Delius, Frederick (actually, Fritz Theodor Albert)

Delius, Frederick (actually, Fritz Theodor Albert) , significant English composer of German parentage; b. Bradford, Jan. 29, 1862; d. Grez-sur-Loing, France, June 10, 1934. His father was a successful merchant, owner of a wool company; he naturally hoped to have his son follow a career in industry, but did not object to his study of art and music. Delius learned to play the piano and violin. At the age of 22 he went to Solano, Fla., to work on an orange plantation owned by his father; a musical souvenir of his sojourn there was his symphonic suite Florida. There he met an American organist, Thomas F. Ward, who gave him a thorough instruction in theory; this study, which lasted 6 months, gave Delius a foundation for his further progress in music. In 1885 he went to Danville, Va., as a teacher. In 1886 he enrolled at the Leipzig Cons., where he took courses in harmony and counterpoint with Reinecke, Sitt, and Jadassohn. It was there that he met Grieg, becoming his friend and admirer. Indeed, Grieg's music found a deep resonance in his own compositions. An even more powerful influence was Wagner, whose principles of continuous melodic line and thematic development Delius adopted in his own WORKS. Euphonious serenity reigns on the symphonic surface of his music, diversified by occasional resolvable dissonances. In some WORKS, he made congenial use of English folk motifs, often in elaborate variation forms. Particularly successful are his evocative symphonic sketches On Hearing the 1st Cuckoo in Spring, North Country Sketches, Brigg Fair, and A Song of the High Hills. His orch. nocturne Paris: The Song of a Great City is a tribute to a city in which he spent many years of his life. Much more ambitious in scope is his choral work A Mass of Life, in which he draws on passages from Nietzsche's Also sprach Zarathustra.

Delius settled in Paris in 1888; in 1897 he moved to Grez-sur-Loing, near Paris, where he remained for the rest of his life, except for a few short trips abroad. In 1903 he married the painter Jelka Rosen. His music began to win recognition in England and Germany; he became a favorite composer of Sir Thomas Beecham, who gave numerous performances of his music in London. But these successes came too late for Delius; a syphilitic infection that he had contracted early in life eventually grew into an incurable illness accompanied by paralysis and blindness; as Beecham phrased it, "Delius had suffered a heavy blow in the defection of his favorite goddess, Aphrodite Pandemos, who had returned his devotions with an affliction that was to break out many years later/' Still eager to compose, he engaged as his amanuensis the English musician Eric Fenby, who wrote down music at the dictation of Delius, including complete orch. scores. In 1929 Beecham organized a Delius Festival in London (6 concerts; Oct. 12 to Nov. 1, 1929) and the composer was brought from France to hear it. In the same year Delius was made a Companion of Honour by King George V and an Hon.Mus.D. by Oxford. A film was made by the British filmmaker Ken Russell on the life and WORKS of Delius. However, he remains a solitary figure in modern music. Affectionately appreciated in England, in America, and to some extent in Germany, his WORKS are rarely performed elsewhere.

