Patrick Boris, a banquet chef in Las Vegas, is inching closer to his own “fiscal cliff,” 2,100 miles away from the political brinksmanship under way on Capitol Hill. If Congress and the White House allow the country to go over the cliff later this month, Boris figures he could owe federal income taxes on more than $100,000 in forgiven mortgage debt following the short sale of his two-bedroom townhome next year – a personal financial “disaster,” in his words. more

Limiting the homeowner mortgage-interest deduction came up in two of the presidential debates, but specifics about who would be affected and how much they might lose in tax benefits were minimal. To put some rough numbers on the issue, here’s a quick primer on the mortgage-interest deduction and related housing write-offs. more

Could the popular $250,000-$500,000 tax-free exclusion of capital gains on sales of homes be a target in any broad-scale, post-election effort to reduce the federal debt and deficit? more

PROVIDENCE – Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin on Wednesday announced a $150,000 grant to the Housing Action Coalition of Rhode Island to help homeowners facing foreclosure. more

BOSTON – Massachusetts saw 566 completed foreclosures in August, the lowest monthly level to date in 2012, The Warren Group said last week. more

A new report from HousingWorks RI showed that 11.2 percent fewer residential foreclosure deeds were filed in Rhode Island during the fourth quarter of 2012 compared with the fourth quarter of 2011 and 36 percent fewer compared with the fourth quarter of 2009. more

Workers in Rhode Island’s three most-frequently employed occupation groups earn less than needed to afford the average two-bedroom apartment in the Ocean State, according to HousingWorks RI’s spring affordable housing report. more

A new report has shown that Providence is the only one of the country’s top 100 housing markets that is currently classified as “dangerous” for investors, bucking generally positive national trends for home buyers, HomeVestors of America Inc. and Local Market Monitor reported late last week. more

PROVIDENCE – Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin announced last week that approximately 5,500 Rhode Island residents who lost their primary residence due to an improper foreclosure processes between Jan. 1, 2008, and Dec. 31, 2011, should expect to receive notice by mail with information about how to file a claim for funds under the $25 billion National Mortgage Settlement. more

Household wealth in the U.S. climbed in the fourth quarter, propelled by a gain in home prices that is helping repair family finances. more