Trend Talk.

The Insulation Contractors Association of America (ICAA) introduced a new program that will certify commercial building insulation contractors who submit information about their businesses and are deemed qualified to do quality commercial insulation work. Once certified, the contractors will be listed on the ICAA Web site.

"The purpose of the program is to help ICAA contractors become recognized as the preferred installers of commercial building insulation due to the high quality and professionalism of their work," explains Michael Kwart, ICAA's executive director.

To participate in the program, insulation contractors must first contact ICAA to receive an application form. The form asks for information about the company, how the organization is structured, the geographic area it services, its experience with various insulation material types, examples of its commercial projects within the past three years, financial data and additional voluntary information. The completed form is then reviewed and approved by the ICAA Commercial Committee.

To maintain certification, continuing recognition for companies is encouraged through ICAA-sponsored educational programs for credits, and/or manufacturer, college, university or professional society courses.

A new Fannie Mae funding program that targets senior housing borrower has been well received by multiple-facility owners and operators of congregate care and assisted-living properties. Cambridge Realty Capital Cos. Teamed with American Property Financing Inc. (APF), an approved Fannie Mae DUS lender, to offer larger borrowers and opportunity to refinance multiple-facility portfolios with credit facilities totaling $50 million or more. According to Jeffrey A. Davis, chairman of Cambridge, three months after launching the program, Cambridge has two signed applications with three dozen other projects in the various stages of the underwriting process.

"Programs of this kind have generally been available to multifamily apartment owners but are being offered to senior housing borrowers for the first time," says Davis. "Uniquely, the new program gives congregate-care and assisted-living owners and operators the ability to substitute properties and to make flexible prepayment and pricing arrangements," he adds.