Local business stories of the year

There were few sections of the economy left untouched by the continued weakening of the housing market in 2007. The market slump's impact expanded as foreclosures rose and mortgage lenders and the companies that backed them ran into trouble, making it harder for many borrowers to get the loans they needed.

The corporate deal-making frenzy of recent years slowed down as the availability of credit tightened, but there were still several major acquisitions with local significance. The Greater Boston commercial office market, which had been red-hot for the past two years, also cooled off, but several giant retail projects continued to move forward.