Yesterday’s mews: Ex-stable charms

This unique Bedford house was built in 1836 as a racehorse stable for a nearby track, but has been expanded into a four-bedroom home with sensitively added rear additions.

The fieldstone stable with a slate roof retains its original charm, and the current owners undertook a major barnboard-sided addition in 1992, which added a new vaulted-ceiling kitchen with skylights and a large arched window, cherrywood cabinets, black appliances and a center island. Two other wings hold four bedrooms, including a master suite with sliding-glass doors that open onto a rear wood deck.

The two-acre property, filled with large old trees, lots of grass and nicely tended gardens, sits at the end of a private lane lined by stone walls.

The original part of the house holds a family room with beamed and wood-lined walls and ceiling as well as a brick fireplace. There's also a ceramic-tiled dining room, a home office area with a 1992-added half bath, and a large living room with knotty pine floors and a Vermont Castings wood stove. A South-facing greenhouse is attached to the original stable.

Behind a stone wall is a pantry/kitchenette area, a workbench nook and a closet with a Maytag washer and dryer and sink.

The master bedroom in the 1992 wing has knotty-pine walls and carpet, and there's a walk-through closet with built-in wardrobe and a master bathroom with a whirlpool tub. The other three bedrooms are children-sized, and have folding-door closets. A second full bathroom has small ceramic tile floors and a one-piece Fiberglas shower.

The house has five-zoned forced gas heating system, but doesn't have central air conditioning.

A detached two-car garage sits at the end of the private lane and there's an unpaved area that holds two additional vehicles.

Home Showcase

• Address: 278B Old Billerica Road, Bedford
• Bedrooms: Four
• Bathrooms: Two full, one half
• List price: $818,000
• Square feet: 2,844
• Price per square foot: $288
• Annual taxes: $8,962
• Location: Two miles to retail 
and restaurants along Great Road 
in Bedford
• Built in: 1836; major addition and upgrades in 1992
• Broker: Suzanne Koller of Keller Williams at 617-799-5913

Pros:

• Two-acre property with old trees, grass and gardens
• Large living area with wood stove and pine floors
• Master bedroom suite has sliding glass doors to rear deck
• Attached South-facing greenhouse

Cons:

• Kitchen, bathrooms could use some upgrading
• No central air conditioning

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Car Smart: Infiniti coupe puts you in loop of luxury

A coupe always catches my eye and is refreshing to spot among the more practical autos that clog the roads these days. It's the well-proportioned wheel base and the balance of only one door per side along with muscular lines that combine to give the two-door car a fast and fun-to-drive character.

The 2014 Infiniti Q60 embodies these attributes and with all-wheel drive, the Q60 provides an interesting option for the New England driver uninterested in practicality and not willing to compromise on appearance, luxury or performance. The low-to-the-ground Q60 may not be not be the best choice for an unplowed route during a nor'easter, but the Q60's snow-driving mode gives a driver the ability to confidently travel on snow-covered roads.

In addition to all-wheel-drive, our $52,055 tester included a sport package comprised of a sport-tuned suspension and steering. The Q60's suspension was smoother and more forgiving than its cousin, the Nissan 370Z. Handling was swift and athletic on windy secondary roads. However, the Q60's steering was excessively heavy.

Our tester's 330-hp 3.7-liter V-6 engine hustled the coupe off the line and provided a smooth flow of power as it shifted through a seven-speed automatic transmission. Magnesium paddle shifters located behind the steering wheel were also part of the sport package. Rear wheel drive is available on both the $42,000 base model and the more powerful, top shelf, Q60 IPL (Infiniti Performance Line), which is also available with a 6-speed manual transmission. Fuel economy for our AWD tester was 18 city, 25 highway and does improve slightly with the rear-wheel drive models.

Blue ambient lighting set the mood for the Q60's dark cockpit. High gloss maple accents around the center console, dash and doors, along with Infiniti's signature analog clock provided an upscale feel.

A 7-inch infotainment screen was well proportioned within the recess of the dashboard and was easy to use. A Bose sound system with a speed sensitive volume control virtually eliminated any road noise when I was cranking the tunes.

Leather front seats were large and comfortable with ample adjustability. Cramped rear seats had my four-year-old complaining about the lack of space. Ditto for the trunk, you must follow a diagram under the lid in order to cram two golf bags inside.

