Countrywide, Paragon Form Mortgage Venture

Countrywide Home Loans, Calabasas, Calif., and Paragon Financial Resources have announced the formation of Paragon Financial Mortgage, which will offer more than 130 loan programs.The joint venture, an operating division of Countrywide Mortgage Ventures LLC, will enable the clients of Paragon Global Resources Inc. (the parent company of Paragon Financial Resources) to offer "unprecedented levels of service" to their employees, the companies said. Qualified homebuyers will have options that include zero-downpayment loans and a variety of fixed- and adjustable-rate loans with "optimum flexibility" on rates and terms, they said. The companies can be found online at http://www.countrywide.com and http://www.paragongri.com.