- Buyers need to have their debt under control. Monthly debt payments can not exceed limits required by the mortgage program that they would like to use. (The typical maximum debt allowed, including the projected mortgage payments, must typically be under 45 percent of the buyer’s gross income (before taxes). A recent change is that tax returns and tax payments must be up to date, filed with the IRS. The income that a buyer claims will be verified by the lender. - The buyer has to have cash available for the down payment, closing costs and money left over as cash reserves in the event of an Continue reading >>>

Wynn in talks with Patriots owner about Mass. casino 5 December 2011By Chris Sieroty FOXBORO, Massachusetts -- Steve Wynn, one of Nevada's most successful casino owners and operators, is in negotiations with New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft to build a $1 billion casino adjacent to Gillette Stadium. The resort-casino on 200 acres would be part of a larger complex that would include a hotel, retail, restaurants and entertainment facilities, according to a report in The Boston Globe. While a deal has not been completed, a spokesman for The Continue reading >>>

The Bertolon Center for Grief Healing, a program of Hospice of the North Shore Greater Boston, will hold a workshop to help people cope with the loss of a loved one this holiday season. Coping with the Holidays, a free workshop, will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 7, 6-8 p.m., at the Bertolon Center for Grief Healing, 78 Liberty St., Danvers. According to Nancy Sherman, director of bereavement, dealing with the holidays isn’t easy even if you haven’t had a loss. But when you’ve had a loss, it can make the holidays even more stressful. “The holidays create a combination of joy and memories. Continue reading >>>

Cathedral quarterback Matt Owens sprinted past two Blue Hills defenders and was on his way to the end zone and a potential go-ahead score. With less than 20 yards away from paydirt and nothing but open space in front of him, Owens clenched his left hand and raised it to the sky. Unfortunately, that one act, seemingly harmless in the eyes of many in attendance at yesterday’s Division 4A Super Bowl at Bentley University, ran afoul of the new MIAA rule directed at sportsmanship. Owens was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct and the ball was spotted back to the 24. An interception one play later Continue reading >>>

Members of the Occupy Boston Women's Caucus lead a march beginning and ending in Dewey Square on Sunday. SABA HAMEDY/DFP STAFF“I’m a woman by birth and a feminist by choice!” yelled Boston resident and activist Tyena through a megaphone outside of Quincy Market on Sunday to a crowd.“I am here to tell the church and State House: Get your hands off my body,” she said. “Stop deciding the fate of my body. Sisters, allies – get up, speak up, be heard.”Tyena, who did not give her last name while addressing the crowd, was one of the hundreds of women, men, children, veterans and activists Continue reading >>>

Framingham’s Carl Corazzini traveled the world as a hockey player for almost 11 years. He had brief stays with the Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks, was signed by the Edmonton Oilers and Detroit Red Wings, and spent more years in the American Hockey League than he cares to remember. “When I turned 29, you get the feeling you’re not going to be a full-time player’’ in the National Hockey League, said Corazzini, now 32, who had prepped at St. Sebastian’s in Needham and then played for Boston University. “It was time to move on.’’ After he finished Continue reading >>>

RESPOND Inc., a Somerville-based domestic violence agency, recently received the Powderhouse Award for Non-profit of the Year from the Somerville Chamber of Commerce. By Cathleen Twardzik RESPOND Inc., a Somerville-based domestic violence agency, recently received the Powderhouse Award for Non-profit of the Year from the Somerville Chamber of Commerce at the Holiday Inn in Somerville. The award was presented at the 65th Annual Chamber of Commerce Dinner. “Darcie DeLuca, Controller of RESPOND Inc. and Kathleen Donahue, President of the Board of Directors of RESPOND Inc., accepted the Powderhouse Continue reading >>>

Northeast Youth Ballet’s “The Nutcracker” is about the enchanting journey of a young girl named Clara in 1835 Germany, when she embarks on a journey through a winter wonderland to a palace of sugary sweets. Featuring the talents of more than 100 dancers who auditioned from the greater Boston area, the production is set to be staged once again at the Lynn Memorial Auditorium, 3 City Hall Square. This year, the dancers are privileged to share the stage with both national and international professional guest artists hailing from China, Colombia, Canada, Hawaii and New York. Now in its 15th Continue reading >>>