Our tester also included a $1,250 technology package highlighted by intelligent cruise control with brake assist and rain-sensing windshield wipers. The laser-based intelligent cruise control manages the Q60's speed and maintains a safe distance from the car in front. The brake assist also uses the laser to help the vehicle brake faster if an emergency arises.

While not the most practical with regard to traveling with more than one passenger, a coupe in my book is what a car should be and once you start adding doors, it's a compromise. Similar coupes to consider are the Audi A5, the BMW 428i or Mercedes Benz C-Class. The Infiniti Q60 is also available as a convertible.

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The Ticker

Romney, Peter Lynch sell local properties

Mitt and Ann Romney are pulling up roots in Belmont — and apparently turning a profit.

Massachusetts' former first couple sold their South Cottage Road condo earlier this month for $1.2 million, according to property records.

Romney, the former Bay State governor and 2012 presidential candidate, and his wife, Ann, had owned the condo at the Woodlands at Belmont Hill since June 2010, when they purchased it for $850,000, records show.

Meanwhile, legendary Fidelity money manager Peter Lynch and his wife, Carolyn, have sold their Beacon Hill home at 51 Chestnut St. in Boston at a loss, for 
$4.5 million, according to Registry of Deeds documents. The circa-1830, Federal-style townhouse had been on the market since 2010, when the asking price was $6.85 million. The Lynches bought it for 
$5.125 million in 2005.

Lincoln Property buys 40 Court St.

Dallas-based Lincoln Property Co. has purchased the 110,000-square-foot office building at 40 Court St. in Boston's Financial District for $31 million, according to Registry of Deeds documents. The seller, New York real estate private equity firm Brickman, bought the property for $37 million in 2007 at the height of the Boston real estate market.

Built in 1912, the United States Trust Co. or Scollay Building's tenants include the Oceanaire Seafood Room, Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers, the Anti-Defamation League of New England and Kearney, Donovan & McGee P.C.

States release zero-emissions auto plan

Eight states on the East and West coasts including Massachusetts released a plan yesterday to work together to put 3.3 million zero-emission vehicles on the nation's roads by 2025.

The so-called "action plan" follows last year's memorandum of understanding announced by the governors of the states, including California and New York. The other states in the pact are Maryland, Oregon, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Vermont. The states represent about 23 percent of the U.S. auto market.

Car manufacturers applauded the action plan but said a lot of work needs to be done to meet the
3.3 million goal with zero-emission vehicles making up less than 1 percent of nationwide new car sales.

Today

 Commerce Department releases personal income and spending for April.

THE SHUFFLE

The Parthenon Group has named Peter Gates as senior adviser. Gates joins the Global Healthcare Practice, where he will focus on strategy development and value creation in the health care industry. Gates has 25 years of experience as both an executive and a consultant for health care companies.

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Radian tries to make its mark in luxury market

Designed to resemble a boutique hotel and with condo-level finishes, the just-opened 240-unit Radian luxury complex is hoping to draw the city's well-heeled renters.

The 26-story, $130 million project developed by Forest City Enterprises and the Swampscott-based Hudson Group North America sits along the Greenway at the nexus of Chinatown, the Leather District and the Financial District.

And while it doesn't have a pool like the nearby Kensington or sports courts like The Arlington or The Victor, or even an outdoor roof deck, it's trying to differentiate itself in other ways.

"We don't have some of the bells and whistles other buildings do, but we do have two things that stand out — our location is better and our service is higher quality," said property manager Michael Cheek of Forest City Enterprises.

If you have your groceries delivered, the Radian staff will take them up to your unit and put the perishables away. When you come in from work, there are refresher towels waiting in the lobby and there are steam towels in the gym when you finish a workout.

Have visitors coming to stay? They can rent an apartment for $150-$200 a night and can use the building's amenities.

But all the high-end service comes at a price. The 563-square-foot studios rent for $2,960 to $3,555. One-bedroom apartments, ranging from 617 square feet to 911 square feet, cost $3,400 to $5,100. Two bedrooms, from 1,049 to 1,163 square feet, run from $4,160 to $6,235 a month. And that does not include utilities (everything's electric) or garage parking, which is $400 a month and up.

Only 13 of the 240 units have been rented so far, Cheek said. To spur leasing, Radian is offering concessions — a free month's rent for those signing 12-month leases, and letting tenants lock in rent with two-year leases.

