Lenders may hold up home closings in flooded areas

Sharon Stehmeier has been a real estate broker for 38 years, and has never had a flood derail a closing.

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Real estate Q&A

Q. I will be making my last mortgage payment on my house in the near future. I know I will be responsible for paying insurance and property taxes, but I do not know what information or paperwork I will need to ask for, or receive from my lender to complete my dealings with them. Any information or direction would be very much appreciated.

And the credit crunch keeps rolling on

Nearly a year into the credit crunch, the mortgage and housing markets remain confusing and difficult for many consumers.

• http://www.ocregister.com/

Bush concedes tough month in Afghanistan

President Bush says it has been a "tough month" in Afghanistan with rising US casualties.

• President Bush says everyone knows it's best for the economy to help people stay in their homes.

Gov. pushing plan to help struggling NC homeowners

Gov. Mike Easley called on state lawmakers Tuesday to make up for the federal government's inaction by approving a measure to help some struggling North Carolina homeowners by giving them more latitude to repay their debt.

BofA completes deal for Countrywide Financial

Bank of America Corp. completed its purchase of Countrywide Financial Corp. Tuesday, making the Charlotte-based bank the nation's leading mortgage originator and servicer.

CIT Group exits home lending businesses

CIT Group Inc. said Tuesday it will sell its home lending business to Lone Star Funds for $1.5 billion in cash, plus $4.4 billion of assumed debt, in a move to exit the troubled mortgage arena and focus on its commercial finance operations.

Wachovia quits offering risky mortgage loan

Beleaguered consumer bank Wachovia Corp. said Monday it will quit offering a mortgage payment option that allows borrowers to pay less each month than the bank charges in interest.

• Wachovia Corp.

TV armoires get reinvented

What to do with the former place of honor for your bulky TV set? Are we saying au revoir to the armoire? Sleek flat-panel televisions, typically mounted to walls or perched on credenzas, have rendered the bulky but lovely furniture piece superfluous. And when people want to get rid of their television armoires, so pricy and popular in the 1990s, they aren't finding many takers at garage sales or consignment stores.

• New roles for TV cabinets

Company mixes wood and metal for custom combinations

Combining exotic woods with metal can be tricky, but Verna Design International in Doral approaches the task with talent, craftsmanship and decades of experience.