and sales associates agreed that, even in the current climate, it will not take much movement to attract those buyers who have been watching and waiting,” noted Gillespie. “Depending on the market, a price reduction of just 10 percent or less just may make the difference in both satisfying sellers and bringing buyers to the table.”