Apartment Guide Launches Spanish Apartment Listing Web Site

Apartment Guide Launches Spanish Apartment Listing Web Site
RentRentar.com to Cater to Spanish-Speaking Apartment Seeker

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apartment Guide, a leading apartment resource for searching apartment communities nationwide, today announced the launch of its Spanish-language Web site – RentRentar.com. The new site provides Spanish-speaking apartment seekers with a variety of apartments to select from nationwide.

“The Spanish language is the second most spoken language in the world. Dedicated to providing apartment property listings in fully-translated Spanish, RentRentar.com meets a growing need for the Hispanic population,” said Arlene Mayfield, president of Apartment Guide. “Further, it provides an invaluable service to our advertisers and property managers.”

RentRentar.com may be accessed at http://www.rentrentar.com/?partner=14501&WT.mc_id=14501 or through the “En Espanol” link on ApartmentGuide.com.

Contact Tamela Coval at tcoval@consumersource.com or 678.421.3320 for advertising information.

About Apartment Guide
Thirty-three years old, Apartment Guide is the flagship product for and division of Consumer Source Inc, a wholly-owned subsidiary of PRIMEDIA Inc. (NYSE: PRM). Apartment Guide delivers rental information to consumers via print, Internet and mobile devices. Apartments for rent are displayed and distributed in 77 publications in 74 markets and through ApartmentGuide.com, which is available nationwide. The Printernet (print and online) blended media product provided by Apartment Guide is the consumer’s primary apartment search resource, offering renters content-rich apartment listings.

For more information visit: http://www.apartmentguide.com./

About PRIMEDIA Inc.
PRIMEDIA Inc., through its Consumer Source Inc. operation, is an integrated media business that provides advertising supported print and online consumer guides for the apartment and new home industries. Consumer Source publishes and distributes more than 38 million guides – such as Apartment Guide and New Home Guide – to approximately 60,000 U.S. locations each year through its proprietary distribution network, DistribuTech. The company also distributes category-specific content on its leading Web sites, including ApartmentGuide.com, NewHomeGuide.com and Rentals.com, a comprehensive single-unit real estate rental site. For more information, visit http://www.primedia.com/.

The Repercussions of Latinos Losing Their Home to Foreclosure

By Bill Arce, RealEstateLatino.com
6/14/08 Jacksonville, FL.

The staggering impact of all of the foreclosures on families, neighborhood stability, and the economy as a whole, continues to reveal itself as the tsunami of foreclosures continues to mount despite efforts by the federal government, non-profits organizations and industry players to alleviate its impact. Latino families are not exempt; in fact, a new research done by the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) estimates that 8 percent of Latino families will face foreclosure because of high-cost subprime mortgages and predatory lending.

Studies have shown that a big percentage of Latino’s wealth is sitting on their home equity. This represents the biggest asset (their home), for these families. It also represents the only way to access capitol to invest in small business, pay for college or simply to support other family members. Home prices are likely to drop even more in communities with high concentration of foreclosure, making equity vanish on many Latino homes and subsequently their opportunity to create wealth.

For most Latinos, the process of losing their home to foreclosure does not begin when they stop paying their monthly mortgage payments. Unfortunately, sometimes, it’s a result of wrong advice or they fell victims of predatory practices by an unethical real estate agent or loan officer. In RealEstateLatino.com (REL), we are doing our share by incorporating bilingual resources and information in our online real estate community, so our clients can learn to avoid foreclosure and common foreclosure rescue scams.

Trying to purchase the first home is without a doubt one of the most vulnerable times for many homebuyers, especially if English is in fact, his or her second language. It is our goal as ethical professionals, to make sure that all our clients will receive the best service possible in today’s real estate industry, and for that, we train all our affiliated partners before referring them any leads. Our “Impeccable Ethical Behavior” is more that just a business tagline; it is our way to show our commitment in sustaining Latino Homeownership.