Works

DRAMATIC Zanoni, incidental music after Bulwer Lytton (1888; unfinished);Irmelin, Opéra (1890–92; Ox-ford, May 4, 1953); The Magic Foundation, lyric drama (1893–95; BBC, London, Nov. 20, 1977); Koanga, lyric drama (1895–97; Elberfeld, March 30, 1904); Folkeraadet, incidental music to G. Heiberg's drama (Christiania, Oct. 18,1897); A Village Romeo and Juliet, lyric drama (1899–1901; Berlin, Feb. 21, 1907); Margot la Rouge, lyric drama (1902; concert perf. BBC, London, Feb. 21, 1982; stage perf., St. Louis, June 8, 1983); Fennimore and Gerda, Opéra (1908–10; Frankfurt am Main, Oct. 21, 1919); Hassan, or The Golden Journey to Samarkand, incidental music to J. Flecker's drama (1920–23; Darmstadt, June 1, 1923; full version, London, Sept. 20, 1923). ORCH.: Florida, suite (1887; private perf., Leipzig, 1888; rev. 1889; public perf., London, April 1, 1937); Hiawatha, tone poem (1888; unfinished; excerpt, Norwegian TV, Oslo, Jan. 13,1984); Suite for Violin and Orch. (1888; BBC, Feb. 28,1984); Rhapsodic Variations (1888; unfinished);Idylle de Printemps (1889); Suite d'orchestre (1889); 3 Small Tone Poems:Summer Evening, Winter Night [Sleigh Ride], and Spring Morning (1889–90; Westminster, Nov. 18, 1946); Legendes for Piano and Orch. (1890; unfinished);Petite suite d'orchestre for Small Orch. (1890; Stratford-upon-Avon, May 13, 1978); Paa vidderne (On the Heights), symphonic poem after Ibsen (1890–91; Christiania, Oct. 10,1891); Legende for Violin and Orch. (1895?; London, May 30, 1899); Over the Hills and Far Away, fantasy overture (1895–97; Elberfeld, Nov. 13,1897); Appalachia: American Rhapsody (1896; London, Dec. 10, 1986; rev. as Appalachia: Variations on an Old Slave Song for Baritone, Chorus, and Orch.; 1902–03; Elberfeld, Oct. 15, 1904); Piano Concerto in C minor (1st version in 3 movements, 1897; Elberfeld, Oct. 24, 1904; 2nd version in 1 movement, 1906; London, Oct. 22, 1907); La Ronde se deroule, symphonic poem after H. Rode (London, May 30, 1899; rev. 1901, as Lebenstanz [Life's Dance]; Diisseldorf, Jan. 21,1904; 2^nd rev., 1912; Berlin, Nov. 15, 1912); Paris: A Nocturne (The Song of a Great City) (1899; Elberfeld, Dec. 14, 1901); Brigg Fair: An English Rhapsody (Basel, 1907); In a Summer Garden, rhapsody (London, Dec. 11, 1908; rev., Boston, April 19, 1912); A Dance Rhapsody, No. 1 (1908; Hereford, Sept. 8,1909) and No. 2 (1916; London, Oct. 20, 1923); 2 Pieces for Small Orch:On Hearing the 1^st Cuckoo in Spring (1912) and Summer Night on the River (1911; Leipzig, Oct. 23, 1913); North Country Sketches (1913–14; London, May 10, 1915); Air and Dance for Strings (private perf., London, 1915; public perf., London, Oct. 16, 1929); Double Concerto for Violin, Cello, and Orch. (1915–16; London, Feb. 21, 1920); Violin Concerto (1916; London, Jan. 30, 1919); Eventyr (Once upon a Time), ballad after Asbjrnsen (1917; London, Jan. 11, 1919); A Song before Sunrise for Small Orch. (1918; London, Sept. 19, 1923); Poem of Life and Love (1918); Cello Concerto (1920–21; Frankfurt am Main, Jan. 30, 1921); A Song of Summer (1929–30; London, Sept. 7,1931); Caprice and Elegy for Cello and Chamber Orch. (1930); Irmelin Prelude (1931; London, Sept. 23, 1935); Fantastic Dance (1931; London, Jan. 12, 1934). CHAMBERS string quartets: No. 1 (1888; unfinished) and No. 2 (original version in 3 movements, London, Nov. 17, 1916; rev. version in 4 movements, London, Feb. 1, 1919); Romance for Violin and Piano (1889); Violin Sonata in B major (1892; private perf., Paris, 1893); 3 numbered violin sonatas: No. 1 (1905,1914; Manchester, Feb. 24, 1915), No. 2 (1923; London, Oct. 7, 1924), and No. 3 (London, Nov. 6,1930); Romance for Cello and Piano (1896; Helsinki, June 22, 1976); Cello Sonata (1916; London, Oct. 31,1918); Dance for Harpsichord (1919). PIANO : Zum Carnival Polka (1885); Pénsees mélodieuses (1885); Valse and Rêverie (1889–90; unfinished); Badinage (1895?); 5 Pieces (1922–23); 3 Preludes (1923; London, Sept. 4, 1924). VOCAL: 6 German Partsongs for Chorus (1885–87); Paa vidderne (On the Heights) for Reciter and Orch., after Ibsen (1888; Norwegian TV, Oslo, May 17, 1983); Sakuntala for Tenor and Orch. (1889); Twilight Fancies for Voice and