How metro Atlantans are coping with credit woes

The nation’s credit crunch is manifesting itself in many ways in metro Atlanta, halting construction projects, squeezing farmers, threatening college educations and leaving families searching for home financing. Here are the stories of some metro Atlantans and how they are faring in the current credit crisis:

THE MIDDLETONS: HOME LOAN Marsha and Willie Middleton of Brookhaven have good jobs and the right credit score. That’s not enough, though. They are currently on their fifth mortgage broker, searching for financing for the home they built using a construction loan with a rate in the low double digits. Story	FRED ASTAIRE: CONSTRUCTION LOAN Fred Astaire had the permits to build a mixed-use condo project on Memorial Drive, and the site was graded. But then everything came to a halt, when he and his partners couldn’t get financing. The site is now for sale, and he’s building decks to get by. Story
BRYAN HAGER: BUSINESS LOAN Bryan Hager, president of the Farmers Fresh Food Network, a cooperative, says its members usually have to rely on second mortgages to get the financing they need. This year, he and others are having to tap into their savings. Story	LA-KEYA WILLIAMS: STUDENT LOAN Her first year at Spelman College, La-Keya Williams’ mother, who makes about $26,000 a year, had to take out a $22,000 loan. The second year, Williams had to take out her own loan. Only weeks before she planned to return, she had less than $6,000. Story
TIM KELLY: CREDIT LINE The marketing vice president of software developer Dialog Medical of Duluth says his company has moved its banking business from a “large multistate bank” to an Atlanta-based one over concerns about eroding customer service. Story