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Instead of waiting to see how bad things will get, one community is tackling climate change issues head on. Canada's newest and most northern capital city is now reaching out around the globe for solutions that will ensure survival and growth whatever nature throws its way.

"Although we do not have a lot of financial means, The City of Iqaluit has done a lot of small to medium-sized projects that let us make progress against climate change," said Michèle Bertol, Director of the City's Planning and Lands Department. "We have changed our way of developing and have put in place policies for developing in a sustainable way for all of our subdivisions. The next step? We asked ourselves, 'What could we do further to help us make progress?' Arctic communities are very susceptible to the stresses of climate change. We knew about the International Polar Year and that triggered the first idea: How about if we tried to do something to catalyze some energy -- [to invite] forward thinkers on the issue of climate change to come together in Iqaluit?" [insert photo: PIC Iqaluit houses ; caption: "Typical Permafrost Construction" ]

In 1999, Iqaluit (pronounced "ee-kal-oo-it" and formerly known as Frobisher Bay) became the capital of Canada's newest territory Nunavut. Since then, Iqaluit, with an expanding population that has already exceeded the 6,000 mark, has clocked in economic growth of over 18 percent and earned distinction as Canada's fastest growing community. Located in a zone of continuous permafrost on the southeastern tip of Baffin Island along Koojesse Inlet, this Arctic municipality's 52 square kilometers combine most of the amenities typical of a 21st Century capital city with natural and environmental benefits afforded by surrounding parks and undeveloped hinterland. [insert photo: PIC Iqaluit downtown: caption: "Above-the-Treeline Capital"

The result of Bertol's quest is the interdisciplinary Symposium "Planning for Climate Change: Weathering Uncertainty," which will be held in Iqaluit from July 20 to 23, 2008. The City has partnered with the Canadian Institute of Planners (CIP) and the Alberta Association (regional CIP affiliate for Alberta, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut) to host what must be a groundbreaking "meeting of the minds" if practical solutions for mitigation of and adaptation to climate change are to be achieved.

Since weather data has only been systematically collected in the area since the early 1940s, there is some debate as to what is climate variability and what is climate change. Either way, Iqaluit and the Arctic are challenged by increased flooding, coastal erosion, frequency and intensity of storms, and ground instability caused by melting of the permafrost layer.

In 2002, Iqaluit joined the Partners for Climate Protection (PCP) network, which currently consists of 152 Canadian municipal governments committed to reducing greenhouse gases and acting on climate change. PCP is a partnership between the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) and the ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability, (originally known as the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives), which has grown into a global network of more than 700 cities, towns, counties, and their associations. PCP, which receives financial support from FCM's Green Municipal Fund, encourages municipalities to undertake a "five-milestone" approach that begins with establishing a baseline against which targets for improvement may be set.

Baseline determination involved research and analysis of the city's infrastructure. According to the final report, "The City of Iqaluit's Climate Change Impacts, Infrastructure Risks & Adaptive Capacity Project , authored by Symposium coordinator Debbie Nielsen, the purpose of the Project "was to identify risks to [Iqaluit's] infrastructure (including buildings, roads, and water supply, wastewater treatment and waste disposal systems) and develop adaptation options ... . Consultations with community leaders, municipal staff, climate change experts and those who design, build and service infrastructure provided information on current risks to infrastructure, which was used to identify pertinent impacts and develop adaptation options for the City of Iqaluit."

These options ranged from educational programs and retrofits to policy changes and building standard amendments. [insert photo: PIC Iqaluit at dusk; caption: "2008 Symposium Site" ]

Since Iqaluit is hosting the Symposium, northern issues will be discussed, but both Bertol and Nielsen emphasize that presentations and papers about projects in southern communities and other countries are essential to foster creative thinking locally, expand on existing approaches and develop standards for extrapolations to Arctic criteria.

"We want to link the science with planning practices so there are practical results on the ground," said Nielsen, explaining the content will be presented in English and Inuktitut, and that the call for proposals deadline is November 30. "We hope to bring these different professions together to exchange knowledge and influence planning practices ... . We want to facilitate mutual learning, facilitate practical change and leave a legacy in the North."

While lawsuits do occur in real estate, there is one reason that should never cause litigation -- yet, it does.

"We've seen more and more litigation in the past regarding people not understanding the closing documents because they don't have an interpreter or a bilingual individual to go over the closing documents with a limited-English-proficient person," says Clyde Anderson vice president of marketing for LLE Services.

More than 50 million people in America speak a language other than English. These same people are frequently buying and selling real estate in the US. That statistic is what is driving the company's focus on making translation and interpretation services available to the real estate industry. LLE, Services for the first time attended the National Association of Realtors convention in Las Vegas last week. The company had a steady flow of traffic. In between curious agents, I spoke with Anderson about how the company's services help consumers.

"Where it's beneficial is in closings. If you have somebody who is a limited-English proficient or non-English, you can go through to closing and make sure that everybody understands the closing documents that they're signing,

But it's not just agents who need to know about these services; consumers who might need interpretation of dialogue or translation of documents need to speak up before they get too involved in the transaction. Anderson says if consumers don't, the risk is high.

"What justifies it? Well, what you're getting is a professional translator. Someone who has been trained to translate and we guarantee our accuracy of the translation. So you're getting a high quality translation that in the unlikely event that it does go to court, [the translated documents] have been certified and guaranteed," explains Anderson.