"We think there's a lot of young professionals who have good jobs downtown who want to reward themselves by having a nice place to live," said Cheek.

The fifth floor has a fitness center and yoga studio, as well as a residents lounge overlooking the city. There's also a private conference room to conduct business.

The units have contemporary two-tone kitchen finishes and lots of natural light from oversized windows. Living area floors are "Plyboo," a mixture of plywood and bamboo. The bathrooms have porcelain tile floors, white quartz sinks and tiled walk-in showers. And every unit has a Bosch washer and dryer.

Cheek said the most popular floor plan so far has been the rear "bullnose" apartments that feature living/dining areas with curving glass walls of windows with great downtown views. We looked at a 911-square-foot one bedroom plus study "flex" unit on the 17th floor with an asking rent of about $4,400. It also features a kitchen with Silestone countertops and Whirlpool stainless-steel appliances.

The 4,500-square-foot ground-floor retail space will be leased by four-time James Beard nominee chef Matt Jennings for a restaurant called Townsman, which will open Oct. 1.

"The people who will live here have busy lives, and we want to make living here as easy, stress-free and convenient as possible," Cheek said.

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Convention center expansion wins in House

The House overwhelmingly endorsed a $1.1 billion plan to expand the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center yesterday, in a bid to make the Hub a top five U.S. convention market.

In a 130-19 vote, House members approved the measure, which calls for the project to be financed with revenue from existing hospitality industry charges,­ primarily a 4.25 percent tax on Boston and Cambridge hotel rooms.

Massachusetts Convention Center Authority Executive Director James Rooney said, "We've been working on this for four years. I feel like it was vetted­ in a very responsible way."

House Speaker Robert DeLeo said the expansion's impact — largely in tax revenue — would be felt beyond the Hub.

"Obviously that money is not just staying in Boston," he said. "We take that money into our government, we put that into our general fund. That's going throughout the state."

DeLeo said a separate "economic development" bill aimed at boosting employment in other regions also is in the works.

The BCEC expansion bill now goes to the Senate, where Senate President Therese Murray has expressed support.

Massachusetts Tax­payers Foundation president Michael Widmer said he sees the MCCA as "another piece of our overall economic future in the state." But while it's "made the case" for the expansion, there still will be liabilities, he said.

"Even with hotel expansions, we won't have an adequate number of hotel rooms in the immediate vicinity (of the BCEC), so we'll still be behind many cities in that respect," Widmer said. "And some of the projections about future conventions that would come to Boston are un­certain."

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The Ticker

Apple aims for street cred with $3B Beats buy

Apple is striking a new chord with a $3 billion acquisition of Beats Electronics, a headphone and music streaming specialist that also brings the swagger of rapper Dr. Dre and recording impresario Jimmy Iovine.

Yesterday's announcement comes nearly three weeks after deal negotiations were leaked to the media. It's by far the most expensive acquisition in Apple's 38-year history, a price the company is paying to counter a threat posed to its iTunes store.

The price consists of $2.6 billion in cash and $400 million in Apple stock that will vest over an unspecified time period. The deal is expected to close before October.

World Cup lifts winning country's stocks

Winning the soccer World Cup can bring rewards to the winning nation's stock market investors. But they better be quick as the post-victory rally doesn't last long.

That's the conclusion of investment bank Goldman Sachs, which published a wide-ranging report on the World Cup and its economic impact.

Goldman Sachs analysts found "a clear pattern of outperformance by the winning team in the weeks after the World Cup final." On average, the victorious country's stocks outperform the global market by 3.5 percent in the first month, the investment bank's strategy team said.

Media execs top CEO pay lists

Once again, media company CEOs are among the highest paid executives in the nation, with six of the top 10 earning spots in an Associated Press/Equilar study.

Compensation experts say a variety of factors are at play, including the gain in media stocks, the intangible value of talent in a hit-or-miss business, the control of shareholder power in very few hands and the decline of the financial sector.

TODAY

• Labor Department releases weekly jobless claims.
• Commerce Department releases first-quarter gross domestic product.
• Freddie Mac, the mortgage company, releases weekly mortgage rates.
• National Association of Realtors releases pending home sales index for April.