In REL’s ethical training course, agents can discover a new approach to better serving our community that is the REL way. We understand that we must establish trust between our online community and its clients. We do this by supporting all their real estate needs without asking anything in return. When they are ready to purchase a home, we have our certified agents’ guide them throughout the entire home-buying process, making sure our client’s rights are always top priority for our agents.

Now is the time to act. As real estate professionals, we must work together to protect our communities from unethical predatory behaviors that consequently can end up in foreclosures. If you are an agent looking for professional support, training, or a Latino organization committed to Latino Homeownership, look no further. The National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professional (NAHREP) it the right place to be. With membership of more than 14,000 members all across the country, our organization is assisting Latinos like no other organization in the housing industry. Go to http://www.nahrep.org/ today, and look for a local chapter in our area and become a member. The benefits are many, but the desire and dedication to give back to our communities are like none other.

Wachovia Foundation Lend a Hand to Latino Group

By RealEstateLatino.net

The Wachovia Foundation has pledge to provide NCLR with $16.25 million to assist economic development in Latino communities across the country.

The foundation is forming a partnership with the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) that will allow NCLR to receive up to 5 million in grants over five years to provide homebuyer counseling and different community development projects.

NCLR also will receive $ 1.25 million over five years sponsor events organized by La Raza and $10 million loan to fund growth to NCLR Development Fund’s lending activities.

La Raza is the largest national Latino civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States.

Mi Casa es Mi Casa: APanameno's Statement

Statement by Aracely Panameño, Director, Latino Affairs
Center for Responsible Lending

June 6, 2008

Over the course of the last several years, subprime lending proliferated and with it so did predatory practices. Affinity marketing and steering worked hand in hand. The slogan of "bad credit, no credit, no problem" led many consumers to fall prey to real estate professionals all along the food chain.

In Prince William County, according to the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data, during the last three years 50% of subprime loans were sold to Latino families. More than half of all foreclosures in the county are concentrated in low and moderate income neighborhoods within two zip codes: 22191 and 22193 (Woodbridge and Dale City). The majority of those affected are Latino families. The problem is now spreading to other areas in the county as Alt-A and payment option ARMs begin to reset.

There are no resources for families facing foreclosure in Woodbridge or Dale City! The county has one Latina housing counselor in the financial education program ran by the Virginia Cooperative Extension; she is overwhelmed with cases. And, there is only one non-profit organization located in Manassas with one staff person, the executive director. Its network of housing counselors work on a volunteer basis and only two of them are bilingual. Another nonprofit organization, Legal Services of Northern Virginia (LSNV) is also overwhelmed with requests for legal aid involving predatory and/or fraudulent loans and rescue scams cases.

Communities like these exist all over the country. They need help NOW! The very many programs and initiatives to address foreclosures thus far continue to leave consumers at the mercy of lending institutions. While many of the financial institutions that originated these loans have sought protection under the bankruptcy code, the same protection is not afforded to consumers. Most recently, Rep. Masui introduced a deferment bill which Center for Responsible Lending and civil rights organizations support.

The conditions I have described are dire. We need policy makers to stop giving homeowners hope and to give them real solutions that will keep families in their homes, preserve communities, and stabilize the housing market.

In the meantime, community leaders, faith communities, and non-profit organizations will be working to provide information and assistance to families.

Prince William County families, especially Latino families in Woodbridge and Dale City can find information, housing counseling, legal aid, and access to lender/servicer institution responsible for serving most of the mortgages in the area at our clinic:

Mi Casa es Mi Casa Foreclosure Avoidance Clinic, which will take place on Saturday, June 14th, from 8:30-4:30 at Saint Margaret's Episcopal Church in Woodbridge.

