More than two years into the housing crisis, lenders are beginning to allow more troubled homeowners to unload their homes for less than they owe.

For anyone renting or buying an apartment on a budget, real estate is all about compromise. To afford a better neighborhood, the things that get sacrificed often are non-essential amenities such as a fireplace, a balcony or an in-unit washer and dryer.

Would you, under any circumstances, default on your home mortgage, even if you could afford to make the monthly payments?

The number of homeowners selling their home for less than the outstanding mortgage, known as short sales, is growing, according to government data. But it is still not an easy process. Here are a few things borrowers should consider when pursuing a short sale of their property:

Q: I want to fix a number of holes in the drywall of my house. The holes range from about three inches wide to 12 inches. Can you help?

It's time to answer your garden and landscape questions as we roll into midsummer.

Q: I am an 80-year-old woman who lives in a townhouse condominium. There are 95 units, and my condo fee is $325 a month. It was recently raised by $25, and it appears that the board plans to raise it again. Our officers decided they should be paid a monthly fee. There are several other complexes ...

Maryland is on the FBI's top ten list for states with the most mortgage fraud, and the District is among those areas "newly identified as having significant mortgage fraud problems," according to a recent report. And, the FBI says, economic stimulus programs could fuel further increases.

Q: DEAR TIM: I'm tackling home plumbing on my vacation because money is tight. The largest project is a bathroom I want to completely remodel. I want to change the location of fixtures. Dripping faucets and toilets that seem to flush on their own are also on my list. What tips can you share?

Last week's Washington Post report about the White House Office of Urban Affairs may lead some readers to wonder why this office has been created. Shouldn't West Wing denizens have been worried about cities before? After all, as The Post reported, cities are where most businesses and jobs are, wh...

Connecting new and old plumbing piping can be a significant challenge. You absolutely must use approved connectors. You can get these parts, as well as advice, from businesses that sell plumbers their supplies. Plumbers typically buy emergency parts from a big-box home center only when their normal...

With a light-rail stop, highway access and Baltimore-Washington International Marshall Airport within its borders, Linthicum is known as a place for coming and going.

On July 1, the Federal Housing Finance Agency quietly announced a small change that could free millions of homeowners from the oppressive bounds of a high monthly mortgage payment.

BOUNDARIES: Baltimore-Washington Parkway and the Baltimore Beltway (I-695) to the north, Camp Meade Road to the East, Baltimore Washington International Marshall Airport to the South and the airport business parks to the West.

Average rates for 30-year mortgages fell for the second consecutive week to the lowest level in six weeks but remained above record lows reached earlier this year, Freddie Mac said Thursday.

A major focus of the Obama administration's proposals to redesign the financial regulatory system is to bring all the major financial institutions that were implicated in the current crisis (or might be implicated in the next one) under regulation. These include hedge funds, investment banks and ...