Mortgage loan for recruit endorsed - 2004-02-03
A mortgage loan for a new department head would be the second the city has done since 1988
The City Council will consider issuing a $100,000 mortgage loan to city human resources director Karen Willis.

The loan would come from the General Fund reserve. The loan was proposed under an incentive program, approved by council in the early '80s, to help secure the most difficult recruitments -- those where the city must compete with the private sector for qualified candidates.
Read the full story at Contra Costa Times

Freddie Mac's Loan Prospector(R) Service Reviews 9.5 Million Mortgage Loans in 2003 - 2004-02-03
In a record year of more than $3.7 trillion in originations for the entire mortgage industry, Freddie Mac's Loan Prospector(R) service reviewed a record 9.5 million individual mortgage loans in 2003, 1.3 million more than in 2002.

"It's no surprise that technology, including automated underwriting, enabled the industry to handle record mortgage volumes," said Marcia Davies, vice president of Product Marketing and Communications for Freddie Mac.
Read the full story at PRNewswire (press release)