Casa Latino Real Estate Expands in Phoenix

For Immediate Release May 31, 2008
Contact: William Arce,
VP Casa Latino Franchise Corporation
billarce@casalatino.com

Casa Latino Real Estate Expands in Phoenix

Bucking the trend of real estate office consolidations and closures, Casa Latino Real Estate has been steadily expanding throughout Phoenix. The company’s first Phoenix based franchise owners have grown from one office at 7th and Southern to three locations with more on the drawing board.

Their newest office has opened at 6030 N. 23rd Avenue, just off the I-17 freeway and Bethany Home Road in North Central Phoenix. Casa Latino franchise owner Ana Delgado, a former Century 21 agent, stated that “our newest office is conveniently located and compliments our locations at 7th and Southern and at the Ranch Market at 6730 W. Camelback Road in Glendale”.

Delgado is the managing broker and partner in a company which owns and operates Casa Latino real estate franchises throughout Greater Phoenix.

Casa Latino entered the Phoenix market late last fall with operations commencing in January of this year. The east coast based real estate franchise model is touted as America’s first and only true Latino real estate brand and is clearly the leader in the servicing the nations diverse Hispanic community. Robb Heering, company founder and CEO stated that “Ana Delgado is partnered up with some very influential and experienced local real estate and business talent. The ownership team in the Phoenix market includes Realtors John Purdon and Guillermo Blanco, a team of local internet business executives including Bob Gibson, and retired Phoenix Sun player Eddie Johnson. We fully expect that this ownership team will continue to expand their operations throughout Arizona and perhaps other key markets. Unlike many typical real estate franchise owners, this team has some very deep and diversified talent at its disposal”.

Casa Latino has been quietly expanding its operations throughout the US and continues to grab market share in many important markets. The company anticipates continued aggressive growth in the Greater Phoenix market.

About Casa Latino

Casa Latino was created in 2005 based upon the premise that Hispanic home buyers and sellers have unique needs based upon cultural differences and lifestyles, bolstered by the fact that those needs are not being effectively served by any other national brand. The company offers franchisees unprecedented culturally specific and significant back office support, training, marketing tools, advertising, coaching, and much more to ensure their success. The franchise model encourages a variety of agent compensation programs which dramatically enhance a broker's ability to recruit agents. The low franchise fee and an exceptionally low transaction-based royalty structure make Casa Latino an extremely attractive opportunity. Casa Latino has awarded franchises in several states and is executing an aggressive growth plan in the USA and many other countries.

Casa Latino and Fidelity National Financial Team Up To Assist Real Estate Professionals and Home Buyers

For Immediate Release
Contact: Robb Heering
Casa Latino Franchise Corporation
(203) 262-4185

Casa Latino and Fidelity National Financial Team Up
To Assist Real Estate Professionals and Home Buyers

SOUTHBURY, CT. (May 30, 2008) Casa Latino announced today that it will incorporate several Fidelity National Financial, Inc. (NYSE: FNF) products and tools initially Cyberhomes, Listing Producer and EC Purchasing to further assist its real estate agents to conduct business and to better educate consumers on the process of buying a home. Robb Heering, president and founder of Casa Latino Franchise Corporation, said: “I am delighted to make available to our brokers and agents important tools to help them succeed in this challenging real estate market; and to be associated with a company with the capabilities and reputation of FNF.”

FNF’s Multicultural Marketing Division will also support Casa Latino agents in helping to educate immigrant and non-English-speaking homebuyers and sellers about the home buying process. “FNF’s Multicultural Marketing Division and its nationwide network of title and escrow companies are uniquely positioned to assist Casa Latino in both closing transactions and reaching out to underserved consumers,” said Pablo Wong, FNF senior vice president for market development. FNF’s title and escrow companies operate under five brands, including Chicago Title, Fidelity National Title, Ticor Title, Alamo Title, and Security Union Title.

“As our business relationship grows, we will incorporate other helpful FNF tools and establish FNF’s family of title insurance companies as Casa Latino’s preferred providers of title and settlement services,” concluded Heering.

