Aug 04, 2004

Stewart

Seattle-based Stewart Title Guaranty Co. appointed John Jones national title underwriter. Stewart works on title insurance, real estate escrow and closings. Its office is at 1000 Second Ave.

Aug 02, 2004

Countrywide Home Loans

Residential finance company Countrywide Home Loans promoted Jose Hidalgo from Seattle branch manager to area manager, to cover Vashon and Bainbridge islands, and the area from Mukilteo to south Seattle. Hidalgo will hire 120 new employees and open at least 10 new offices. Countrywide provides mortgage banking and financial services and is headquartered in Calabasas, Calif. More than 30,000 employees work in 600 offices.

Jul 29, 2004

Stewart Title Guaranty

Stewart Title Guaranty Co. has named John W. Jones national title underwriter in Seattle. He will be responsible for local and national commercial underwriting needs, as well as support for other U.S. offices. Jones has more than 29 years of experience. He ran the commercial unit for LandAmerica Financial and served as primary underwriter for many Seattle-area projects, including the Washington State Convention and Trade Center, Pike Place Market, Benaroya Hall, One and Two Union Square, Pacific Place, Harbor Steps and the new Washington Mutual/Seattle Art Museum expansion.

Triad Development

Triad Development of Seattle has hired Jill Kurfirst as a project manager. Kurfirst, who has 18 years' experience managing large-scale projects in the Puget Sound area, will oversee Triad's mixed-use project at the corner of Roosevelt and Northeast 65th Street. The project features condos above retail.

Windermere Commercial

Oswald

Windermere Commercial/Tri-Cities of Kennewick has hired Constance Oswald in the company's commercial property management division. She previously was president and owner of Cambridge Management Ltd., in Chicago. She has the Real Property Administrator designation from the Building Owners and Managers' Association, and the Certified Property Manager designation from the Institute of Real Estate Management.

GreenWorks Realty

GreenWorks Realty hired two agents, the mother-daughter team of Cally Fulton and Danielle Jones, and an assistant project manager, Eva Otto. The year-old Seattle company also opened an office at 7406 Greenwood Ave. The company buys and sells houses, and works with clients interested in green, innovative and community-focused housing. Otto will work on the company's first Built Green development, a 28-unit cottage-style development on 76 acres in Newcastle. Johnston Architects of Seattle and 20/20 Engineering of Bellingham are working on the project.

Merit Financial

Kirkland-based Merit Financial has appointed Erik Anderson president. Anderson, past president of Seattle Mortgage Bankers' Association and board member of the Puget Sound Mortgage Lenders' Association, joined Merit in January as vice president of mortgage banking. Anderson worked with Clay Schoengarth, vice president of warehouse-lines, to double Merit's lending volume, according to the company. Anderson will oversee day-to-day operations of Merit, allowing CEO and founder Scott Greenlaw, who had been president, to concentrate on planning and relationship building. Merit has hired Nathan Breskin-Auer as creative director and Brandon Taylor as marketing analyst. Merit, a national provider of residential finance and real estate services, reports revenues in excess of $19.5 million.

Jul 23, 2004

Downtown Seattle Association

The Downtown Seattle Association recently announced its board of trustees. The chair is Carla Murray of Starwood Hotels and Resorts. First vice chair is Mark Houtchens of The Vance Corp. Patrick Callahan, Sr. of Equity Office Properties is secretary. Seattle Steam Co.'s James Young will remain treasurer and John C. McCullough with Phillips McCullough Wilson Hill & Fikso will continue as general counsel. New members are Craig Chapman of Washington Mutual, Stuart Rolfe of Wright Hotels, Frank Stagen of Nitze-Stagen & Co. and Sue Taoka of the Seattle Chinatown-International District Preservation and Development Authority. The association works to build a vibrant urban core and manages the Metropolitan Improvement District.