Federal lending spikes in county, an article from The Gazette, reports that the most popular type of government-backed lending to small businesses surged to a record year in El Paso County.  During its 2007 fiscal year, which ended September 30, the U.S. Small Business Administration guaranteed 289 loans for $57.5 million to county businesses.  The amount loaned is up 71.5% from 2006 and passed the 2003 record of $52.8 million.  The totals include only the SBA's general lending program and not a second type of SBA loan used mostly to acquire or develop commercial real estate.   
http://www.gazette.com/articles/million_28854___article.html/loans_lending.html

Countrywide offers help with mortgages, an article from MSNBC.com, reports that on Tuesday, Countrywide Financial Corp. said it will begin calling borrowers to offer refinancing or modifications on $16 billion in loans with interest rates set to adjust by the end of 2008.  According to a recent survey conducted by Moody's Investors Service of 16 mortgage servicers that accounted for 80% of the market for subprime loans made to borrowers with shaky credit histories, those companies had modified only 1% of loans with interest rates that reset in the first half of this year.  Steve O'Connor, the Mortgage Bankers Association's senior vice president said, "It is important to understand that the (loan) modification is only one means of helping a borrower who is behind on their payments."  Countrywide said that so far this year, it has completed about 20,000 loan modifications.  That number is less than 5% of the more than 500,000 loans the lender reports were behind in payments as of last month.  The lender said it intends to refinance about $10 billion in loans and modify another $4 billion.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21432671/
 

Additional articles that you may find of interest:

Developers in planning mode
http://www.csbj.com/story.cfm?ID=15195