About Casa Latino
Casa Latino was created in 2005 based upon the premise that Hispanic homebuyers and sellers have unique needs based upon cultural differences and lifestyles, bolstered by the fact that those needs are not being effectively served by any other national brand. The company offers franchisees unprecedented culturally specific and significant back office support, training, marketing tools, advertising, coaching, and much more to ensure their success. The franchise model encourages a variety of agent compensation programs, which dramatically enhance a broker's ability to recruit agents. The low franchise fee and an exceptionally low transaction-based royalty structure make Casa Latino an extremely attractive opportunity. Casa Latino has awarded franchises in several states and is executing an aggressive growth plan in the USA and many other countries. More information can be found at http://www.casalatino.com/.

About FNF
Fidelity National Financial, Inc. (NYSE:FNF), is a leading provider of title insurance, specialty insurance, claims management services and information services. FNF is one of the nation's largest title insurance companies through its title insurance underwriters Fidelity National Title, Chicago Title, Ticor Title, Security Union Title, and Alamo Title that issue approximately 28 percent of all title insurance policies in the United States. FNF also provides flood insurance, personal lines insurance, and home warranty insurance through its specialty insurance business. FNF also is a leading provider of outsourced claims management services to large corporate and public sector entities through its minority-owned subsidiary, Sedgwick CMS. FNF is also a leading information services company in the human resource, retail, and transportation markets through another minority-owned subsidiary, Ceridian Corporation. More information about FNF can be found at www.fnf.com.

Co-Founder of Nuestra Casa Magazine Joins Cygnus Business Media

Rodriguez Joins Cygnus Business Media as Head of Custom Marketing Division
Custom Marketing Solutions Raise Awareness, Drive Purchases

FORT ATKINSON, Wis.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Cygnus Business Media, a leading diversified business-to-business media company, announced today that Marco Rodriguez will join the company as senior vice president of custom marketing. Rodriguez is a co-founder of Nuestra Casa International, LLC, a national Spanish real estate magazine in print and online. In 2007, Mr. Rodriguez along with the team of Nuestra Casa International, LLC launched new magazines in cities across the country to add to its current four publications in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana. Today, they have publications in Orlando, Tampa, and Houston.

“The Hispanic market is one of the fastest growing demographics,” says Cygnus Business Media Co-CEO Carr Davis. “We are consistently asked by many of our advertisers about reaching this influential market. Marco will be a tremendous asset in how we reach this dynamic group."
Cygnus Custom Marketing has developed innovative programs for leading organizations interested in reaching their crucial client base for more than 40 years. Their client list ranges from Fortune 500 companies to small and mid-size companies.

“Content is what drives interest in our publications, on our websites and at our tradeshows," adds Davis. “What our Custom Marketing group is exceptional at is creating and distributing targeted content for our clients to their customers via a custom magazine, newsletter, website, digital offerings, magazine/catalogs and collateral programs. Marco has spent years developing magazines in the home services and building market and will be influential in leading our custom marketing group.”

According to the Custom Publishing Council’s 2007 Readership & Effectiveness Survey, 77 percent of readers agree that a custom publication gives them a more favorable impression of the organization that sponsors them. Cygnus’ own readership surveys have found that readers are more familiar with a clients’ products and their capabilities when targeted with a custom marketing platform or solution and are more likely to consider clients’ brands in their next purchase decision.

Rodriguez is particularly intrigued with the need for media products and interactive tools that effectively reach and communicate with the growing number of Hispanic-owned businesses and staff in the construction trades. "In my previous work, we launched a real estate publication to serve the Hispanic community," he says. "That background, combined with the reach that Cygnus has in construction, may be the foundation to meeting the information needs of an important segment of the market and serving our clients who wish to do so."

Cygnus Custom Marketing Solutions include print magazines and a broad range of Internet and web-based services designed to support sales’ efforts, enhance brand awareness, and strengthen customer retention. The group develops initial strategies and on-going content with turnkey solutions and distributes these through various platforms.