Piano (1889; orchestrated 1908; Liverpool, March 21, 1908); The Bird's Story for Voice and Piano (1889; orchestrated 1908; Liverpool, March 21, 1908); Maud, 5 songs for Tenor and Orch., after Tennyson (1891); 2 songs for Voice and Piano, after Verlaine (1895; later orchestrated); 7 Danish Songs for Voice and Orch. or Piano (1897; 5 songs, London, March 30, 1899); Mitternachtslied Zarathustras for Baritone, Men's Chorus, and Orch., after Nietzsche (1898; London, May 30, 1899); The Violet for Voice and Piano (1900; orchestrated 1908; Liverpool, March 21, 1908); Summer Landscape for Voice and Piano (1902; orchestrated 1903); Appalachia: Variations on an Old Slave Song for Baritone, Chorus, and Orch. (1902–03; Elberfeld, Oct. 15, 1904; rev. of Appalachia: American Rhapsody for Orch., 1896; London, Dec. 10, 1986); Sea Drift for Baritone, Chorus, and Orch., after Whitman (1903–04; Essen, May 24, 1906); A Mass of Life for Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Baritone, Chorus, and Orch., after Nietzsche's Also sprach Zarathustra (1904–05; partial perf., Munich, June 4, 1908; complete perf., London, June 7, 1909); Songs of Sunset for Mezzo-soprano, Baritone, Chorus, and Orch., afterE. Dowson (1906–07; London, June 16, 1911); Cynara for Baritone and Orch. (1907, 1929; London, Oct. 18, 1929); On Craig Ddu for Chorus (1907; Blackpool, 1910); Wanderer's Song for Men's Chorus (1908); Midsummer Song for Chorus (1908); La Lune blanche for Voice and Orch. or Piano, after Verlaine (1910); An Arabesque for Baritone, Chorus, and Orch. (1911; Newport, Monmouthshire, May 28, 1920); The Song of the High Hills for Wordless Chorus and Orch. (1911–12; London, Feb. 26,1920); 2 Songs for Children (1913); I-Brasil for Voice and Orch. or Piano (1913; Westminster, Nov. 21, 1946); Requiem for Soprano, Baritone, Chorus, and Orch. (1913–14; London, March 23, 1922); To Be Sung of a Summer Night on the Water, 2 songs for Wordless Chorus (1917; London, June 28, 1921); The splendour falls on castle walls for Chorus, after Tennyson (1923; London, June 17, 1924); A Late Lark for Tenor and Orch. (1924, 1929; London, Oct. 12, 1929); Songs of Farewell for Chorus and Orch., after Whitman (1930; London, March 21, 1932); Idyll: Once I passed through a populous city for Soprano, Baritone, and Orch., after Whitman (1932; London, Oct. 3, 1933; based on Margot la Rouge). Sol o S o n g s : Over the Mountains High (1885); Zwei braune Augen (1885); Der Fichtenbaum (1886); 5 Songs from the Norwegian: Slumber Song, The Nightingale, Summer Eve, Longing, and Sunset (1888); Hochgebirgsleben (1888); O schneller, mein Ross (1888); Chanson de Fortunio (1889); 7 Songs from the Norwegian: Cradle Song, The Homeward Journey, Evening Voices, Sweet Venevil, Minstrel, Love Concealed, and The Bird's Story (1889–90; Nos. 3 and 7 orchestrated); Skogen gir susende, langsom besked (1890–91); 4 Songs, after Heine: Mit deinen blauen Augen, Ein schoner Stern, Ho'r' ich das Liedchen klingen, and Aus deinen Augen (1890–91); 3 Songs, after Shelley: Indian Love Song, Love's Philosophy, and To the Queen of My Heart (1891); Lyse Naetter (1891); Jeg havde en nyskaare Seljefljte (1892–93); Nuages (1893); 2 Songs, after Verlaine: // pleure dans mon coeur and Le del est, pardessus le toit (1895; also orchestrated); The page sat in the lofty tower (1895?); 7 Danish Songs: Summer Nights, Through Long, Long Years, Wine Roses, Let Springtime Come, Irmelin Rose, In the Seraglio Garden, and Silken Shoes (1896–97; also orchestrated); Traum Rosen (1898?); Im Cluck wir lachend gingen (1898?); 4 Songs, after Nietzsche: Nach neuen Meeren, Der Wanderer, Der Einsame, and Der Wanderer und sein Schatten (1898); The Violet (1900; also orchestrated); Autumn (1900); Black Roses (1901); Jeg hrer i Natten (1901); Summer Landscape (1902; also orchestrated); The nightin-gale has a lyre of gold (1910); La Lune blanche, after Verlaine (1910; also orchestrated); Chanson d'automne, after Verlaine (1911); I-Brasil (1913; also orchestrated); 4 Old English Lyrics: It was a lover and his lass, So white, so soft is she, Spring, the sweet spring, and To Daffodile (1915–16); Avant que tu ne t'en ailles, after Verlaine (1919, 1932).

