She replaced a dated fluorescent kitchen light, swapped a shallow kitchen sink for a deeper stainless steel version and updated faucets. And it worked!

An Omaha agency that helps homeowners facing foreclosure is concerned that senior citizens could be the target of a new wave of predatory lending that strips them of their home equity.

They are the familiar faces that you see at all of the events in town; they are the ones handing over the scissors during a ribbon cutting to welcome a new business to town; and they are the ones gathering the information to help attract new residents and businesses to town.

Omaha ranks in the middle in a recent study of costs of doing business in midsize U.S. cities.

The short sale — selling a home for less than the mortgage amount, with the lender forgiving the balance due — is another indication of the troubled housing market that has unfolded over the past couple of years, said Patrick Carey, senior vice president of default and retention operations for Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, based in Fort Mill, S.C.