TOMORROW

• Commerce Department releases personal income and spending for April.
• Harvard Pilgrim Health Care has named Mary Ann Tocio, left, as chairwoman of its board of directors. Tocio is president and chief operating officer of Bright Horizons Family Solutions, a provider of employer-sponsored childcare, early education and work/life solutions.
• TheLocker, a social media community and e-commerce platform, announced three additions to its employee roster with marketing director Jesse Morgan, marketing manager Kristin Robinson and social media director Melanie Thompson.

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Southie residents upset over Bastille’s valet parking plan

The newest entry to Fort Point's growing restaurant scene is putting further pressure on street parking — already at a premium in the South Boston neighborhood — with its plans to squeeze in valet services.

Bastille Kitchen, a 240-seat French bistro opening next week, wants to take over four residential parking spots in front of its Melcher Street location for a 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. valet zone.

It's the latest example of Fort Point's residential community being asked to make concessions to new restaurants, said Peter Agoos, who lives and works in Fort Point.

"Some of the amenities that residents have acquired, including residential parking, are things which the incoming restaurants should accommodate as opposed to the residents accommodating the restaurants," he said.

Bastille is just .05 miles away — a one-minute walk — from the Necco Street Garage. "So it's not a huge imposition for the restaurant customers to park their own cars," Agoos said.

Karen Stein, who also lives and works in Fort Point, said she sometimes is forced to pay for parking, despite having already paid for a residential parking sticker.

"Parking is becoming a premium, and I don't see the city as necessarily planning or innovating," she said. "As each new building is developed/completed, it grows harder."

Bastille would partner with Melcher Street restaurant Blue Dragon on valet services. Both now have deals with the Necco garage for $5 validated parking for their patrons. "We're trying to be neighborly and work it out," Bastille developer Seth Greenberg said.

Options could include moving the four residential parking spaces to metered or other spots on Melcher Street, said Joshua Lemay, president of Spin Valet. "We're working … to obviously ensure that we have at least as many spaces available for residents, and we don't displace anybody," he said.

Menton is the only Fort Point restaurant with a valet permit. Its Congress Street valet zone took over two previously unregulated parking spots in 2009.

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Vote set for Boston Convention & Exhibition Center expansion

State lawmakers are set to vote today on the 
$1.1 billion expansion of the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, already the largest building ever constructed in New England.

The plan to add
1.3 million square feet of space, including meeting rooms, exhibition areas and ballrooms, would still need to be passed by the state Senate if approved by the House today. The project would need to be signed by Gov. Deval Patrick by July 31. But both House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo and Senate President Therese Murray have publicly backed the expansion.

The Herald first reported earlier this year on a slew of unusual provisions in the bill. The Massachusetts Convention Center Authority can keep secret any document that contains "financial information" on its private contractors — language that never appeared in the original 1997 bill to construct the mega-hall.

The project is also exempt from the city's zoning code, but would still need BRA approval. And officials could use the statewide hotel tax fund as collateral to secure the bonds for the expansion.

MCCA Executive Director James Rooney has argued the center is too small to attract large conventions and that the expansion won't require taxes or fees to be raised.

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CapeFlyer train riding high

More people rode the CapeFlyer this Memorial Day weekend than last, putting the seasonal weekend train service between Boston and Cape Cod on track to another year in the black, an official said.

A total of 1,037 passengers rode the rails to and from the Cape from Friday night through last night, said Thomas Cahir, administrator of the Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority.

That's up from 808 in 2013, the service's inaugural year, when it generated $17,863, Cahir said.

Cahir said the amount of revenue from this Memorial Day weekend won't be available until Wednesday — due to varying ticket rates — but the uptick in passengers from last year bodes well for the service.

"We're very happy, especially considering the weather on the Cape wasn't stellar," he said. "We anticipate a good year."

Last year, the CapeFlyer had 16,586 riders from Memorial Day weekend to Columbus Day weekend, generating a total of $290,756, Cahir said.

Officials initially planned for it to run only until Labor Day, but extended the service due to demand.

"We don't have any longterm objectives, other than to run an efficient, fiscally prudent service that gets people out of their cars," he said.

Fares cost $40 per person 13 or older, round trip, from South Station to Hyannis — with stops in Braintree, Middleboro/Lakeville, Wareham Village and Buzzards Bay. Children 12 or younger, as well as pets and bicycles, travel free, Cahir said, and seniors and people with disabilities ride for 50 percent off with a Senior CharlieCard or Transportation Access Pass Charlie­Card. Local bus service is coordinated with train arrivals to help people get to other destinations on the Cape.

