The city of Memphis has raised the matching funds to build the “Main to Main Connector” thanks to local donations, the latest of which is $50,000 from Memphis-based Boyle Investment Co.

2. Boyle Donates $50,000 To Main-To-Main Project - Wednesday, May 29, 2013

The city of Memphis has raised the matching funds to build the “Main to Main Connector,” the $29.7 million project designed to link Main Street Memphis to Broadway Avenue in West Memphis via a boardwalk for bicyclists and pedestrians on the north side of the Harahan Bridge straddling the Mississippi River.

3. Market Stability - Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Home permit activity held stable for the first quarter of this year compared with the same period last year, and local builders expect to see continued gradual improvement through this year and into next.

4. Boyle Celebrates 80 Years, Sponsors Art Exhibit - Monday, March 18, 2013

Boyle Investment Co. turns 80 this year, and has partnered with the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art to celebrate.

5. Shelby Home Permits Stagnate, Sales Decrease - Wednesday, March 13, 2013

New home permits were flat in February compared to the same month last year. 

Shelby County homebuilders filed 70 permits in February averaging 3,142 square feet and $222,975, according to real estate information company Chandler Reports, www.chandlerreports.com. That compared to 72 permits filed in February 2012, averaging 3,520 square feet and $294,109.

6. Builder Permits Rise 10 Percent in November - Monday, December 24, 2012

The National Association of Homebuilders said Tuesday, Dec. 18, that sentiment across the homebuilding industry rose to its highest level since the middle of 2006.

National housing permits in November posted a 26.8 percent increase from November 2011. And while they’re not up quite that much, local starts are seeing increases as well.

7. Permits Up 89 Percent in October - Thursday, November 29, 2012

Local homebuilders filed 89 percent more new home permits during October compared to October of last year.

Shelby County homebuilders filed 83 permits last month, a healthy boost from the 44 filed during October 2011, according to real estate information company Chandler Reports, www.chandlerreports.com. October permits also posted a 6 percent increase from the 78 permits filed during September.

8. Obama Carries Shelby, Cohen Over Flinn and Two Tax Hikes Defeated - Wednesday, November 07, 2012

President Barack Obama carried Shelby County in unofficial Nov. 6 election returns as his Republican challenger Mitt Romney took the state’s 11 electoral votes.

Voter turnout in the most popular election cycle among Shelby County voters was 61.9 percent, about the same percentage as four years ago. But the 371,256 voters is fewer than 2008 when more than 400,000 Shelby County voters cast ballots. The percentage is about the same because there are fewer registered voters in Shelby County than there were four years ago after a purge by election officials.

9. Building Permits Remain Steady in September - Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Shelby County homebuilders in September filed 78 permits averaging 3,374 square feet and $263,645, according to real estate information company Chandler Reports, www.chandlerreports.com.

10. Building Permits Show Little Change - Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Local homebuilders didn’t change much the amount of new home permits they filed during the third quarter compared with the same period last year.

Shelby County homebuilders filed 218 permits during the quarter (July to September), compared with 216 filed during the same period in 2011, according to real estate information company Chandler Reports, www.chandlerreports.com. Third-quarter permits marked a 12 percent drop from the 249 permits filed during the second quarter of this year.

11. Expectations High for Fed to Announce Major Action - Thursday, September 13, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – If the world's investors are right, the Federal Reserve is about to take a bold new step to try to invigorate the U.S. economy.

And many expect the central bank, which began a two-day meeting Wednesday, to unleash its most potent weapon: a third round of bond purchases meant to ease long-term interest rates and spur borrowing and spending. It's called "quantitative easing," or QE.

12. Suburban School Board Races Almost Set - Friday, August 17, 2012

Races on the Nov. 6 ballot for six sets of suburban school boards took shape Thursday, Aug. 16, at the noon filing deadline for candidate qualifying petitions.

The candidates that made the deadline have another week to withdraw from the races if they wish.

13. Signature’s Marshall Leads Renovation Effort - Friday, July 20, 2012

When Charles Marshall co-founded Signature Advertising & Marketing Solutions with Mark Henry in 1994, the two were the firm’s only employees.