Bibliography

P. Heseltine, F. D. (London, 1923; 2nd ed., rev., 1952);R. Hull, F. D. (London, 1928); C. Delius, F. D., Memories of My Brother (London, 1935); E. Fenby, D. as I Knew Him (London, 1936; 3rd ed., 1966); A. Hutchings, D., A Critical Biography (London, 1948); T. Beecham, F. D. (London, 1959; 2nd ed., rev., 1975); G. Jahoda, The Road to Samarkand: F. D. and His Music (N.Y., 1969); E. Fenby, D. (London, 1971); L. Carley and R. Threlfall, D. and America (London, 1972); A. Jefferson, D. (London, 1972); R. Lowe, F. D., 1862–1934; A Catalogue of the Music Archives of the D. Trust, London (London, 1974); L. Carley, D.: The Paris Years (London, 1975); C. Palmer, D.: Portrait of a Cosmopolitan (London, 1976); C. Redwood, ed., A D. Companion (London, 1976; 2nd ed., 1980); L. Carley and R. Threlfall, D.: A Life in Pictures (London, 1977; 2nd ed., 1984); R. Threlfall, F. D. (1862–1934): A Catalogue of the Compositions (London, 1977); C. Redwood, Flecker and D.: The Making of "Hassan" (London, 1978); L. Carley, D.: A Life in Letters: vol. I, 1862–1908 (London, 1983; Cambridge, Mass., 1984) and vol. II, 1909–1934 (Alder-shot, 1988); D. 1862–1934 (50th anniversary brochure by the D. Trust, London, 1984); R. Threlfall, F. D.: A Supplementary Catalogue (London, 1986); P. Jones, The American Source of D.' Style (N.Y., 1989); L. Carley, ed., Grieg and D.: A Chronicle of their Friendship in Letters (N.Y., 1993).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire

Bush Pleads for GOP Immigration Support

WASHINGTON - His party divided and his polls sagging, President Bush prodded rebellious Senate Republicans to help resurrect legislation that could provide eventual citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants.

"It's a highly emotional issue," said Bush after a session Tuesday in which several lawmakers bluntly told him their constituents do not trust the government to secure the nation's borders or weed out illegal workers at job sites.