"It's still very reasonable for the service you get," Cahir said, "especially when you factor in not having to pay for gas and deal with the stress of sitting in traffic for hours."

This year, the CCRTA is working with the organizers of the Pan-Mass Challenge, an Aug. 2 bike-a-thon to raise money for cancer research, to transport volunteers by offering a late morning and a late afternoon train that day, he said.

For more information, visit www.CapeFlyer.com.

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Bowman: Remembering names makes you look good

Most of us are challenged remembering names. When another person approaches us and says their name, we, as professionals, should be conditioned to respond by saying our name. While it may easier to forget and more tempting to ignore people, something as simple as remembering another person's name presents a big opportunity. Embrace this everyday occurrence as a chance to show respect and recognize others while earning respect and recognition, and stand apart. When you make the effort to learn and remember a name, you will be remembered positively.

The fact is people like to hear little more than the sound of their own names. As Dale Carnegie says, "Remember that a person's name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language." Whenever we hear our name, we automatically perk up and are drawn to the voice. Therefore, remembering and using another person's (properly pronounced!) name is critical to cultivating relationships.

If your own name is a challenging one, think of a clever association and share it. This also serves as a natural ice-breaker that will immediately help launch you into conversation.

To remember others' names, it is good practice to:

•     Repeat a name as soon as this is said, and use often in conversation.

•     Look at the person. Concentrate, focus, listen.

•     If you are unsure, ask people to pronounce their names again for you. You may also want to ask people to spell their names.

•     Make an association or mental image immediately (but be careful with some associations!).

•     Ask for a business card and use the opportunity to make yet another visual "imprint" of a person's name.

•     Use honorifics — "Doctor, Judge, Professor."

•     Ask how someone prefers to be addressed … you need to earn the right to get to the "Jack and Judy" stage.

You will have researched and learned business and personal information you can use in conversation.

When introduced, you say — with engaging smile — "I'm pleased to meet you (perfectly pronounced name). I was interested to read (yes, you read, you research) the news of your exciting product launch!"

You just popped!

Judith Bowman is an author and president of her own consulting company.

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Starting 2012 Chrysler van gives driver a jolting jump

Recently I purchased a 2012 Chrysler Town & Country SXT V6 van with 39,000 miles. It is a one-owner vehicle with no Carfax issues. When starting out anytime, the accelerator pedal moves about an inch down before the vehicle responds from idle. When it does it jumps forward rather than a smooth reaction. This makes me let up on the pedal and then it jumps again when I reapply the throttle. This may be an inherent characteristic. I can describe the issue like this: If it is idling at 800 rpm at a stop, it jumps to 2500 rpm to get going, then adjusts to the pedal position. I called the dealership and they want to do a diagnostic and test drive for more than $100.

You are correct that some of the transmission's characteristics may be inherent. The software that controls the transmission is programmed to maximize fuel economy by tailoring shifts to specific driving conditions. The "ECO" button, for example, will cause the transmission to shift directly from first to third gear, softening acceleration to improve fuel economy.

Chrysler has issued two software updates that address shift quality from the 6-speed automatic transmission in this vehicle. One of these is called the "enhanced pedal" update which, according to the bulletin, "will make the vehicle more responsive with less pedal input and take less effort to maintain a constant cruising speed."

You didn't mention where you purchased the vehicle, but it's worth asking the dealer if your vehicle is affected by the bulletin, and if the update was done at no cost to the original owner. If not, even though the vehicle is just a few thousand miles out of warranty, this may be covered as a goodwill adjustment.

I have a 2007 Ford Focus with a trunk release issue. When I push the trunk release button on the dash and when I push the trunk release button on the remote, it sounds like a loud machine gun firing and always causes heads to turn in the parking lot. This occurs about 90 percent of the time. Usually the trunk does release, but occasionally it doesn't work and I have to repeat the process or unlock it with the key. Also, the dash light appears, indicating that the trunk isn't locked after I close it even though usually it is locked.

The most likely cause is a poor electrical connection or ground in the trunk release solenoid circuit. Ford issued service bulletin #10-5-9 in March 2010 outlining a diagnostic procedure for the trunk release. The bulletin deals with an inoperative solenoid and identifies the possibility of a poor connection between the trunk release harness connector and the solenoid. Even though your symptom is a bit different, this is the place to start.

