Greenberg Traurig opens Tampa Bay office

Greenberg Traurig has opened a Tampa Bay office, its 27th in the United States and the eighth in Florida.

The Miami-based firm now has about 1,600 lawyers and governmental professionals.

Joining the firm as managing shareholder of the downtown Tampa office is David B. Weinstein, a trial lawyer.

His practice includes such clients as Cardinal Health, Mosaic, Coronet Industries and MacDill Federal Credit Union.

What are people saying about mortgages today:

Rates on 30-year mortgages edged down last week to a seven-month low. Mortgage-giant Freddie Mac reported Thursday that 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages fell to 6.3 percent, down slightly from 6.31 percent two weeks ago. It put rates at the lowest level since they were at 6.24 percent the first week of March.

Bank of Hawaii, Central Pacific Bank, Territorial Savings Bank and Wells Fargo Home Mortgages all cut their 30-year mortgage rates to 5.75 percent this week.

Most people think of a mortgage as a means to an end. After all, you buy a house, not a home loan. But a mortgage is much more than the path to homeownership. It is a financial instrument that must be managed, just like any other financial investment.