14. June Permits Up 45 Pct. - Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Last month proved to be a positive one for local homebuilding activity, with a 45 percent increase year over year in new home permits.

Shelby County homebuilders in June filed 81 permits averaging 3,154 square feet and $233,996, according to real estate information company Chandler Reports, www.chandlerreports.com.

15. Active Builders - Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Local homebuilders filed 54 percent more new home permits during the second quarter compared with the same period last year.

Shelby County homebuilders filed 247 permits during the quarter (April to June), compared with 160 filed during Q2 2011, according to real estate information company Chandler Reports, www.chandlerreports.com.

16. Homebuilding Permits Rise During May - Wednesday, June 13, 2012

May’s new home permit totals saw a significant upswing year over year, and homebuilders attribute the improvement to low inventory levels and low interest rates.

Shelby County homebuilders filed 91 permits in May – a 78 percent increase from the 51 filed during May 2011 – according to real estate information company Chandler Reports, www.chandlerreports.com.

17. ‘New Enthusiasm’ Yields Permit Rise - Monday, May 14, 2012

While new-home sales remain low, average new-home sales prices are increasing, along with the number of permits and permit amounts.

Shelby County homebuilders filed 75 permits in April – up 36 percent from the 55 filed during April 2011 – according to real estate information company Chandler Reports, www.chandlerreports.com.

18. March Permits Improve 47 Pct. - Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Last month proved to be a positive one for local homebuilding activity, with a 47 percent increase year over year in new home permits.

Shelby County homebuilders in March filed 75 permits averaging 3,224 square feet and $243,143, according to real estate information company Chandler Reports, www.chandlerreports.com.

19. Millington Candidates File for August Election - Monday, April 09, 2012

The field for Millington mayor in that city’s Aug. 2 nonpartisan general election is three candidates following last week’s filing deadline.

It includes former Mayor Terry Jones, who lost a re-election bid four years ago to Richard Hodges; Kenneth Uselton and Debra Sigee.

20. Cohen-Hart in Congressional Race at Filing Deadline - Friday, April 06, 2012

The chairman of the countywide school board, Billy Orgel, was effectively elected to his District 7 school board seat without opposition at the Thursday, April 5, filing deadline for candidates on the Aug. 2 primary and general election ballot in Shelby County.

21. Turbo-Traders Take Bank of America for a Ride - Monday, February 13, 2012

NEW YORK (AP) – On a normal day, 4 billion shares of stock change hands on the New York Stock Exchange. One in 10 belongs to a single company. It's not McDonald's or IBM, both of which have been on a tear.

22. J.C. Penney Gets Rid of Hundreds of Sales - Thursday, January 26, 2012

NEW YORK (AP) – J.C. Penney is permanently marking down all of its merchandise by at least 40 percent so shoppers no longer have to wait for sales to get bargains.

Penney said Wednesday that it is getting rid of the hundreds of sales it offers each year in favor of a simpler approach to pricing. Starting on Feb. 1, the retailer is rolling out an "Every Day" pricing strategy with much fewer sales throughout the year.

23. Permits Remain Flat in 2011 - Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Last year’s new home permits filed by local homebuilders were unchanged from the year prior, and inventory continued to deplete due to lack of demand.

Shelby County homebuilders filed 742 permits during 2011, compared to 740 in 2010, according to real estate information company Chandler Reports, www.chandlerreports.com.

24. Vintage Homes Helps Buyers Build Credit - Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Vintage Homes LLC created its Home Buyers Connection program two years ago, and the company is forecasting 2012 to be its most successful year yet.

25. Permit Increase Implies ‘False Hope’ - Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Local homebuilders filed 75 percent more new home permits during November compared to the same month last year, but there are several underlying factors in those artificially high year-over-year totals.

26. Vintage Homes Named Builder of the Year - Monday, October 24, 2011

Charles Morgan, president of Memphis-based Vintage Homes LLC, was named 2011 Builder of the Year by the Tennessee Housing Development Agency Monday, Oct. 17, at the Governor’s Housing Summit in Franklin, Tenn.

27. Home Starts Jump 20 Percent - Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Local homebuilders filed 20 percent more new home permits during the third quarter compared to last year, giving 2011 its best quarter so far, but experts say there are still obstacles on the horizon.