I have a 2005 Mercury Mariner that I purchased new. The vehicle is in showroom condition with 47,000 miles on it. Here's the issue. The tachometer on the left has a little window that displays information such as direction, door open, oil change needed, etc. This has dulled to the point of being barely visible. The dealer states that the whole section of the dash must be replaced at a cost of around $700. Is there not a less expensive way? I like everything to be just right!

The dashboard on your vehicle is back-lit with a number of small light bulbs. The individual bulbs are replaceable by removing the dashboard to gain access. The real question is whether the "dulled" display is due to a burned-out bulb or failed module supplying the info to the display. If you can read the specific information displayed, even when dulled, I suspect the lamp behind it is burned out.

Paul Brand, author of "How to Repair Your Car," is an automotive troubleshooter, driving instructor and former race-car driver. Readers may write to him at: Star Tribune, 425 Portland Ave. S., Minneapolis, Minn., 55488 or via email at paulbrand@startribune.com. Please explain the problem in detail and include a daytime phone number.

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New FHA rules making condos no-lending zones

WASHINGTON — For young first-time buyers, people with modest down payment cash, or seniors who want to tap their equity using a reverse mortgage, it's a growing problem: They cannot use Federal Housing Administration financing in condominiums.

It's not that these buyers and unit owners can't qualify on credit and income grounds for a loan personally — they often can. Instead, it's because the entire condominium development is ineligible. As the result of policy changes at the federal level and decisions by condominium boards of directors, thousands of communities have essentially become prohibited lending zones for FHA in the past several years.

The agency has banned so-called "spot" loans and will only insure mortgages on units in condo projects that have passed a certification process that examines budgets, reserves, insurance coverage, percentage of renters compared with owners in the development and delinquencies on payment of condo fees.

FHA says that its revised procedures weed out fiscally weak, poorly managed developments and reduce taxpayer exposure to future losses. Condominium boards, on the other hand, argue that some of FHA's evaluation criteria are too strict and that the certification process is bureaucratic and costs them money they'd prefer not to spend.

Since toughening its financing rules and requiring certification of entire projects four years ago, the number of condo developments approved for FHA financing has plunged by more than half. As of mid-month, it stood at just 10,020 communities, according to an FHA spokesman. Industry sources estimate the total number of condo projects nationwide is around 144,000.

FHA financing is important because of the special niches it fills. Among the three major federal lending intermediaries — Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are the other two — FHA is the most flexible on credit issues. It is also lenient on debt ratios and allows down payments as small as 3.5 percent.

As a result, FHA for decades has been the go-to mortgage option for moderate-income purchasers and has been a key resource for African-American and Latino buyers, many of whom have made their first purchase in a condominium development.

FHA also plays an outsized role in the reverse mortgage market for seniors 62 and older. Its insured reverse mortgage product accounts for more than 90 percent of all borrowing in that field, allowing seniors to extract needed cash from their home equity to support their retirement expenses.

But with the sharp decline in FHA-approved condominium projects, many buyers and unit owners are finding themselves financially frozen out. Equally troubling, unit owners who want to sell find the pool of potential buyers reduced — along with the market value of their property — because FHA mortgages are banned.

Seth Task of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Professional Realty in Solon, Ohio, said a condo unit client his firm represented recently was forced to sell for $10,000 below what she had been offered by a buyer who was pre-qualified for an FHA loan — a loss solely attributable to the condominium's non-certified status. Situations like this are becoming more frequent, housing industry experts say, and the lack of FHA financing eligibility for entry-level-priced condo units is partially responsible for the decline in first-time buyer participation in the real estate market.

But now a movement is getting underway to reverse this shrinkage. At this month's spring legislative conference of the National Association of Realtors here in Washington, California brokers and agents unveiled a campaign to convince condo boards to re-think their objections to FHA certification — for their unit owners' sakes.

The primary focus, said Mike DeLeon, president of the Orange County Association of Realtors, which debuted an educational video at the Washington conference, is to show reluctant condo boards of directors "the positive benefits" of certifying with FHA. The video stresses "keeping condo unit values at their highest" by widening the pool of potential purchasers; helping existing unit owners tap their equities for retirement; and the relatively low risk of default presented by today's FHA buyers.

For most condo developments the message is this: Give some thought to the issue. FHA certification has its complications and costs, but it could be more than worth the effort for your current residents and future business.

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