Countrywide, Brookfield Form JV

Countrywide Home Loans Inc., Calabasas, Calif., and Brookfield Homes, a homebuilder headquartered in New York and Toronto, have announced the formation of BHI Mortgage under the aegis of Countrywide Mortgage Ventures LLC.The joint venture, based in San Diego, will offer homebuyers in California's Riverside and San Diego counties a variety of loan programs, including zero-downpayment loans and streamlined Fast & Easy loans. Qualified homebuyers who purchase a home built by Brookfield Homes will benefit from the services of a BHI Mortgage consultant who works with a Brookfield Homes sales representative to develop a customized financial package, the companies said. Countrywide can be found online at http://www.countrywide.com, and Brookfield Properties Corp., the parent company of Brookfield Homes, can be found at http://www.brookfieldproperties.com.