“Communication is essential in building loyalty with customers,” adds Rodriguez. “Building a custom marketing program assists in leveraging customer relationships and building a product or service brand in more focused forum. I am looking forward to working with the talented staff of Cygnus Custom Marketing.”

Cygnus Custom Marketing Solutions include custom magazines, brochures, newsletters, magazine/catalogs or magalogs, web site enhancements/community development through podcasts, forums, chats, webinars and podcasts.

Rodriguez succeeds Shari Dodgen. “Shari has been an extraordinary asset in the Cygnus Custom Marketing group and she will be missed,” adds Davis. “We wish her well in her new endeavor.”
Rodriguez is a graduate of The John Marshall Law School Chicago, the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign with a Bachelors Degree in Finance, College of LAS. He is also an internationally-known speaker on Hispanic media.

Cygnus Business Media reaches nearly 15 million business owners, executives and professionals annually through its portfolio of over 175 media products. Its four distinct divisions - Cygnus Publishing, Cygnus Expositions, Cygnus Interactive and Cygnus Custom Marketing - provide comprehensive, integrated advertising and marketing programs for Cygnus’ valued customers and clients. The company's leading business publications, tradeshows, conferences, websites, online products and custom marketing capabilities enhance brand identity, generate sales leads, and build product awareness as they strengthen customer/client relationships.

For more information on how Cygnus Business Media can help you achieve your advertising and marketing objectives, visit http://www.cygnusb2b.com/.

Cygnus Business MediaKathy Scott, 770-427-5290Kathy.Scott@Cygnusb2b.com

Real Estate Latino.com launches new website to empower bilingual real estate professionals.

Real Estate Latino.com launches new website to empower bilingual real estate professionals.

“The Internet's fastest-growing bilingual real estate portal provides listings, resources and community features to help Latino consumers make better real estate decisions”

JACKSONVILLE, FL., May 9 - Leading online community RealEstateLatino.com today announced the launch of RealEstateLatino.net, a new resource website for bilingual real estate professionals. REL continues its commitment as the nation’s leading provider of online real estate resources and education for Latinos. “We have designed an innovative web portal exclusively for REL’s member certified agents,” said Bill Arce, President and CEO of RealEstateLatino.com.

Our network of online companies is focused on helping our certified real estate members become more successful by providing access to secured exclusive lead territories, a listing in our certified agent online database, and offer special training sections by certified professionals. However, the most innovative tool is the “Easy Lead Follow-Up System,” where agents will have access to prepared letters, in Spanish and English, to help keep them in contact with their leads.

"This website not only advertises your company on the web, but also gives the tools to follow up on the leads provided, definitely, a service combination hard to find,” said Armando Tam, owner of A.T. Realty from Concord, California and President of the Contra Costa County Chapter of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals.

RealEstateLatino.com believes that in order for the company to carry on its leadership role in increasing Latino homeownership, it is essential to continue developing new ways to better serve the Hispanic community. We are truly pleased with the opportunity to empower our agents and together, being able to achieve our goal of “Impeccable Ethical Behavior,” concluded Mr. Arce.

To learn more about our company or become a REL.com Certified Agent please visit http://www.realestatelatino.net/.

About RealEstateLatino.com:

RealEstateLatino.com is a free online bilingual real estate community where Latino buyers and sellers find ethical real estate agents, homes for sale and educational resources. Launched in 2004 by real estate broker visionary, Bill Arce; he created the RealEstateLatino.com to answer Latino’s real estate concerns about buying or selling a home.

Source: http://www.realestatelatino.co/m

PR Contact: Dunia Arce at 866-934-9779 or Dunia@realestatelatino.com

Ultimate Diversity - Bay Area Player Grabs Casa Latino Real Estate

May 12, 2008 - What do superstar actor Will Smith, Miami’s Latino scene, The San Francisco Bay Area, Mortgages, Real Estate, Salsa Dancing, and Healthy Latino Cooking have in common?

