Muara Teweh!

JAKARTA, Sept 18 - Malaysian government-sponsored students overseas, especially some 3,000 in Indonesia, who now enjoy almost a 100 per cent increase in their scholarship, should strive harder to excel in their studies as a way of saying thank you to the government and taxpayers back home.

Malaysian Ambassador to Indonesia Datuk Zainal Abidin Mohamed Zain, in giving the reminder, said now that their financial woes have been solved with the increased scholarship effective Jan 1, it was only fair for the government and the people to expect nothing less than the best from overseas students. » Read more after the jump →

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. (LEH.N: Quote, Profile, Research) is looking at acquiring mortgage lenders in Europe as it looks to boost its mortgage revenue, the investment bank’s chief financial officer told Reuters on Wednesday.

Lehman’s mortgage business in the United States is strong and does not need acquisitions to grow but it does little lending in parts of Europe at the moment, said Chris O’Meara, Lehman CFO.

And potential profit is high. The difference between the rates at which lenders lend and the rates at which they fund their loans are much higher internationally than in the United States, O’Meara said on a conference call. » Read more after the jump →

(ARA) - Getting married marks a huge milestone for many people who have spent years dreaming about being a husband or wife. Another major milestone that often follows marriage is the first “big” purchase, which is typically buying a home.

Buying a home is a great way to start married life together. Achieving the American dream of homeownership together is a great accomplishment. It’s exciting for newlyweds as they make the house their own by decorating and fixing it up. » Read more after the jump →

The Finance Authority of New Orleans recently announced the availability of $24,500,000 of new funds to provide low-interest home loans in Orleans Parish through the Welcome Back Home Loan Program. These funds are made available from the proceeds of the Finance Authority’s Single Family Mortgage Revenue Bond Issue, Series 2006.

The Finance Authority’s “Welcome Back Home Loan Program” will make home mortgage loans to all income groups at a base annual percentage rate of 5.625% a.p.r. (30-year fixed rate) for both home purchase and renovation. This mortgage loan program is not limited to first-time homebuyers or low-income families. In addition to » Read more after the jump →

HARRISBURG — A new state program is designed to help Pennsylvania homeowners pay for repairs and improvements. “One of the best investments you can make is your home,” said state Sen. Gerald LaValle of Rochester, Pa. “This new state program will help Pennsylvanians invest in their homes and revitalize our communities.”

The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency will administer the new loan program, called Keystone Renovate and Repair. No new state tax dollars will go toward the effort; instead, PHFA will self-fund the entire program from current revenues.

About the program » Read more after the jump →

WASHINGTON — Like a lot of homeowners, Kimberly Barton refinanced her home two years ago. But instead of latching onto a low fixed rate, the Rancho Cucamonga resident went for a loan that rewards her for making her mortgage payments on schedule. At the time, the starting rate on Barton’s new loan was 6.49%, less than the 7.5% she’d been paying but somewhat higher than the market rate she could have nailed. But in March 2005, her rate dropped one-quarter of 1%. Last March, it dropped another quarter percent. And the single mother of two is looking forward to another quarter-percent decline next spring and another the spring after that.

Indeed, if Barton’s house payments continue to arrive on time, her rate will fall to as low as 3.49% — all without incurring any refinance charges. » Read more after the jump →

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency will be offering low-interest loans for homeowners who want to borrow money to pay for home repairs and renovations.

The Keystone Renovate and Repair Loan Program also will provide guidance on matters including what repairs should be made, how to select a contractor and how to determine if work was done correctly.

The program, which begins in November, will extend below-market fixed interest rates on loans of up to 35-thousand dollars, payable over ten, 15 or 20 years. » Read more after the jump →