| Governor not fazed by banquet hall critics
Bredesen said he felt "disappointed" over Ramsey's comments, saying the lieutenant governor had sat with him in the governor's conference room and discussed the project's financing. He said Ramsey knew the project involved both public and private funds, and that costs had gone up. "I thought he was more of a stand-up guy than he proved to be on that one,'' the governor said, adding that he would find something else they could work together on. The foundation, which Conte chairs, has raised about $8 million for mansion renovation and expansion project. Taxpayers will have to pick up the rest of the $19.2 million cost. Mansion renovations are almost completed and blasting could start later this month on the underground hall.
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Super-charging your credit score
For Natasha Horne, trying to buy a house all came down to a three-digit number. A 33-year-old home health care worker who lives with her husband and two kids in a rental in the Parkchester section of the Bronx, Horne was hampered by a low credit score of 612. But with the help of Marilyn Bell, a counselor at Neighborhood Housing Services, which has offices in all five boroughs, Horne went to work. She called her creditors; some were willing to negotiate a settlement. The big push, starting last May, wiped $4,000 off her debt load. Bell contacted the credit reporting agencies about Horne's efforts. Within three months, her credit score rose to 679. Now, she's eligible for a mortgage at better rates than those offered to people with very poor credit.
Deal to make BofA No. 1 in mortgages
The Bank of America and Countrywide branch offices are seen in Pasadena, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 10, 2008. A buyout of hobbled mortgage lender Countrywide Financial likely would be approved by regulators, analysts say, because otherwise the company could file for bankruptcy, further disrupting the market for home loans. .
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