To alleviate the concerns, the president said he was receptive to an emergency spending bill as a way to emphasize his administration's commitment to accelerated enforcement. One congressional official put the price tag at up to $15 billion.

"I don't think he changed any minds," conceded Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., a supporter of the legislation. But Martinez added that the president's appearance had helped nudge "people on the fence" to be more favorably inclined.

One Republican widely viewed as a potential convert, Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee, said he was not yet persuaded. "At the end of the day, I've got to be able to sit down and know myself that we are going to secure our border," he said. "Today, I do not feel that way."

Bush's trip to the Capitol marked only the second time since he became president that he attended the weekly closed-door senators lunch, a gesture that underscored the importance he places on passage of comprehensive immigration legislation.

Despite the president's commitment, many conservatives in his own party have criticized the measure as an amnesty for millions of lawbreakers. Additionally, job approval ratings in the 30-percent range make it difficult for the president to bend even Republican lawmakers to his will.

Compounding the challenge is a stream of statements from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., that it is up to Bush and the Republicans to produce enough votes to revive a measure that was sidetracked on the Senate floor last week. "We'll move on to immigration when they have their own act together," he told reporters during the day.

"Fourteen percent of the Republicans supporting the president's bill won't do the trick," he said, referring to the fact that only seven GOP senators supported a move to free the bill from limbo last week.

Several participants in the Republican meeting described the session as friendly and rancor-free, and said Bush had even made a joke at one point when addressing Sen. Jeff Sessions, the Alabama Republican who is one of the bill's fiercest critics.

One senator quoted Bush as telling Sessions: "Don't worry, I'll still go to your fundraiser. We disagree about this, but we are friends."

Sessions was among the senators to question the president, pointing to polls showing widespread opposition to the legislation. Bush responded that there are other polls that show support, according to participants. They spoke on condition of anonymity, citing confidentiality rules covering the closed-door meeting.

These officials said numerous senators told Bush the public lacks confidence that the government would carry out the enforcement measures in the bill.

One, Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., told Bush that he and fellow Georgia Republican Johnny Isakson had sent the president a letter outlining the concerns.

"The message from a majority of Georgians is that they have no trust that the United States government will enforce the laws contained in this new legislation and secure the border first," it said.

"This lack of trust is rooted in the mistakes made in 1986, and the continued chaos surrounding our immigration laws. Understandably, the lack of credibility the federal government has on this issue gives merit to the skepticism of many about future immigration reform."

The letter asked Bush to support a spending bill to secure the border before other elements of the immigration measure go into effect. It did not specify how much money would be needed, but one congressional official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the advance costs could reach $10 billion to $15 billion.

"The administration should request the emergency funds, and the Senate should vote to provide them before resuming debate on the broader immigration measure," Chambliss said in an interview.

Apart from the additional funds, Republican and Democratic supporters of the bill hoped to complete work on an agreement that could free it for final passage by month's end.

Discussions center on a plan to allow votes on about a dozen Republican-sponsored amendments as well as several proposals by Democrats. In exchange, GOP holdouts would then support a move to end debate and advance the bill to a final vote.

Among the amendments was one by Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, to require all illegal immigrant household heads to return to their countries of origin before obtaining legal status. Under the legislation, only those seeking green cards - permanent legal residency - would be required to return home first.

After an early evening negotiating session between Republican and Democratic senators, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said the group is trying to craft an amendment to assure Americans that the bill will include ample funding for tighter border security and tougher workplace enforcement. The plan could involve "pre-funding" the effort with billions of dollars eventually to be repaid through fines and fees, he said, or through a more traditional supplemental spending bill, such as those recently used to pay for the Iraq war.

Graham said the bipartisan negotiators also are looking at harsher penalties for immigrants who overstay their visas or re-enter the country illegally. "If you had mandatory jail time" for such offenses, he said, "I think it would create a deterrent."

Another possible amendment, Graham said, would ban employers from participating in a new temporary worker program if they repeatedly break the law by hiring illegal workers.

