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 Issue of April 21, 2008 
   
Gordon Switzer, a plumbing and heating business owner in Stoneham, had his $180,000 line of credit from Citibank cut to $10,000. The bank cited declining home values for the decision despite that fact that Switzer says he’s never missed a payment.


Credit Crunch Creates Chaos For Homeowners’ HELOCs
By Amy Wyeth
Earlier this month, Stoneham resident Gordon Switzer got an unwelcome letter from his bank.



Sales Pitch Raises Brokers’ Eyebrows
By Thomas Grillo
The full-page ads in Boston’s daily newspapers screamed headlines that were hard to miss.



Hub Apartment Rents Rise
By Aglaia Pikounis
Despite the sluggish economy and talk of recession, apartment rents in the Boston metropolitan area climbed 3.3 percent in the first quarter, a new report shows.



A Notice to Our Readers
Next week’s issue of Banker & Tradesman will mark the beginning of an exciting new chapter in its 136-year-old history.



SJC Backs Lexington Developer
By Aglaia Pikounis
The Supreme Judicial Court has thrown out an abutters’ lawsuit to block an affordable housing development in Lexington.



Mass. Foreclosure Deeds Peak In March
The number of foreclosure deeds more than doubled in March when compared to the same month the year before, hitting their highest mark since 2005, according to The Warren Group, parent company of Banker & Tradesman.



Liberty Mutual To Acquire Safeco Insurance For $6.2B
Boston-based Liberty Mutual Group has agreed to acquire all outstanding shares of common stock of Safeco Corp. of Seattle in a $6.2 billion deal.



Experts’ Predictions Mixed For Commercial Loan Arena
Amy Wyeth
It’s not as bad as the early 1990s, but ask lenders and developers what the future holds for Massachusetts commercial real estate lending and you’ll get a mixed bag of answers.




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