Business briefcase

Franklin named New Homes Specialist

Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in New England has announced that Gloucester resident Paul Franklin, a sales associate with the Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage office in Gloucester, has earned the New Homes Specialist designation by successfully completing a comprehensive course on marketing and managing the sales process of newly constructed homes.

By completing this in-depth training, Franklin can now provide specialized services to builders and consumers. The course reviews the overall building process, including builder and subdivision cost analysis, construction loan programs, site development costs, land listing procedures, municipal trends, and builder management programs.

"The New Homes Specialist seminar is part of a comprehensive training program designed by Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage to fully support sales associate's overall career development," said Rick Loughlin, president of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in New England, in a statement. "In taking this course, Paul is developing the knowledge and skills necessary to meet the needs of his builder and new construction clients."

Franklin was raised in Rockport and now resides with his wife and two sons in Gloucester.

Rockport restaurant part of Boston event

ROCKPORT — Tonight is the last night Emerson Inn by the Sea will feature its Restaurant Week Boston menu in the Grand Cafe restaurant. The three-course meal will be specially priced at $33.10 per person and served from 6 to 9 p.m. Diners will have a choice of a crab cake or pan-roasted mussels for an appetizer; a chicken, salmon or haddock entree; and a plum tart or frozen chocolate terrine.

NSCC grant to help non-traditional students

North Shore Community College has won a nearly $2.5 million U.S. Department of Education TRIO/Student Support Services grant to help low-income, first-generation and disabled students get a college education on its campuses in Danvers and Lynn.

The grant gives North Shore Community College $493,000 a year for non-traditional students who meet certain criteria. The program will help students choose their academic and career paths and get access to financial aid, the college said.

The TRIO program has been in operation at the college for 30 years and serves 350 students a year with access to professional staff on academic advising, personal support, individual tutoring, career planning, assistance with transferring to another college, financial aid information and other things. New this year will be a leadership training, service and engagement component.

In a statement, North Shore Community College President Wayne Burton thanked U.S. Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., and Congressman John Tierney, D-Salem, for supporting his college's application during what was "a very competitive selection progress."

Realtors' market index falls 2nd straight month

There might be some uncertainty creeping into the minds of Bay State Realtors as the group's housing market index has dropped again.

Last week, the Massachusetts Association of Realtors said the July market index fell for the second consecutive month, while its price index was down for the second time in 12 months.

"Whether it was the heat of July, the end of the tax credit, or the continued uncertainty in the economy, Realtor members are feeling less certain about the market than they did last year or just this past spring," the Massachusetts Association of Realtors President Kevin Sears said in a press release. He said if prices go down and interest rates remain low, that should bring buyers back.

The July market index, which is a random sampling of Realtors' responses on the housing market, stood at 28.15, about 25 percent lower than the score recorded in July 2009, Realtors said.

The index was down slightly from 28.36 in June. Realtors sentiment is represented on a 100-point scale with 50 being the midpoint between a strong and weak market.

Job recovery in Massachusetts

The Bay State added 13,200 jobs in July, with the private sector adding a whopping 19,200 jobs while the government shed 6,000 temporary Census jobs, according to a statement from the state Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development.

The state's unemployment rate stood at 9 percent last month, where it has been since June. The state rate is below the 9.5 percent national rate.

Gubernatorial candidate Charlie Baker, a former Swampscott selectman and former chief executive of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, said in a statement the Bay State "cannot settle for a mediocre recovery with 312,000 people still unemployed."

"At 9 percent unemployment, Massachusetts businesses are never going to start hiring at the pace the people of Massachusetts need them to if we don't reverse Gov. Patrick's higher taxes and onerous regulations that have dragged down our economy," Baker said.

"The fact that this is the largest monthly private sector gain in 20 years shows that our strategic investments in the innovation industries and efforts to improve the business climate are hitting their marks," said Gov. Deval Patrick, in a prepared statement. He said he still sees people looking for work, however.

The Bay State has added more than 60,000 jobs since December. The leisure and hospitality sector gained the most jobs in July by adding 6,500 jobs. Manufacturing concerns added 2,800 jobs in July, but the sector is down 900 jobs year-over-year.

Jobs also grew faster in June than was previously reported as there were 2,800 jobs gained two months ago, up from a job gain of 500, the state said.

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