Sometimes it is the habit of never shutting the kitchen cabinets or the fact that clothes seem to end up everywhere in the house, except where they belong. Maybe it is that the dishwasher is never loaded correctly or that they spend too much time looking at Facebook.

We all seem to be able to find something to nag each other about, in all areas of our lives. Our tendency to nag is usually born out of our own stubbornness: we want something done a certain way (because we believe our way is the right way) or we have a strongly held a belief (like that Facebook is a waste of time) and the other person is constantly demonstrating that their beliefs do not match up to ours.

When one of my friends recently got married, she said that the best piece of premarital advice she was given was to resist the urge to nag, especially relating to things that were not deal-breakers (with deal-breakers being the really big, really important things that someone would be willing to walk away from a marriage over).

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The number of first-time buyers jumped 23 per cent in January but the housing market is in for a “bumpy” ride this year, the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) has warned.

Some 13,200 mortgage loans were taken out by first-time buyers in January, worth 1.6 billion, a 23 per cent increase both in the number of loans and their value, CML figures showed.

The number of home movers also increased year-on-year, with 22,400 loans made to this sector of the market in January, worth 3.6 billion, a 20 per cent increase in volume and a 16 per cent increase in value.

The first-time buyer proportion of the market slumped back to a three-year low last autumn but estate agents and lenders have reported a recent surge in activity as the current two-year stamp duty concession for this sector of the market, which raises the threshold for first-time buyers from 125,000 to 250,000, is due to end on March 24.

Overall, there were 35,600 loans for house purchase in January worth 5.3 billion, a rise in 22 per cent by volume and 23 per cent by value on a year ago.

However, the month still recorded its traditional seasonal “dip” – with 25 per cent fewer mortgages taken out for house purchase than during December 2011 overall.

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WALTHAM, MA–American DG Energy Inc., a leading OnSite Utility, offering clean electricity, heat, hot water and cooling solutions to hospitality, healthcare, housing and athletic facilities, has reached an agreement to supply clean energy to Governor Paterson Towers, a 225 unit, 30 story, residential high-rise, located in Paterson, New Jersey.

Under the terms of the agreement, Governor Paterson will soon receive a significant portion of its energy from a 75 kW combined heat and power (also called CHP or cogeneration) system, which will be owned and operated by American DG Energy. Governor Paterson will receive a discount on the energy produced by the CHP system and reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. The value of the agreement to the Company is $1.9 million over the fifteen-year term.

Working with our partner, Peter Westerhoff, to develop this project, American DG Energy will produce clean energy in the form of electricity, space heat and domestic hot water at Governor Paterson Towers and sell it to the residential property at a price lower than the local energy utility rates.

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Jaguar Land Rover has selected a partner to build an assembly plant in China, Tata Motors has revealed.

Although the Chinese partner has not been named the firm was reported to be in talks with Chery Automobile last October about setting up the long-awaited joint venture.

Speaking at the time an industry source told the Birmingham Post Chery remained the front-runner, but said it was also possible rival firm Geely could be in the running.

The Chinese move is seen as crucial in enabling Jaguar Land Rover sell its vehicles at competitive prices in its fastest growing market.

China levies higher taxes on imported vehicles to boost local manufacturing, making it vital for car makers to assemble their products locally.

We are waiting for the necessary regulatory approvals said Tata Motors chief financial officer C Ramakrishnan, who gave no further details.

In January Ralf Speth, chief executive of Jaguar Land Rover, said the company may spend as much as 100 million on a Chines production plant.

Mr Speth said the company was also considering a similar assembly plant in Brazil.

Last year Jaguar Land Rover opened a plant in Pune in India, where it assembles the Land Rover Freelander.

Mr Ramakrishnan added that Tata Motors will double investments in Jaguar Land Rover to 1.5 billion a year from this year.

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Grand & Benedicts has sold and built fixtures for retailers for more than 60 years and will now offer to build stores for companies from the ground up.Grand & Benedicts announced it has added a construction division that will allow the Portland retail fixture company to help clients renovate or build new stores.

The company, which also sells retail fixtures and offers store closing services, has in the past built and renovated four of its buildings, including showrooms, warehouses and offices, said Camilla Chalmers of Grand & Benedicts. Currently, the company’s team is building a new 31,000-square-foot headquarters and showroom on Southwest Macadam Avenue that’s expected to open in April.

Grand & Benedicts was born in 1980 from the merging of two longtime local companies — a hardware store and a retail decor business — and has gone on to become a major global producer of fixtures and custom systems. Read all post…

The public agency overseeing San Bernardino International Airport will discuss paying Paul Hastings LLC up to $25,000 to provide legal services and whether to create one or more ad hoc subcommittees at its next regular meeting at 3 p.m. Wednesday, according to the agenda for the airport authority.

The FBI and other law enforcement agencies raided San Bernardino International Airport offices and the rented home of the airport’s developer last week.

The Inland Valley Development Agency, made up of elected leaders from San Bernardino County’s east valley — which leads the redevelopment of former Norton Air Force Base property including the airport — will also be meeting.

The IVDA is expected to vote on multiple construction contracts and whether to approve the budget for the San Bernardino Enterprise Zone.

Both agencies have reserved time for closed sessions to discuss personnel issues.

The meetings start at 3 p.m.

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