28. Building Momentum - Thursday, September 15, 2011

Local homebuilders were busy in August, filing more permits than the same month a year ago.

Shelby County homebuilders filed 73 permits last month, a 21.7 percent increase from 60 filed in August 2010 and a 19.7 percent increase from 61 filed in July, according to real estate information company Chandler Reports, www.chandlerreports.com.

29. New-Home Permits Improve 12 Percent - Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Local homebuilder permits saw a healthy bump last month, and industry experts said the rest of year looks promising as well.

Shelby County homebuilders filed 61 permits in July, an 11.7 percent increase from 55 filed the same month a year ago and a 35.5 percent increase from 45 filed in June, according to the real estate information company Chandler Reports, www.chandlerreports.com.

30. ‘Worse and Worse’ - Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Local homebuilders filed 35 percent fewer new home permits for the second quarter compared to last year, and experts say there’s a ways to go before signs of recovery emerge.

Shelby County homebuilders filed 142 permits during Q2 (April to June), down from 220 in Q2 2010, according to real estate information company Chandler Reports, www.chandlerreports.com.

31. Builder Struggles Continue Into Spring - Tuesday, May 10, 2011

As permits decline and construction costs rise, local builders urge prospective buyers to act now before the price of new homes continues to climb.

Shelby County builders filed 46 new home permits in April, a 58 percent decrease from 111 permits in April 2010, according to the latest data from real estate information company Chandler Reports, www.chandlerreports.com.

32. March Permits Down Half From Last Year - Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Shelby County builders filed 51 new home permits last month, a 51 percent decrease from 104 permits in March 2010 – a dip they attributed to the now-expired homebuyers tax credit.

“Us being down isn’t really a story, it was last year being up was the story because of the tax credit,” said Sean Carlson, principal with Regency Homebuilders LLC. “If the tax credit wasn’t there, there wouldn’t be those jumps in numbers.”

33. Q1 Permits Slip 29 Percent - Tuesday, April 12, 2011

For the first time in recent history, homebuilder sales didn’t exceed starts in the first quarter, a sign that demand has caught up with supply.

But both numbers – sales and starts – decreased from the same period a year ago, halting the notion that housing recovery is imminent.

34. CRE Sales Up, Outlook Still Dour - Tuesday, March 29, 2011

February’s mixed bag of commercial real estate sales serve as evidence of the sluggish speculative market, which doesn’t appear to be staging a comeback in the foreseeable future.

Shelby County saw 48 CRE sales last month, a 41 percent increase from 34 sales in February 2010, but also a 16 percent decrease from 57 in January, according to the latest information from real estate information company Chandler Reports, www.chandlerreports.com.

35. Builders Struggle to Turn ‘Lookers’ Into Buyers - Thursday, February 24, 2011

While Shelby County builders filed just 24 permits last month – a 41.5 percent decrease from 41 permits in January 2010 – industry professionals are confident the numbers will be corrected by the close of the first quarter as the weather improves.

36. Building Blocks - Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Shelby County builders filed 681 new home permits last year, a 13.8 percent increase from 587 permits in 2009 according to the latest data from real estate information company Chandler Reports, www.chandlerreports.com.

37. Tenn. Ed. Commission Backs 7 Percent Tuition Hike - Monday, November 22, 2010

NASHVILLE (AP) – The Tennessee Higher Education Commission voted Thursday to recommend a tuition increase of at least 7 percent at state universities and a minimum of 5 percent at community colleges and technology centers.

38. Building Permits Hold Steady - Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Shelby County homebuilders filed 49 permits last month, a 2 percent increase over the same period a year ago, according to real estate information company Chandler Reports.

But that marked 2 percent decrease from the 50 permits filed in September and an 11 percent decrease from 55 permits filed in August. Homebuilders filed 48 permits in October 2009.

39. Constructech Magazine Recognizes Vintage Homes - Monday, October 25, 2010

Vintage Homes LLC was recently awarded a 2010 Vision Award by Constructech magazine.

The Memphis-based homebuilder received the Gold award in the Builder/GC (General Contractor) Residential $6 million-$25 million category.