"I'm looking for ways to break the cycle of skepticism" among those who feel a new immigration law would be as poorly enforced as the 1986 law, he said.

The administration pushed back against Republican critics of the bill later Tuesday. In a letter to nine conservative senators who bitterly oppose the measure, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said the administration has committed manpower and money to improving border security and enforcement, and needs the immigration bill to step up its efforts.

"Failure to act on this legislation will deny the country the safety and security provided by these enhanced enforcement measures," Chertoff wrote.

---

Associated Press writer Julie Hirschfeld Davis contributed to this story.

Looooooong time

Homebuyers now have more mortgage options, including longer amortizations. In some markets, 30- and 40-year home loan amortizations have been around for a long time. Lenders and real estate professionals say 40-year mortgages are now becoming more widespread and even 50-year mortgages are available.

"I do see these longer amortizations as a growing trend since lenders will always be looking for a way todrive consumers to the financial markets," said Cynthia Joachim, a Biloxi broker and former president of the Mississippi Realtors Association. "As one national lender put it, the mortgage industry is now much like a beauty pageant with the consumer choosing the prettiest deal."

Dan Zoble of Hancock Bank says the 40-year mortgage amortization isn't a new idea and in the past was associated with adjustable rate mortgages. In June 2005, Fannie Mae announced that it would buy the 40-year mortgages.

"For the lenders that sell in the secondary market, that meant a new product to offer their clients," he said. "Shortly thereafter, some lenders began offering the 50-year mortgage. I imagine it was a more-is-better mentality. To my knowledge, these 50-year mortgages are not being offered through Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac conduits. They are being offered as ARMs and they are marketed as an alternative to the interestonly and pay option ARMs that have received so much attention in the last four to five years."

Zoble, mortgage division manager for Hancock Bank, calls these products exotic and says they usually coincide with rising rate environments and/or periods of rapidly increasing home prices.

"The object of course is to lower the monthly mortgage payments with hopes of keeping the American dream of home ownership continuing on at a strong pace," he said. "The reality is that without these more innovative mortgage products, many people in these high-cost markets could not afford to buy homes. The sad truth is that these products will be used by some lenders to help borrowers buy homes they really can't afford."

Dottie Collins, a Greenville Realtor, hasn't seen these extended mortgages locally but has observed them in California where her two children live.

"So many of the homes I have seen advertised (in California) are not even nice but have high prices," she said. "California is having a correction of their market presently. Also, interestonly loans have been popular there so people can find homes, but this has proven to be a real problem since the value of homes has gone down. You will probably see 40- or 50-year mortgages in some places, but I would compare this to the interest-only loan because this is what you are paying the first several years of your mortgage."

Collins thinks homeowners are almost renting since they are not building equity in loans of this length. "Homeowners could also ruin their credit if they are paying interest the first several years and the value of the home goes down or they lose their job; their credit would suffer," she added.

Additional tool

Quentin Whitwell, executive director of the Mortgage Bankers Association of Mississippi, says the longer mortgages are one more tool to helping consumers buy homes. Banks in Mississippi have been offering them for a while now along with some specialized 50-year mortgage products. Rates are typically higher than on 30-year mortgages.

"The 40-year mortgages came along with the increase in home prices over the last several years," he said. "As the price of homes went up, some potential homeowners have needed the 40-year amortization in order to be able to handle the monthly mortgage payments. We have seen quite a number of these loans being done in Mississippi but not like other parts of the nation has seen."

Joachim sees a number of factors contributing to this growing trend. "The real estate markets are volatile nationwide. Prices have come down, properties are staying on the market longer than they ever have in the last five years and it is truly a buyer's market," she said.

"Even in markets where prices are coming down, the average price of housing in states like California or New York exceeds the purchase capacity of many homebuyers, so anything that will increase the affordability of housing is seen as a positive thing."

Joachim and Zoble liken the longer mortgage terms to the increasing terms of automobile loans as prices have grown. However, Zoble says the longer terms have a down side in both instances.

