FREDDIE MAC, AREAA, COUNTRYWIDE Team up with Nonprofits to help Asian Americans in Los Angeles Become Homeowners

(Los Angeles, CA) Thanks to a new homeownership initiative made possible by many organizations working together, Soo Han is the proud owner of a new home in Winnetka, Calif. Han is one of several individuals who have become
homeowners through a collaborative community effort to increase homeownership in the Korean American community in the greater Los Angeles area.

At a ceremony today at Youngnak Presbyterian Church, Freddie Mac (NYSE: FRE) and the Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA) officially kicked off the homeownership initiative with Korean Churches for Community Development (KCCD), the Koreatown Youth and Community Center (KYCC), Countrywide Home Loans and Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Corporation (MGIC).

This homeownership initiative, which began last year, addresses language and cultural barriers, lack of knowledge about the homebuying process and other challenges faced by Asian Americans. These barriers are keeping many Asian
Americans from pursuing their dream of homeownership.

"Through KCCD's Homebuyer Education program, I realized how important having knowledge can be for first-time homebuyers," said Han. "With the help of KCCD's counseling program, I was able to purchase my first home with more than $138,000 of layered financing and downpayment assistance and at a five percent fixed interest rate."

"What better definition of 'The...

Renowned journalist and author William Wong posted two blogs about the recent Black-on-Chinese-street-crime in Oakland and San Francisco, and has received a lot of response, some of it nasty.

The Black-on-Chinese-street-crime story in Oakland and San Francisco has generated a lot of heat, anger, fear, frustration, and searches for solutions.

Renowned journalist and author William Wong posted two blogs, and has received a lot of response, some of it nasty.

Click here for the full commentary.

Renowned journalist and author William Wong shares historical context about the recent black-on-Chinese-street-crime story in Oakland and San Francisco.

The Black on Chinese street crime story in Oakland and San Francisco has generated a lot of heat, anger, fear, frustration, and searches for solutions.

Renowned journalist and author William Wong is blogging about this, and has received a lot of response, some of it nasty.

In his latest commentary, Wong explores some historical context to this bewildering subject.

Click here for the full commentary.

Click here for William Wong's previous blog posts.

Renowned journalist William Wong explores solutions to curbing the Black-Asian street crimes in Oakland & SF in this third of a three part series.

The Black-on-Chinese-street-crime story in Oakland and San Francisco has generated a lot of heat, anger, fear, frustration, and searches for solutions.

In this third of a three part series, renowned journalist and author William Wong explores solutions to curbing the racially-tinged street crimes.

Click here for the full commentary.

Click here for William Wong's previous blog posts.

 Business and Heartbreak

By Marilyn Tam

“Violence is what happens when we don’t know what to do with our heartbreak… learn how to allow your heart to break open to embrace the lessons with compassion, not broken into sharp shards that hurt others as well as yourself”

-                     Parker J Palmer, author, educator, and founder of the Center for Courage & Renewal. 

Dr. Palmer directed the above quotation at leadership and democracy, but I think it applies to how you should manage your business and life too. Violence in business and life thankfully does not usually degenerate into physical force, but the above concept is instructive in how we deal with all our challenges. 

When we have a life or business challenge, do we narrow our focus to how we can get out of the immediate circumstance, or do we expand our vision and strategy to learn how we can improve the results for this and other situations?

With a challenge is looming in front of us, it is easy to fall back into a reflexive mode. We want to make the problem go away immediately, but a decision made in haste or from anger is less than ideal. The flight or fight instinct is activated and to respond aggressively or retreat without full consideration of the options, often prove to be worse than the initial situation. 

Many years ago when I was Vice President of Nike Apparel & Accessories, we were faced with a severe...