40. Low Home Sales Yield Slow Job Growth - Wednesday, October 20, 2010

As the unemployment rate for the construction industry climbed to 17.2 percent in September, local construction experts say the residential numbers are a direct reflection of sales activity.

The construction industry lost 21,000 jobs in September, and over the past 12 months, the industry has lost 210,000 jobs, according to the most recent employment report by the U.S. Department of Labor.

41. Homebuilding Shows Slight Improvement - Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Memphis area homebuilders agree that business is looking up, but they also agree that a complete recovery will be slow in coming.

Local builders filed 725 permits between September 2009 and August 2010, according to the latest data from real estate information company Chandler Reports, www.chandlerreports.com.

42. Senate Hearings to Probe Chancellor Hiring - Thursday, September 09, 2010

NASHVILLE (AP) – The Senate Education Committee will meet later this month to discuss the composition of the Tennessee Board of Regents and its hiring of the new chancellor.

The Tennessean reports the committee will review Bredesen's appointments to the TBR and a state law that gives them the power to remove appointees.

43. Six Candidates Vie For TBR Chancellorship - Monday, July 26, 2010

Deputy Gov. John Morgan is one of six candidates vying to become the next chancellor of the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR).

44. Builders Look to Vesta for Business Boost - Tuesday, June 22, 2010

The Memphis Area Home Builders Association gets some much-needed publicity this month with the Vesta Designer Home Showcase, which began over the weekend and runs through July 5.

The home show is being held at Neshoba Grove Subdivision in Germantown, an infill development at the northeast corner of Cordova and Neshoba roads, just west of Germantown Road near the Germantown Performing Arts Centre.

45. Rebounding Activity - Monday, May 17, 2010

Shelby County homebuilders last month reached triple digits with new home permits for the first time in nearly two years.

But instead of congratulating themselves for the increase in activity, companies are focused now on maintaining momentum and further pulling themselves out of the biggest homebuilding slump in recent memory.

46. Bank of America Taps Ex-Northrop Exec for CFO Post - Thursday, April 15, 2010

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - Bank of America said Wednesday it named an outsider, former Northrop Grumman executive Charles H. Noski, as its chief financial officer.

Bank of America Corp. was expected to bring in leaders from outside as it tries to improve relations with regulators, handle investigations into the bank's purchase of Merrill Lynch, and restore shareholder morale.

47. Regulators Target Morgan Keegan - Thursday, April 08, 2010

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority and several state agencies have filed actions against Memphis-based Morgan Keegan & Co. Inc. accusing the firm of fraud and misleading investors.

48. Multi-State Proceeding Filed Against Morgan Keegan - Wednesday, April 07, 2010

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority and several state agencies have filed actions against Memphis-based Morgan Keegan & Co. Inc. accusing the firm of fraud and misleading investors.

49. Residential Building Sees Uptick in February - Friday, March 12, 2010

No other industry has been clamoring for spring more than homebuilders.

The horrid weather to start the year has prevented some companies from starting every home they hoped to get into the ground, so the recent rise in mercury has also raised their spirits.

50. Poor January Home Starts Blamed on Inclement Weather - Tuesday, February 16, 2010

January’s foul weather wreaked havoc on homebuilders, as the barrage of snow, ice and cold temperatures severely limited the ability to start homes.

Shelby County builders filed just 36 new home permits last month, half of December’s 72, but a slight increase from the January 2009 total of 31, according to the latest data from real estate information company Chandler Reports, www.chandlerreports.com.

51. Q4 Permits Show Improvements - Wednesday, January 13, 2010

A familiar trend in the housing industry played out during fourth quarter 2009. Like what happened with home sales and mortgages, building permits enjoyed a rare improvement as the year drew to a close.

52. ’09 Building Permits Tell Scary Tale - Wednesday, January 13, 2010

For anyone who thought the homebuilding numbers couldn’t get worse than they did in 2008, that year looks like a housing boom compared to 2009.

Shelby County builders filed just 529 new home permits last year, a 43.7 percent decline from 940 permits in 2008 and a staggering 80 percent decline from 2,643 permits in 2007, according to the latest data from real estate information company Chandler Reports, www.chandlerreports.com.