"The longer amortization means the homeowner will pay more interest over the life of the loan and build equity much slower. Many folks who have financed automobiles on fiveto seven-year terms understand what it means to be upside down on their car - owe more than the car is worth," he said. 'That same possibility exists in the real estate world in periods of declining home values; the potential for being upside down on a home is exacerbated by the longer term loans."

Factor in rebuilding?

Noting that the 40- and 50-year mortgage terms were until recently unheard of in Mississippi, Joachim said, "With the cost of construction, the high cost of land and over-the-top insurance rates, this should be a great stimulant to the residential market on the Coast as it should reduce the monthly note where our affordable housing is so limited."

She adds that prior to Hurricane Katrina, there was a reasonable correlation between what people made salarywise and what they could afford to pay in a mortgage note or rent.

"Today, the spread is so far apart with the increased costs and lack of product, it is shocking," she said. "As with any type of creative financing, the consumer should understand fully that there are risks with loan terms this long and banks will each have their own set of terms, including throwing in adjustable rates, balloon payments and 40 years due in 30 years."

Looooooong time

Homebuyers now have more mortgage options, including longer amortizations. In some markets, 30- and 40-year home loan amortizations have been around for a long time. Lenders and real estate professionals say 40-year mortgages are now becoming more widespread and even 50-year mortgages are available.

"I do see these longer amortizations as a growing trend since lenders will always be looking for a way todrive consumers to the financial markets," said Cynthia Joachim, a Biloxi broker and former president of the Mississippi Realtors Association. "As one national lender put it, the mortgage industry is now much like a beauty pageant with the consumer choosing the prettiest deal."

Dan Zoble of Hancock Bank says the 40-year mortgage amortization isn't a new idea and in the past was associated with adjustable rate mortgages. In June 2005, Fannie Mae announced that it would buy the 40-year mortgages.

"For the lenders that sell in the secondary market, that meant a new product to offer their clients," he said. "Shortly thereafter, some lenders began offering the 50-year mortgage. I imagine it was a more-is-better mentality. To my knowledge, these 50-year mortgages are not being offered through Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac conduits. They are being offered as ARMs and they are marketed as an alternative to the interestonly and pay option ARMs that have received so much attention in the last four to five years."

Zoble, mortgage division manager for Hancock Bank, calls these products exotic and says they usually coincide with rising rate environments and/or periods of rapidly increasing home prices.

"The object of course is to lower the monthly mortgage payments with hopes of keeping the American dream of home ownership continuing on at a strong pace," he said. "The reality is that without these more innovative mortgage products, many people in these high-cost markets could not afford to buy homes. The sad truth is that these products will be used by some lenders to help borrowers buy homes they really can't afford."

Dottie Collins, a Greenville Realtor, hasn't seen these extended mortgages locally but has observed them in California where her two children live.

"So many of the homes I have seen advertised (in California) are not even nice but have high prices," she said. "California is having a correction of their market presently. Also, interestonly loans have been popular there so people can find homes, but this has proven to be a real problem since the value of homes has gone down. You will probably see 40- or 50-year mortgages in some places, but I would compare this to the interest-only loan because this is what you are paying the first several years of your mortgage."

Collins thinks homeowners are almost renting since they are not building equity in loans of this length. "Homeowners could also ruin their credit if they are paying interest the first several years and the value of the home goes down or they lose their job; their credit would suffer," she added.

Additional tool

Quentin Whitwell, executive director of the Mortgage Bankers Association of Mississippi, says the longer mortgages are one more tool to helping consumers buy homes. Banks in Mississippi have been offering them for a while now along with some specialized 50-year mortgage products. Rates are typically higher than on 30-year mortgages.

"The 40-year mortgages came along with the increase in home prices over the last several years," he said. "As the price of homes went up, some potential homeowners have needed the 40-year amortization in order to be able to handle the monthly mortgage payments. We have seen quite a number of these loans being done in Mississippi but not like other parts of the nation has seen."

