Luxury comes in compact design For The Associated Press This compact home, Plan HMAFAPW1710 from Homeplans.com, offers many luxurious features. A gracious porch welcomes guests inside, where amenities include decorative ceiling treatments, lighted niches and a master suite with dual walk-in closets, a large shower and a separate tub. Two additional bedrooms share a hall bath on the opposite side of the home. A snack bar adds room for casual seating at the open kitchen, just steps away from the great room and the rear lanai. The dining area offers more room for eating under an elegant tray ceiling. Windows wrap along the back of the home. As a handy touch, the garage entrance leads straight through to the kitchen pantry for easy grocery unloading. All of these amenities are thoughtfully planned within 1,555 square feet of finished living space. An ultra-efficient version of this plan with a photovoltaic solar system was built near Gainesville and determined by the Department of Energy to have a Home Energy Rating System index of minus 1, meaning it produces more energy than it uses. By Gary M. Singer Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel Plan HMAFAPW1710 specifies a lanai at the rear of the home. A guest bedroom and the great room open onto the outdoor space. AP To learn more A downloadable study plan of this house, including general information on building costs and financing, is available along with hundreds of other home plans at the This single-level plan has website www.houseofthe 1,555 square feet of living space. AP week.com. To order a paper copy of the study plan for $10, struction documents oncall 866-772-1013 and ref- line at www.houseofthe erence the plan number, week.com or call toll free HMAFAPW1710. 866-772-1013 and referTo build this house, or- ence the plan number listder a complete set of con- ed above. QUESTION: I am unemployed and without savings. I own a rental house that is “underwater,” and I’m behind on payments. My efforts to rent the property have not produced nearly enough money. I spoke to the lender, which will allow a short sale, but the bank will not waive the deficiency. What are your thoughts? ANSWER: The purpose of trying for a short sale is to work out a settlement with the lender and reduce or eliminate the remaining debt. If your lender will not waive the deficiency and you do not want a judgment hanging over your head, bankruptcy may be a good answer for you. If you are not eligible for bankruptcy, continue working with your lender to forgive the debt through short sale. You may want to explain the situation and let the bank know that you are considering bankruptcy. That may change the lender’s position. Gary M. Singer is a Florida attorney and an expert in real estate law. %!,$&!( %$&. *,!"&#)-& *//'+$!&$',&-*)/+ (.& !/#"%(-)&% ,&-*)/+ $'" -0,+% $,"..& --)) !,'&*#'/( L K?<2 ?K* *@6JA H) VURR) %EA]#E) V+<2A4 %AA#RE+) UA LU/ QA <2 U D#ETU) '#RER+ UR+ (H9/E7A \N Z+ET A]+ + '@2A R+'+'H+R A]UA 'UE) UAA#RE+)2 /+ R+"#''+ET A]UA )#@ E+1+R ]UA )#@ A]]UA )#@ T+ /