53. Residential Building Heats Up in November - Friday, December 11, 2009

Arlington is back in the news, although this time it has nothing to do with Mayor Russell Wiseman posting remarks on his Facebook page about President Obama and “A Charlie Brown Christmas” television special.

54. Housing Slump Makes Self Known In October - Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Shelby County homebuilders continue to feel the brunt of the housing slowdown, as October saw builder sales plummet and housing starts reach a seven-month low.

Homebuilders filed just 38 permits for new homes last month, the worst period for starts since the March total of 30. That marked a 9.5 percent decline from 42 starts in October 2008 and a 33.3 percent decline from 57 starts in September, according to the latest from real estate information company Chandler Reports, www.chandlerreports.com.

55. More Building Permits Bode Well for Housing Market - Wednesday, October 14, 2009

For the second straight quarter, homebuilders pulled more permits than the previous period, perhaps signaling the beginning of the end for the housing crisis.

Builders started 144 homes during Q3 (July through September), according to the latest data from Chandler Reports, www.chandlerreports.com. That marked a 47.3 percent drop from 273 starts in Q3 2008, but it also marked a slight improvement over 141 permits made during the second quarter of 2009.

56. First Horizon Shuffles Ranks To Guide Growth - Monday, September 14, 2009

Several top executives of First Tennessee Bank have been moving into new offices over the past few weeks as the 145-year-old company has shuffled its upper ranks and named new heads of important business lines.

57. Morgan, Vintage Homes Stays on Top in Trying Times - Friday, September 11, 2009

Charles Morgan learned the homebuilding business from the ground up – literally.

The 58-year-old owner of Vintage Homes LLC began a nearly lifelong building career as a young boy working for his father’s framing and foundation subcontracting company. Morgan’s grandfather also worked in the framing and foundation field, so the basics of homebuilding run in his blood.

58. AP Analysis: Banks Added 10,000 Branches in Boom - Tuesday, August 18, 2009

DALLAS (AP) - Banks expanded at a breathtaking pace over the past five years, adding more than 10,000 full-service branches, but barely 1 in 10 were in inner-city, minority neighborhoods, another sign the financial spending spree skipped over substantial parts of the country.

59. Local Homebuilding Numbers Still Depressed - Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Shelby County homebuilders continue chipping away at inventory by selling more homes than they start, but the industry remains mired in a slump as new home sales and permits hover at record lows.

Homebuilders sold 53 homes in Shelby County in July, a 57.9 percent dip from 126 homes sold in July 2008 and a 34.6 percent dip from 81 homes sold in June, according to the latest data from real estate information company Chandler Reports, www.chandlerreports.com.

60. Fogerty Joins Jackson Lewis In Of Counsel Role - Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Whitney King Fogerty has joined Jackson Lewis LLP as of counsel.

Fogerty was previously a shareholder at Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart PC, where she specialized in labor and employment litigation. She has practiced law for 10 years and has been named among Chambers USA’s Leading Lawyers for Business the past two years.

61. Q2 Building Permits Continue Downward Trend - Wednesday, July 15, 2009

The homebuilding industry in the mid-2000s distinguished itself through a record-setting pace – each year it seemingly topped the previous one in terms of housing starts.

Now, the converse of that is true as builders consistently set new lows because of the ongoing housing crunch and credit crisis.

62. Building Permit Activity Abysmal in June - Friday, July 10, 2009

Home permits continued to slide in June, reaching their lowest monthly mark in years as the demand for new housing remained soft and the building industry remained focused on sales.

Builders filed just 17 permits in Shelby County last month, down 77 percent from 74 permits in June 2008 and down 57.5 percent from 40 permits filed in May, according to the latest data from real estate information company Chandler Reports, www.chandlerreports.com.

63. Massey Keeps Tabs on Industrial Incentives - Friday, June 19, 2009

Joann Massey started her new job just six months ago, but within that short time frame she has been a key player on a team that has made Memphis a better competitor for new jobs.