LLE Services provides 24-hour telephone interpretation services with an experienced real estate savvy interpreter in 150 different languages. Anderson boasts that the company typically has a 20-second connect time to an interpreter using a toll-free line.

Translating closing documents, emails, and other written word is also big business for the company. The process requires the client to send in via email or fax the documents that need to be translated.

"Typically our turn-around time for 10,000 words would be three to five business days but it also depends on the complexity of the language that's used in the documents. If there are a lot of legalisms it may take longer," says Anderson.

He says when you send in your documents to be translated, the company will review the document and then provide a free estimate of what the costs may be for the documents.

"The telephone interpretation service is priced per minute; it can run from $1.45 to $1.85 or even less depending on volume. As far as the translation rate goes, it's a per word rate and once again, volume rules -- 18 cents a word down to maybe 14 cents a word, who knows, but it depends on the volume. Email translation is a per transaction rate; basically $9.95 for 100 words, $19.95 for 200 words, $29.95 for 300 words," says Anderson.

Anything over 300 words is considered a document and then charged based on a per word rate. The average time for an email translation is about one hour per 100 words.

With the numerous costs associated with buying a home, consumers might be inclined to try to save a little money and use a friend or relative to translate or interpret. But Anderson cautions consumers to think twice about that.

"Well, there are some risks because they may have some prejudices. Thus having an independent third-party doing it is far better for a non-English speaker or a limited-English-proficient individual," says Anderson.

The end product could well outweigh the fees, claims Anderson. "You're going to be safe and secure with a guaranteed document that's been certified and guaranteed and you'll have a linguist available to assist you in the telephone part going through the documents plus you have the documents in your language."

These guys are nuts. HR 3915, called the Mortgage Reform and Anti-Predatory Lending Act of 2007 is set to completely wipe out all the bad people in the mortgage business. Thank goodness we have a Congress in the first place, right? I mean, anytime there's a problem then some lobbyists start making sales calls to get things right.

A specific part of the resolution is aimed at Yield Spread Premiums, or YSPs. More specifically HR 3915 would make a YSP illegal.

"Hooray!" yells all the goofy consumer groups and "Hooray!" yells all the people who don't understand the function of a YSP.

What will happen if indeed Reps., Frank, Miller and Watt get their bill through Congress is it will keep otherwise good, honest people out of home ownership by making buying a house even more expensive than it already is.

How's that? What's the connection between homeownership and a YSP? Making a YSP illegal will make mortgages cost more.

A YSP is a function of an interest rate and is an amount wholesale mortgage lenders give to a mortgage broker. If a 30 year fixed rate is available at 6.00 percent with one point and no origination fee then a consumer could expect an interest rate of 6.25 percent with zero points and no origination fees. Conversely, for a lower rate the consumer could elect to pay more out of their pocket and get 5.75 percent with two points instead of one.

The consumer gets to choose. Not the federal government. At least not yet. For the record, I am not a mortgage broker and this bill won't affect me like it will affect a broker. But it's still an idiotic bill that will hurt.

How do people think mortgage brokers can offer a no-point, no closing cost loan without the YSP? Do you think brokers work for free? A no-point, no origination fee loan pays the mortgage broker with the YSP so the borrower doesn't have to pay the broker's commission. There's a tradeoff to be sure but nobody's hurt.

On a $300,000 30-year loan at 6.00 percent the monthly payment is $1,796. But that 6.00 percent rate also costs you one point, or $3,000. But what's that you say? You'd rather keep that $3,000 and put it into your kids' college fund?

No problem, take the slightly higher rate of 6.25 percent and pay no points. You keep the $3,000. Yes, you got a higher rate but your payment only went up to $1,847 for an increase of just fifty-one bucks.

Your monthly payment went up but you'll long make up for it by investing it somewhere else, like in that college fund.

That's what a YSP is folks, it's a function of the rate. The rate is indeed higher but you as the consumer get to spend your $3,000 as you see fit. The YSP has been beaten up so much by reporters who don't k now any better and consumer groups that darned sure don't know any better. But just say, "Y-S-P" out loud and you can hear the shrieks.

You could run over grandma in her wheelchair with your gas-guzzling SUV and get less reaction.

Guess what else? If YSPs are eliminated, it will affect the poorest the most.

If someone is trying to qualify for an FHA loan and is having a hard time coming up with down payment money and for closing costs, the mortgage broker could give them a higher rate instead of coming up with more money.

Instead of a 1 percent origination fee on a $200,000 FHA loan at 6.00 percent the mortgage broker could quote 6.25 percent with no origination fees and save the borrower $2,000. If the borrower didn't have $2,000 then there's no deal.

No new home, no Realtor commission, no attorney fee, no appraisal, no title insurance, no homeowners insurance, no trips to Home Depot, no nothing.

The homeowner couldn't buy the house but hey we sure nailed that YSP thing, didn't we?

YSPs have been twisted in their definition and yes, consumers pay a higher rate for a YSP but that should be a consumer choice. Pay $3,000 for 6.00 percent or pay 6.25 percent and save $3,000? By getting rid of YSPs your government has made that choice for you. Again.

Technically, YSPs are additional compensation the lender pays in exchange for someone taking a higher rate loan. There's no denying that but YSPs by themselves are not this evil "closing cost who must not be named" thing.

HR 3915 will without argument make housing less affordable and will raise the bar yet again on homeowners by making buying a house more expensive. HR 3915 is a bad, bad idea.