Double Digits

Mortgage rates at 45-year lows fueled price gains in all major U.S. cities during the second quarter. It was the first time on record that no metropolitan area had price declines, according to a new study by the National Association of Realtors. Nationally, prices rose at a 7.4 percent pace in the second quarter, according to the study of 126 metropolitan areas. The year-over-year price increases ranged from a high of 24 percent in the areas around Riverside and San Bernardino, Calif., to a low of 0.1 percent in Phoenix.

Mired in controversy and, now, probed by federal investigators, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield yesterday announced good news, of sorts - the insurer earned $40.8 million in the quarter that ended June 30, a 66 percent gain from the $24.6 million earned in the second quarter last year. CareFirst said medical cost inflation had slowed, with the price of providing care for its members increasing only 5.2 percent over the second quarter in 2002. Increases had been in the double digits before the second quarter.

Price growth for existing homes in the Baltimore area reached double digits again last month compared with a year earlier, marking the third straight year-over-year increase of at least 15 percent and continuing to outpace the increase in sales. The average sale price for an existing home in Baltimore and five surrounding counties reached $218,486 last month - 15.59 percent more than in June 2002, according to figures released yesterday by Metropolitan Regional Information Systems Inc., the Rockville listing service used by brokers and agents.

OLYMPIA FIELDS, Ill. - Jim Furyk joined Tiger Woods in the record books of the U.S. Open yesterday, not once but three times. Woods, who obliterated the field at Pebble Beach three years ago, was not a factor. As Furyk became the third player in tournament history to get to double digits under par, Woods played his way out of serious contention in the third round of the 103rd U.S. Open at Olympia Fields. Furyk finished a round of 3-under-par 67 with a 30-foot birdie putt that put him at 10-under par for the third time in a stretch of 10 holes, helping him break the previous 54-hole Open scoring record by three strokes.

Maryland held off a furious rally to edge Virginia, 8-7, two months ago, and this game could produce a similar score. If the Terps intend to move into the final, they probably need to win at least half of the faceoffs, shoot considerably better than their 29.3 percent showing thus far, get into double digits as a result, and get one more great game out of goalie Dan McCormick, who has saved 62.6 percent of the shots taken at him. Virginia thinks it...

The musical Chicago, the epic Gangs of New York and art-house hit The Hours sprinted out of the gate as Oscar's front-runners when the nominations for the 75th annual Academy Awards were announced yesterday. Julianne Moore received two nominations, for best actress in Far From Heaven and best supporting actress in The Hours. "In such a year of such wonderful performances, I am incredibly honored to be among these nominees," Moore said. "Never in my career have I ever imagined I would have two nominations!"

DETROIT - General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler unit reported lower November sales yesterday as discounting drew fewer buyers than in November 2001, when sales hit a record. Sales at General Motors, the largest automaker, declined 18 percent, and sales dropped 20 percent at Ford and 12 percent at Chrysler. Ford shares declined 13 percent, the biggest decline in more than a year, after the second-biggest automaker said it will scale back production. Shares of General Motors and DaimlerChrysler also fell.

Jason Morgan scored 26 points and Clifford Strong had 12 points and 10 rebounds to lead St. Francis, N.Y., to an 85-73 win over host Mount St. Mary's last night, Chris Stockwell added 21 points for the Terriers (8-5, 5-2 Northeast Conference). Jamion Christian scored 17 points and Jason Epps added 11 for the Mountaineers (1-13, 0-7). St. Francis led 43-27 at halftime but the Mount made it close in the second half by shooting 50 percent from the field (15-for-30). Dickinson 90, Johns Hopkins 81: Billy Hagan scored a career-high 37 points as the host Red Devils (8-7, 2-2)

Howard County companies feeling the pinch of the economic downturn are slowing their plans for expansion, forcing the commercial real estate market to slow and vacancy rates to rise into double digits for the first time in two years. No one is offering sweetheart deals to get buildings leased, but local observers who five months ago felt that the 2 million square feet of office space then being planned in the county was reasonable are saying it could take longer than expected to fill the space.

The Orioles handed out free golf umbrellas before the opener of their three-game series against the Detroit Tigers last night, no doubt unaware that the useful promotional item would turn out to be an appropriate symbol of the club's sudden offensive resurgence. This isn't golf, but the Orioles clearly have found their stroke. They showered Camden Yards with 15 hits on the way to an 11-3 victory and built on a weeklong run-production binge that belies their current status as one of the worst offensive teams in either league.