Joachim sees a number of factors contributing to this growing trend. "The real estate markets are volatile nationwide. Prices have come down, properties are staying on the market longer than they ever have in the last five years and it is truly a buyer's market," she said.

"Even in markets where prices are coming down, the average price of housing in states like California or New York exceeds the purchase capacity of many homebuyers, so anything that will increase the affordability of housing is seen as a positive thing."

Joachim and Zoble liken the longer mortgage terms to the increasing terms of automobile loans as prices have grown. However, Zoble says the longer terms have a down side in both instances.

"The longer amortization means the homeowner will pay more interest over the life of the loan and build equity much slower. Many folks who have financed automobiles on fiveto seven-year terms understand what it means to be upside down on their car - owe more than the car is worth," he said. 'That same possibility exists in the real estate world in periods of declining home values; the potential for being upside down on a home is exacerbated by the longer term loans."

Factor in rebuilding?

Noting that the 40- and 50-year mortgage terms were until recently unheard of in Mississippi, Joachim said, "With the cost of construction, the high cost of land and over-the-top insurance rates, this should be a great stimulant to the residential market on the Coast as it should reduce the monthly note where our affordable housing is so limited."

She adds that prior to Hurricane Katrina, there was a reasonable correlation between what people made salarywise and what they could afford to pay in a mortgage note or rent.

"Today, the spread is so far apart with the increased costs and lack of product, it is shocking," she said. "As with any type of creative financing, the consumer should understand fully that there are risks with loan terms this long and banks will each have their own set of terms, including throwing in adjustable rates, balloon payments and 40 years due in 30 years."

Darfur rebel envoy: still mistrust of government

Mistrust between the Sudanese government and a leading Darfur rebel group still persists, the rebel group's top negotiator said Monday, on the eve of landmark talks between the two sides hosted by Qatar.

The talks in Doha are the first between Sudanese government officials and Darfur rebels in nearly two years, after comprehensive peace talks broke down in late 2007.

They are also the first ever between one of the two top Darfur rebel groups, the Justice and Equality Movement, and the government. Both JEM and the other top Darfur rebel group, the Sudanese Liberation Movement, boycotted the last round of the 2007 talks.

JEM fought Sudanese …

BG Beats Vandy and Makes MAC History

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Bowling Green made NCAA tournament history for its entire conference. The Falcons became the first team in the Mid-American Conference to reach the round of 16, edging Vanderbilt 59-56 in the second round of the Greensboro Regional on Tuesday night.

Amber Flynn scored 19 for the Falcons (31-3), who face No. 3 seed Arizona State on Saturday.

"Don't pinch me," Bowling Green coach Curt Miller said. "Amazing. Our defensive game plan, and the execution of the game plan on one-day prep was phenomenal. We didn't want to give up any easy 3-point shots to the best 3-point shooting team in the country."

Liz Sherwood scored 18 for Vanderbilt (28-6), …

Hewlett-Packard/HP Kayak XM600.

HP's Kayak XM600 improves significantly on the design of previous Kayaks and offers a wide-open chassis with lots of room for expansion in a completely tool-less design--including the nifty drive rails. Its performance is great, and the system includes a nice LCD display on the front that helps diagnose problems. What's more, the …

Empty charity.

One of the legacies of the latest G8 summit was a very public fingerpointing at Canada for failing to open her wallet as wide as promised.

"Prime Minister Stephen Harper has made a poor entrance at the Group of Eight summit this year," a Taronto Star editorial scolded. "Apart from confirming that Canada doesn't intend to meet our Kyoto targets on climate change, he has dealt our international image a second blow by disclosing that we plan to renege on a $700 million aid pledge to poverty-stricken Africa."

Well, they would say that, wouldn't they?

So did Bono when G8 leaders promised $60 billion to fight AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis which have devastated African countries and their economies.

"I am exasperated," said the …