7.00% fixed for 20 years for real estate projects, including acquisition, new construction and major renovation.

7.19% fixed for 10 years for equipment and machinery.

(Rate as of June 15, 2006)

We express our deepest appreciation to all our lending partners for helping us make May the most successful lending month in Self-Help's 504 lending history. A few figures:

• We approved 13 loans through the SBA for $9.09 million.
• These loans will represent some $25 million of economic development for North Carolina communities and small businesses.
• The businesses project to create an additional 200 jobs as a result of these projects.
• The businesses are spread out across North Carolina - and include many rural-based projects in areas that are in serious need of economic development.

As always, we can't make these loans possible without your willingness to help us bring the benefits of 504 financing to North Carolina's small businesses. Thanks for helping us set this record. Let's work together to set many more!

We now have a Self-Help office in Winston-Salem. Anna Tefft, our senior loan officer for the Triad, is back from her maternity leave, and will partner with Travis Idol to cover the Triad. She will continue to serve Greensboro and parts east, but will also be working out of Winston-Salem several days a week, and will work to extend our efforts in and around Winston-Salem.

You can phone her at: (336) 478-2611.
You can find our new office at: 500 West Fourth Street, Suite 200 Winston-Salem, NC 27101

We look forward to better serving Winston-Salem and the western half of the Triad through this new office. Please make Anna welcome!

In recent months, our most active growth has come from Wilmington and Southeastern North Carolina. Self-Help branch director and 504 loan officer Louis Rogers has been incredibly busy working up 504 financing proposals for borrowers in the area.

"There has been a real boom in small business development in the area," says Louis. "We are really excited to help our borrowers and banking partners with their development projects."

Recent projects in the Wilmington area include:

• Acquisition of a new office condo for an expanding insurance company.
• Construction of a new building for a growing Brunswick County day-care center.
• Acquisition of a new building for an office products supplier.
• Construction of a new building for a Carteret County glass company.

Between our Wilmington and Fayetteville offices, we can provide excellent service to all Southeastern North Carolina businesses and banking partners.

If you have projects in the Southeast, please feel free to contact Louis in Wilmington or Allen Cofiori in Fayetteville.

Call the Self-Help loan officer nearest you to discuss a project or learn more about how you can use an SBA 504 loan to help your small business customers with expansion needs.

Charlotte Region: Dale Harroldand Ralph Ansell, Self-Help, Great Aunt Stella Center, 926 Elizabeth Ave., Suite 302, Charlotte, NC 28204 * 800-394-7428

Fayetteville Region: Allen Cofiori, Self-Help, 100 Hay St., Suite 300, Fayetteville, NC 28301 * 800-774-7966

Northeastern NC Region: Gerry Blood, Self-Help, 301 South Evans St., Suite 306, Greenville, NC 27858 * 800-893-9669

Southeastern NC Region: Louis Rogers, Self-Help, 272 N. Front St., Suite 300, Wilmington, NC 28401 * 877-559-4284

Triad/Greensboro Office: Travis Idol, Self-Help, 122 N. Elm St., Suite 1015, Greensboro, NC 27401 * 800-269-7426

Triad/Winston-Salem Office: Anna Tefft, 500 West Fourth Street, Suite 200, Winston-Salem, NC 27101 * 336-478-2611

Triangle Region: Joe Osowski, Self-Help, 301 W. Main St., PO Box 3619, Durham, NC 27702 * 800-476-7428

Western NC Region: Tom Byers, Self-Help, 34 Wall St., Suite 704, Asheville, NC 28801 * 800-229-7428

Contact our SBA 504 Program Director, Jim Overton, at 919-956-4473 or jim.overton@self- help.org.

email: 504loans@self-help.org

web: http://www.self-help.org/504loans