64. MAHBA Mothballs First-Time Buyer Program - Tuesday, June 16, 2009

As if builders didn’t have enough headaches, a new program launched last month by the Memphis Area Home Builders Association to increase home sales had to be scrapped because of a legality.

Don Glays and Stephen Hodgkins, MAHBA executive director and president, respectively, said a program in which the trade association would lend $8,000 of down payment money to homebuyers and recoup the money through the federal tax credit was rejected by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget.

65. Impending Foreclosure Not First For Downtown Building - Monday, May 04, 2009

The foreclosure notice filed Friday against One Commerce Square at 40 S. Main St. isn’t the first financial crisis the landmark tower has faced.

66. Q1 Data: All Quiet on the Homebuilding Front - Wednesday, April 15, 2009

When an industry slows down dramatically, it’s often said its business comes to a screeching halt. The demise of local homebuilding can’t exactly be summed up that way because it implies some kind of sound is being generated.

67. Real Estate Gloom Far From Over, Numbers Show - Wednesday, March 11, 2009

The first two months of 2009 are in the books, and the real estate market has shown no signs of improving. For the second straight month, home sales declined by a third from the same month a year ago, proof that housing still needs to dig itself out of a deep hole.

68. Q4: the epitome of slow - Wednesday, January 14, 2009

One a day. That’s about the rate builders started new homes in Shelby County during the fourth quarter of 2008, helping it achieve the dubious distinction of being one of the slowest periods in history for the industry.

69. Building Permits Consistent With ‘08 Doldrums - Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Stephen Hodgkins, owner of Oaktree Homes LLC and president of the Memphis Area Home Builders Association, traveled to Washington last week with a contingent of builders to present ways the housing market could be repaired.

70. Citi Shares Fall Despite Talks with Morgan Stanley - Tuesday, January 13, 2009

NEW YORK (AP) - Citigroup Inc.'s stock sank Monday to its lowest levels since November as investors wondered how much more cash the troubled bank will need.

71. Local Building Reaches Historic Low - Wednesday, December 17, 2008

The past 12-month period was the worst stretch for homebuilders in more than three decades, with permits totaling just 830 between December 2007 and November 2008.

That marks the only year housing starts didn’t reach 1,000 dating back to 1974, when permit figures were first available from real estate information company Chandler Reports, www.chandlerreports.com.

72. State GOP Delays List Of Constitutional Applicants - Monday, December 08, 2008

Legislative Republicans, who in the name of greater transparency created a formal application process for Tennessee constitutional officers, said Friday they won’t immediately release the list of candidates when the deadline passes.

73. Vintage Homes, Next Solutions Form Partnership - Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Charles Morgan founded Vintage Homes LLC in 1979 and spent the past three decades transforming it into one of Shelby County’s leading homebuilders.

74. Latest Numbers Paint Dreary Homebuilding Picture - Friday, November 14, 2008

The homebuilding industry suffered another period of slower sales and fewer starts in October, signaling a continued crisis in the housing market.

Shelby County saw just 61 home sales by builders last month, a staggering 61.6 percent decline from the 159 homes sold in October 2007, according to the latest data from real estate information company Chandler Reports, www.chandlerreports.com. Last month’s total even marked a 53.1 percent dropoff from the 130 homes builders sold in September.

75. Banks Say They're Using Bailout Money for Loans - Friday, November 14, 2008

WASHINGTON (AP) – Some of the nation's largest banks sharing in the $700 billion government bailout of the financial industry tried to assure lawmakers Thursday they are using the money to make more loans and help financially strapped homeowners avoid foreclosure.

76. Renasant Names Wiegert VP, Mortgage Production Manager - Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Michael Wiegert has been named vice president and mortgage production manager for Renasant Bank in Memphis.

77. Head Selected as Director Of SWTCC Library - Wednesday, November 05, 2008

Carolyn Head has been selected to serve as executive director of Library Services for Southwest Tennessee Community College.

78. Q3 Building Permits Plummet - Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Listen to homebuilders’ language and it’s easy to discern their problems. Instead of using terms such as “expanding operations” and “ramping up production” – as they did a few years ago – builders now resort to phrases like “hunkering down” and “scaling back.”

