Stewart Title makes deposit with Legacy Bank of Milwaukee to promote homeownership

Legacy Bank of Milwaukee

Stewart Title, a leading real estate information and transaction management company, has made a sizable deposit with Legacy Bank of Milwaukee. Legacy Bank, founded by three African American women in 1999, is a part of Legacy Bancorp Inc.

In eight years of business, Legacy Bank has established itself as one of the fastest-growing community banks in America by building strategic partnerships with businesses such as Stewart Title that have the same goals and commitment to improve the community. The deposit will provide an opportunity for Legacy Bank to help minorities achieve the American dream of homeownership and commercial development.

"The significance of this deposit is tremendous," said the Reverend Larry S. Bullock, director of multicultural markets development for Stewart Title’s MidAmerica region. "It marks the merging of two pioneers--an African American-run bank, founded by three African American women, that is working to revitalize its community and a family-managed company committed to developing new opportunities in multicultural markets."

Legacy Bank focuses on fostering economic development and providing local residents, often the unbankable, with opportunities to purchase a stake in their community through building neighborhoods, increasing homeownership and establishing small business. Legacy offers personalized banking services to individuals and entrepreneurs who are traditionally underserved by large banking institutions.

Nationally, African Americans lag behind the national homeownership average and in Milwaukee, African Americans have an even lower rate of homeownership. This is due to many unmitigated reasons, one being the denial of loan applications. Through this deposit, Stewart will work to bridge that gap and help increase homeownership and commercial development among African Americans, which will help stabilize neighborhoods, making them stakeholders and accordingly becoming better contributors to their communities.

To commemorate the significant deposit, Matthew W. Morris, senior vice president of Stewart Title, David Silberman, president of Stewart Title of Wisconsin, and Bullock deposited the funds during a media luncheon event on Tuesday, February 20 at 1 p.m. Legacy Bank CEO Deloris Sims and Vice President Margaret Henningsen hosted the event along with the Legacy Bank board of directors and invited guests Mayor Tom Barrett; Alderman Willie Hines Jr.; Norma Alexander Hart, president of the National Bankers Association; Congresswoman Gwen Moore; and County Executive Scott Walker.

The event took place in the lobby of Legacy Bank at 2102 West Fond du Lac Avenue.

"This is the beginning of a relationship with Legacy Bank, our growing community and Stewart Title," said Sims.

"More than a deposit, this is an investment in a relationship. The leverage-power of this deposit will allow us to help our customers meet their financial needs while helping them to achieve their financial goals."

Bullock works tirelessly to educate minorities on homeownership and wealth accumulation and bringing forth new opportunities in multicultural communities.

In 2005, Stewart made a significant deposit with Citizens Bank of Nashville. This served as the model for many new alliances.

Transform your home from everyday to elegant in minutes

Encourage guests to mingle with conversational configurations and sectionals that feature modular pieces that can be rearranged.

(NAPSA)--Where’s the hottest hangout in town? For many, it’s their own living room.

According to a recent survey, more than three out of four Americans (aged 21 to 39) prefer to spend an evening with friends at someone’s home rather than at a bar or club.

When it’s your house that’s become the destination for the evening, a little planning can make preparing for the party more relaxing.

"Everyone stresses about having company, but by making just a few preparations and using everyday furnishings in new and different ways, the perfect party can take place in even the smallest of living spaces," says furniture expert Penny Eudy.

"Whether having the family over for dinner, hosting a cocktail hour or inviting the neighborhood over for game night, you’ll appreciate smart furnishings that can adapt from everyday decor to the changing needs of guests in a snap."

Create Conversational Clusters

The typical living room is set up for comfortable viewing of the family television. To entertain guests when the television isn’t the center of attention, encourage them to mingle with conversational configurations, suggests Eudy.

Sectionals such as the Inspired Living by La-Z-Boy "Benjamin" feature modular pieces finished on all sides that can be arranged and rearranged, to offer dozens of options and endless opportunities for conversation.

Long bench ottomans and small chairs should come out from the wall on special occasions to form intimate groupings for friendly conversation.

"Combine ottomans and small chairs with larger furnishings to create groupings throughout a space, with the furniture facing each other," says Eudy.

"These conversational groupings will encourage guests to sit and relax, instead of flocking to the kitchen, as we’re always so tempted to do."

Maintain a Friendly Flow

While creating extra seating for guests is important, maintaining open space for impromptu gatherings, dancing and simply milling about also is vital to the life of a party. "When rearranging furniture for a gathering, consider the flow of traffic through the room and where crowds will congregate," recommends Eudy.

"Sizeable walkways between furnishings and clear paths to buffets, bars and seating areas promote friendly mingling and make guests feel more at home."

Avoid Clutter Chaos

Organizing your everyday clutter and cleaning house for company can cause quite a stir after all is said and done. Keep clutter out of sight, but close-at-hand, with storage ottomans.

Not only do ottomans such as the La-Z-Boy "Cory" hide away everyday messes, they offer even more seating for your guests and can be moved throughout the evening to spur conversation and create tabletop space for board games and the occasional euchre match.

Adjust the Atmosphere

Ambience is key to any gathering. Create the mood, whether fun and funky or calm and serene, with adjustable lighting. Well-placed table lamps and floor lamps make light quantity and quality easy to control. Strategically placed candles can add a special glow to a room. Put lighting on side tables that will also lend themselves as resting places for beverages and plates of hors d’oeuvres.

"By making just a few easy adjustments to your space and keeping a party’s theme and menu simple, anyone can become the ‘hostess with the mostest,’ no matter how often your home becomes a hot spot on the social scene," adds Eudy.

You can learn more online at www.lazboy.com.