WASHINGTON POST REALTY NEWS Many still owe taxes on forgiven home-equity debt With hundreds of thousands of homeowners having negotiated loan modifications or short sales or been foreclosed upon during the past year, the Internal Revenue Service has issued fresh guidance on how to handle canceled mortgage debt in the coming tax season. Central vacuum system installation tips I was touring a new home, and one of the features that really interested me was the central vacuum system. It seems like one of these would be really handy. What's involved when you install a central vacuum? Can you share some tips, especially what not to do? - Ray H., Newtown, Pa. Borrower has second thoughts about that second chance Q. I was going into foreclosure, but the bank gave me a loan modification. I agreed to the modification at the beginning, but now I see it was a mistake and think foreclosure would be better. What do I have to do - just stop paying? Greenbriar: Chantilly's Levitt town The minute Shelly and Trey Lackey drove into Chantilly's Greenbriar neighborhood 11 years ago, she thought, "Oh my goodness, I've been here before!" But "here" actually had been another Levitt and Sons community, in Willingboro, N.J. Details on the Sherwood Forest neighborhood Take precautions before signing a remodeling contract When planning major home renovation, there are many steps you have to take to find the right professionals, including the contractor and perhaps an architect. It's equally important to take steps to protect your legal interests - and to do so early in the process. Behind the foreclosure crisis, big banks' reign of error The problem in the nation's housing market now isn't subprime lending. It's subpar lenders. Federal Housing Administration leader David Stevens will leave post David H. Stevens plans to leave his post as head of the Federal Housing Administration by the end of April after guiding the agency through its toughest financial challenges in one of the housing market's darkest periods. Six steps to upgrading a kitchen without boosting the cost Q. I'd love to move to a new home, but the economy is preventing that. So I've decided to do some kitchen remodeling, as it seems to be the center of activity of our current home. Based on the bids I'm getting, remodeling costs seem high. What can be done to keep the total cost as low as possible... Concern grows over use of flame retardant HBCD Hexabromocyclododecane, commonly known as HBCD, is a flame retardant that is starting to give a lot of green builders headaches. Lisa C. Mattise Mobile 434-981-0354 Fax Number 1-866-986-2426 Office Number 434-220-9295 RE/MAX ASSURED

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