79. Paulson Urges Quick Action on $700B Bailout - Tuesday, September 23, 2008

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Bush administration insisted Sunday that Congress must move quickly to approve what one lawmaker called the “mother of all bailouts” – a $700 billion proposal to buy a mountain of bad mortgage debt in an effort to unfreeze the nation’s credit markets.

80. SEC Bans Short-Selling of Financial Stocks - Monday, September 22, 2008

WASHINGTON (AP) – The federal government, trying to boost investor confidence in the face of a market crisis, took the dramatic step Friday of temporarily banning a practice of betting against financial stocks.

81. Deutsche Bank Leads Home Seller List - Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Deutsche Bank National Trust Co. in August retained its spot as the top seller of homes in Shelby County in terms of dollar amount, marking the seventh month out of eight this year that the New York-based trust company ranked No. 1, according to the latest residential sellers report from real estate information company Chandler Reports, www.chandlerreports.com.

82. Lenox Homes Makes Adjustments In Poor Market - Tuesday, September 09, 2008

Chris Christian had been in the homebuilding business long enough – more than 20 years – to know it was time to shake things up.

His company, Lenox Homes LLC, was still performing well from Arlington to DeSoto County to Downtown. But as the housing market contracted, as sales sagged and new-home starts shrank throughout the region, Christian figured he better adapt to the changing times or suffer the consequences.

83. Builder Sales Suffer Drastic Dropoff - Monday, September 08, 2008

Reduction of inventory for Shelby County homebuilders continued at a snail’s pace last month, declining 59.3 percent from the same month a year ago.

Builders sold just 81 homes in August, a staggering decrease from the 199 sold in August 2007, according to the latest Top Builders report by real estate information company Chandler Reports, www.chandlerreports.com. Data includes only new homes sold in Shelby County.

84. History of St. Mary’s Episcopal Runs Rich and Deep - Friday, August 22, 2008

130 years ago this week, two Episcopalian nuns arrived in Memphis from New York on a journey that would become part of the city’s history. It also became a part of the tradition of the Episcopal Church.

85. Commercial Real Estate Tumbles - Friday, August 22, 2008

After a prolonged and prosperous ride, commercial real estate stumbled in the past year with no signs of regaining its balance anytime soon.

Just 998 commercial sales were made in Shelby County from August 2007 through July 2008, down 17.6 percent from 1,211 sales during the previous 12-month period, according to the latest data from real estate information company Chandler Reports, www.chandlerreports.com.

86. Builder-Sold Homes Drop 50 Percent - Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Count the area’s homebuilders – along with Realtors and mortgage bankers – as another group that sees the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 as a salve for the ongoing real estate crisis.

Doug Collins, president of the Memphis Area Home Builders Association, said the landmark bill is so crucial to the viability of his industry that he has been furiously studying the ins and outs of the bill since President Bush signed it into law late last month.

87. Wilson Named CBU Dean Of Graduate, Professional Studies - Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Dr. Patrick Wilson has been named dean of the Graduate and Professional Studies program at Christian Brothers University.

Wilson will lead the marketing, recruitment and retention for evening undergraduate programs and graduate programs as well as have responsibility for the financial planning and administrative operations.

88. Building Permits Down 72 Percent in Q2 - Wednesday, July 16, 2008

If the county’s new subdivisions sound quieter than usual – free from the cacophony of summer construction – look no further than the most recent data showing how housing starts have come to a screeching halt.

89. ProLogis to Begin Rehab On Hickory Hill Warehouse - Tuesday, July 01, 2008

5700 Challenge Drive
Memphis, TN 38115
Permit Amount: $1.1 Million

Project Cost: N/A
Permit Date: Applied June 2008
Completion: End of 2008
Owner: ProLogis
Tenant: ProLogis
Contractor: The Conlan Co.
Details: Denver-based ProLogis has filed a permit application to rebuild the foundation of its warehouse at 5700 Challenge Drive. The building, in the Memphis Distribution Center near Raines and Hickory Hill roads, was damaged in the Feb. 5 storms that ripped through the industrial section of Southeast Memphis.