At 32, Armando “Mando” Tam, of Concord, California has achieved much in his young business life. Originally from Rivas, Nicaragua, the son of Chinese and Nicaraguan parents, Mando arrived in America at age 3.

A few years ago, after spending several years in retail management and a few more in telecom and insurance, Armando Tam started teaching Salsa dancing and began singing with a Latino band. His dancing skills landed him a job with Will Smith in the Welcome to Miami Summer hit video. His lyrical skills got him his own record deal. More recently, he competed in a reality TV cooking show with a healthy Latino cooking cuisine.

He found time to become a mortgage broker and later founded his own mortgage brokerage, A.T. Funding, with offices in California and Florida. Mortgages naturally led him to real estate brokerage. He opened and still operates a successful real estate agency, A.T. Realty.
Perhaps the most well rounded and most versatile member of the Casa Latino franchise owner’s society, Mando is humbled by the opportunities before him.

He is the key operator and an equal equity partner of the entity which owns the area development rights to Casa Latino Real Estate in the Bay Area. His partners include two non-disclosed Hispanic business power players.

Tams first Casa Latino office will open next month in Oakland. He’ll open additional offices throughout Contra Costa and Alameda County and will likely open offices in other states, including Florida. Tam stated “I am very excited to be a part of the Casa Latino family. My partners and I will expand the brand throughout the Bay Area with at least 3 office locations within the next 6 months and we’ll partner with others for locations outside of our market area.”
Robb Heering, Casa Latino’s founder and CEO stated that “the professionalism and experience Mando and his team posses will result in a raising of the bar at Casa Latino. As our brand has grown we’ve begun to attract very well qualified and experienced real estate professionals.

We expect this team to grow a sizeable portfolio of Casa Latino Real Estate offices throughout several key markets. They have the experience, knowledge, and ability to dominate Latino market share in several communities and we look forward to working with them and supporting their efforts”

About Casa Latino
Launched in 2005 in Connecticut, Casa Latino offers franchisees unprecedented culturally specific and significant back office support, training, marketing tools, advertising, coaching, and much more to ensure their success. The franchise royalty model encourages a variety of agent compensation programs which dramatically enhances a broker’s ability to recruit agents. The low franchise fee and an exceptionally low transaction based royalty structure make Casa Latino an extremely attractive opportunity.

Press Contact:
Robb Heering
203-262-4185
robb@casalatino.com

Zions Bank Launches Spanish Version of Web Site

SALT LAKE CITY, May 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Zions Bank today
announced the launch of a Spanish language version of its Internet site,
http://www.zionsbank.com/espanol.

The Web site is targeted at the growing
number of Latinos making financial transactions online. Nationally, 76
percent of bilingual Latinos use the Internet, according to a 2007 report
by the Pew Hispanic Center. Other studies indicate Hispanic entry into the
online marketplace is outpacing that of the general market.

More than 100 individual Web pages on the site allow consumers to
compare a variety of personal and business banking products to select the
best choices for their unique needs. The site allows users to locate branch
offices, read about Spanish-speaking community bankers along the Wasatch
Front, and learn financial tips. Also included are "Su Futuro Financiero"
consumer education columns written by Zions Bank's Sylvia Haro.

Businesses can take advantage of information about treasury management
services and international banking in Spanish. The pages also feature local
Latino-owned businesses that have been highlighted on Zions Bank's
"Negocios en Accion" weekly radio feature, also hosted by Haro.

"Zions Bank's new Spanish Web site helps reinforce our commitment to
serving the Latino community, and its launch coincides with the bank's
efforts to expand its services for Hispanics to even more branch locations
this year," said Joe Reyna, multicultural retail region president.
Plans are underway to continue expanding the content and features
available online in Spanish.

