Gazatem Technologies

UNESCO says Tower of London threatened

AP - The 900-year-old Tower of London, one of Britain's top tourist attractions, will be added to the list of endangered world heritage sites unless the threat from encroaching skyscrapers is resolved, the U.N.'s cultural body said Monday.

Home Sales, Mortgage Applications Feel Holiday Lull

BusinessWeek Online - Mortgage application activity faltered last week as rates edged up and holiday duties rose to the tops of priority lists, according to a report issued Wednesday by the Mortgage Bankers Assn. For the critical retail week ending Dec. 22, the MBA's Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan appreciation volume, decreased 14.2% to 555.8 on a seasonally-adjusted basis from 647.6 the week ending Dec. 15. On an unadjusted basis, the index was up 16.6% year-over-year.

Social, religious funds have big returns

AP - Wall Street presumably isn't a place where those hoping to mend their ways in the new year might turn for inspiration. But some investors looking to better align their social or religious convictions with their investments have found sizable returns.

Home loan demand rises despite higher rates

Reuters - U.S. mortgage applications rose last week, led by increased demand for home purchase loans even as interest rates climbed for a fourth consecutive week, an industry trade group said on Wednesday.

Homeowners move away from ARMs

AP - Lawrence Jones knew he was taking a chance on interest rates when he agreed to an adjustable-rate mortgage in 2002.

Rates on 30-year mortgages unchanged

AP - Rates on 30-year mortgages were unchanged in the first week of the new year after posting three consecutive increases to close out 2006.

Freddie Mac predicts 3Q, 4Q losses

AP - Home-mortgage financier Freddie Mac said Friday it expects to report losses for the third and fourth quarters of 2006, citing interest rates declines.

Google stock boom boosts Calif. coffers

AP - Someday, this era may simply be known as The Google Years. California, whose budget revenue slides up and down like a yo-yo with changes in capital gains and stock options, is once again counting on outsized income tax filings from a handful of tech executives to help balance its budget.

Report: U.K. army guarding energy plants

AP - Britain's army will be deployed at oil, gas and electricity facilities in the country to defend them from potential terrorist attacks, a newspaper reported on Sunday.

Britain''s Brown suggests policy shift

AP - Treasury chief Gordon Brown, expected to succeed Tony Blair as prime minister by September, suggested Sunday that he will pursue an Iraq policy that is more independent of Washington than the current government.