90. Vintage Homes to Build Six More Rivercrest Homes - Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Vintage Homes LLC has filed a $1.1 million construction loan through Commercial Bank & Trust to build homes on six lots in Section D-2 of the Rivercrest Subdivision Planned Development in Bartlett.

91. Sales Drop 50% Despite Builders’ Best Efforts - Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Green building isn’t an instant salve for the ailing real estate market, but some local builders are moving in that direction as they continue to cope with slumping home sales.

Phil Chamberlain of Chamberlain & McCreery Inc. recently earned the Certified Green Professional (CGP) designation from the National Association of Home Builders, which he hopes will provide another viable option for prospective buyers in these difficult times.

92. Builder Sales Take Short Leap Off Steep Cliff - Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Home sales by builders suffered another sharp drop in April, falling 43.6 percent from the same month a year ago.

Builders sold just 110 homes in Shelby County last month, down from the 195 they sold in April 2007, according to the latest Top Builders report from real estate information company Chandler Reports, www.chandlerreports.com.

93. Lawsuits Active, Multiplying Against Morgan Keegan - Monday, April 28, 2008

At 5 p.m. Feb. 18, an attorney-client meeting was called to order at the Poplar Avenue law offices of Apperson Crump & Maxwell PLC.

In attendance was a group of about 10 people. It included at least four lawyers, Regions Morgan Keegan mutual fund shareholders and representatives of other shareholders who were not present. The first item of business: mapping out the next few steps in a complex securities class action suit filed on behalf of those shareholders against the Memphis-based Morgan Keegan brokerage firm.

94. AFL-CIO Links Financial Industry Executives' High Pay With Credit Crisis Fallout - Tuesday, April 15, 2008

WASHINGTON (AP) - The AFL-CIO on Monday said "outrageous" pay packages for banking industry executives were partly to blame for the credit crisis, encouraging risky investment strategies that ended up hurting shareholders and consumers.

95. Senator Suggests Congress Shorten Break To Work on Econ Proposals - Tuesday, March 25, 2008

WASHINGTON (AP) - Congress should cut short its spring break to work on proposals this week that would tighten regulation of investment banks and help people facing foreclosure, a Republican senator said Sunday.

96. Banks, Homebuilders, Others Could Get Fattened Tax Refunds Under Stimulus-Plan Provision - Thursday, January 24, 2008

WASHINGTON (AP) - U.S. homebuilders, lenders and other struggling companies could receive hefty one-time tax refunds this year and next under a provision of the economic stimulus plan percolating in Washington.

97. Citigroup Suffers 57 Percent Profit Drop in Third Quarter - Tuesday, October 16, 2007

NEW YORK (AP) - Citigroup Inc. said Monday its third-quarter profit dropped 57 percent after the biggest U.S. bank took a hit of more than $3 billion in mortgage-backed security losses, leveraged debt write-downs, and fixed-income trading losses.

98. Mortgage Giants may not Provide Silver Bullet for Distressed Market, Experts Say - Wednesday, August 08, 2007

WASHINGTON (AP) - Easing the investment constraints faced by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac may not be enough to rescue homeowners and investors caught up in the mortgage market turbulence.

Shares of the government-sponsored home-loan financiers have surged in recent days on speculation that regulators will raise the amount of mortgage securities Fannie and Freddie can hold as investments. Mainstream Wall Street analysts believe such a move would ease the country's housing woes by injecting more cash into the market.

99. Blotner Named Communications Specialist for Impact Marketing - Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Jonathan D. Blotner has joined Impact Marketing as a corporate communications specialist. In his new role, Blotner will head all public relations efforts within the company, assist in research and development of new business, as well as create new interactive media opportunities for Impact's clients. Blotner formerly was CEO and media director of J. Blotner Advertising & PR in New Orleans.

100. Estate Planning Council Elects Officers - Wednesday, July 20, 2005

The Memphis Estate Planning Council announced the following officers for 2005-2006: David B. Jones, president; Frank E. Davis, vice president; Jeffrey E. Thompson, secretary; James L. Ferguson Jr., treasurer; and Mike Wood, immediate past president. Other executive committee members are Kermit B. Kaiser, Leanne W. McCullough, Samuel N. Graham and Teresa R. Hurst.