"Because more than half of Zions Bank's personal account holders are
enrolled in Internet Banking, we know it is a convenient service that now
can be used by our increasingly diverse customer base, including those who
prefer making financial transactions in Spanish," said Carl Snyder,
president of Zions Internet Banking.

Zions Internet Banking has garnered awards and recognitions for being
at the forefront of the online banking industry. In 2007, Zions Internet
Banking was named as a finalist in the in the 2007 Computerworld Honors
Program and was recognized for its extraordinary use of information
technology in the Finance, Insurance and Real Estate category. In addition,
Zions Internet Banking received the 2007 Utah Best of State award for
computer-related services.

A 2004 study by the consulting firm Speer & Associates ranked Zions
Bank's Web site as the No. 1 bank Internet site among regional banks with
assets between $15 billion and $25 billion. In the overall ranking of
Western Hemisphere banks, Zions ranked No. 7 just after multi-regional and
Canadian institutions. In 2004, financial services consulting firm Javelin
Strategy & Research published a survey that ranked Zions Bank's online bill
payment system (http://www.zionsbank.com/) No. 1 for its services and
features. In addition, Javelin ranked Zions Internet Banking No. 3 for its
identity fraud prevention, detection and resolution capabilities.

Zions Bank, a subsidiary of Zions Bancorporation (Nasdaq: ZION),
operates 138 full-service branches and nearly 200 ATMs throughout Utah and
Idaho. In addition to a wide range of traditional banking services, Zions
offers a comprehensive array of investment, mortgage, and insurance
services, and has a network of loan origination offices for small
businesses nationwide. The company is also a leader in providing electronic
banking services, including odd-lot electronic bond trading. Founded in
1873, Zions has been serving the communities of the Intermountain West for
135 years. Additional information on Zions Bank is available at
http://www.zionsbank.com/.

Related links:
http://www.zionsbank.com/espanol

Latinos Talk Housing, Puerto Rico statehood in Conference

Jason Hawk The Chronicle-Telegram
Monday April 28, 2008

ELYRIA — More than 40 million Latinos live in the United States, including more than 260,000 in Ohio.

But nobody’s paying much attention to the issues that affect them, said Joel Arredondo of the Coalition for Hispanic/Latino Issues and Progress.

That’s why his organization is stepping up this weekend to talk about how Latinos can cope with foreclosure, the “Latinization” of America and possible statehood for Puerto Rico.

The 13th Annual Hispanic Leadership Conference kicked off Friday night at the Holiday Inn in Elyria and continues today at Lorain County Community College. The most important issue of the year in Lorain — where 21 percent of the population is Hispanic — is foreclosure, said Mike Ferrer, coalition spokesman.

“Our conference is for the line worker who every day goes to work and tries to better their lives and their families’ lives,” Ferrer said. “We’re all family. We all need to work together to touch each others’ lives. If we can do that, our county will survive. We’ve got to break this trend, where everywhere you go there are empty houses.”

Paul Bellamy, former director of the Lorain County Reinvestment Coalition, is now an attorney for the Equal Justice Foundation. He’ll talk today at the conference about fair housing and mortgage lending inequity.As far back as 2002, Bellamy predicted a major lending disaster would take its toll on Ohio, and now he fights lenders who prey on disadvantaged and minority groups.

The keynote speaker at the conference will be Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth Pedro Cortés, who is the first Latino cabinet member in Pennsylvania history.

The foreclosure crises in both Pennsylvania and Ohio have decimated the Latinos in both states, he said. There’s a need for better education about lending, and it should be printed in Spanish, he said.

His advice to the Hispanic community in Lorain: Start putting money away for a rainy day and use tax refund checks this year to pay down debt instead of making expensive purchases.
“Use those economic stimulus checks from Uncle Sam to satisfy high-interest debt first,” he said. “That could save you up to 25 percent overall.”

Contact Jason Hawk at 329-7148 or jhawk@chroniclet.com.