MORTGAGE COMPANY MOVES

Shawn Konecky ().

American Finance Corp., a mortgage lending company that opened an office in

La Grande in 2001, is relocating from Washington Avenue to the F.S. Mack and Sons Jewelers' building.

"We're growing," said broker Shawn Konecky. "We started with two employees and now have 14. We plan to continue to grow."

The local branch of the company doing mortgage lending in nine states will occupy the entire building at 1202 Adams Ave., Konecky said.

The building has 3,000 square feet on the main level, 2,500 square feet on a second floor and 3,000 square feet in the basement.

Once a bank, it has three large vaults and was a clothing store before Mack and Sons Jewelers took possession of it in 1995. The jewelers liquidated their assets in December and listed the building for sale at $239,000.

Roger Haefer of Baker City bought the building and Konecky is leasing it on a long-term basis.

Konecky is doing some remodeling and painting and expects to finish that this week. He hopes to be able to move in during the weekend and be open for business on Monday.

"It's exciting to be moving," Konecky said. "We'll have an open house in a couple of weeks."

The company opened in La Grande in May 2001 at 1407 Washington Ave. in the Sac Annex Building.