Fiserv Inc., a provider of financial services technology solutions, has announced the availability of its new Aperio Lending solution. Aperio Lending from Fiserv is an integrated, thin client loan origination platform for secured and unsecured loans, such as mortgage and home equity loans, car loans, education loans and staff loans. The solution is available for organizations located in Europe, Asia-Pacific and Latin America.

“Aperio Lending comes at exactly the right time for financial institutions concerned about consistency, process and control in lending,” said Nick Wilde, managing director, Asia-Pacific, Bank Solutions, Fiserv. “Aperio Lending simplifies and streamlines any complex loan origination process and provides integration with the front office, back office and external service providers. With a single, real-time view of the customer, Fiserv clients using Aperio Lending can improve their decisioning, enter the market faster with new products and deliver a more responsive service to their customers. In addition, the solution?s best-in-class business process, automated workflow and exception management provide better risk management and mitigation capabilities.”

Read more »

The American Society of Landscape Architects has announced a new series of comprehensive online resource guides on sustainable design and planning. Created for national and local policymakers, government agencies, design professionals, planners and students, the guides include hundreds of project case studies, research papers, organizations and other government resources on sustainable design aggregated for the first time. The announcement took place at the ASLA 2009 Annual Meeting and EXPO in Chicago.

With expanding urbanization and increased competition for scarce resources, cities and local communities face immense challenges ranging from overburdened infrastructure to decreasing amounts of green space. Sustainable design practices can mitigate the effects of rising greenhouse gas emissions, aid in adaptation to climate change, clean air and water, reduce the urban heat island effect and increase the health and well being of residents all while providing significant long-term savings through lower heating and cooling energy costs, higher property values and viable, livable communities. The guides provide the “best of the best” resources and award-winning projects that offer real economic, social and environmental benefits.

Read more »

With home sales continuing to languish, home sellers need to consider alternatives to using a real estate agent to get their homes sold.

ForSaleByOwner.com, the nation’s leading “by owner” real estate website, offers five reasons why today’s home sellers can successfully market and sell their homes without agents.

“The Internet has leveled the playing field by providing access to resources that previously only an agent had access to,” says Greg Healy, Vice President of Operations at ForSaleByOwner.com. “Today’s by owner sellers now have easy access to the most sophisticated tools for selling a home, including in-depth education, resources and information to help price and market their homes. The reasons to use an agent are decreasing”

Read more »