AP - The city of Cleveland, an epicenter of the nation's home foreclosure crisis, has sued 21 banks and claimed their subprime lending practices created a public nuisance that hurt property values and city tax collections. Read more…

Reuters - Similar deals are expected to follow Bank of America Corp's agreement on Friday to acquire battered mortgage lender Countrywide Financial Corp for a knock-down price of $4 billion in stock. Read more…

AFP - Bank of America said Friday it was buying Countrywide Financial in a four-billion-dollar deal, rescuing the nation's largest mortgage lender from near-bankruptcy in a housing crisis. Read more…

FT.com - Wall Street stocks were set to open lower on Friday amid fears of bigger-than-expected writedowns and loan-losses at financial companies and as Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) agreed to absorb Countrywide Financial (NYSE:CFC), the troubled mortgage lender. Read more…

Reuters - Bank of America Corp said on Friday it agreed to acquire battered mortgage lender Countrywide Financial Corp in a $4 billion transaction that could help avert one of the biggest collapses from the U.S. housing crisis. Read more…

More news in Real Estate

• Swiss bank UBS warns of difficult year ahead (AFP)
• Bank of America buys Countrywide (AFP)
• Consumer confidence sinks to record low (AP)
• Darling sees obstacle in shareholders (FT.com)
• UBS in shareholder plea as subprime fallout weighs (Reuters)

Building a better BentleyFortune's Sue Zesiger Callaway was devoted to her Bentley Continental GT. Till she met its slimmer, sleeker new cousin. Read more…

How much is the kitty in the window? $22,000Forget about Labradoodles, Puggles and Schnoodles. Costly crossbreed felines are the latest designer hybrid to hit the catwalk.By Jessica Dickler, CNNMoney.com staff writerNovember 2 2007: 3:07 PM EDTNEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Goodbye Goldendoodle. Read more…

How to rent highflying wheelsWhy drive a boring rental when you travel on business? Call a luxury car rental club and pull up to your next meeting in a Lamborghini, reports Fortune's Sue Zesiger Callaway. Read more…

Spending big to save the planetThe World Wildlife Fund's new holiday gift catalog features extravagant donations, from $1,000 to fund education in Kenya to $1 million to adopt a park in the Amazon. By Jessica Dickler, CNNMoney.com staff writerOctober 16 2007: 12:58 PM EDTNEW YORK (CNNMoney. Read more…

A submarine from SantaThis Christmas, Neiman Marcus catalog shoppers can give their loved ones an underwater dream machine for $1.44 million.By Jessica Dickler, CNNMoney.com staff writerOctober 2 2007: 5:26 PM EDTNEW YORK (CNNMoney. Read more…

More news in Real Estate: Real estate Lifestyle

• Rare Rubens reignites interest in old master art
• Live the good life in a green mansion
• Super yachts for the ultra rich
• Under the Radar: Private subs
• Joy ride with a genius

Even a few months ago, it seemed like a good idea to hold a debate between real estate bulls and bears. Read more…

Read full story for latest details. Read more…

Read full story for latest details. Read more…

A month after the Bush Administration announced a plan to help troubled homeowners, one foreclosure counseling agency is looking for some help of its own. Read more…

Criticized for not doing enough to stave off foreclosures, the White House seems prepped to put on a full-court press in dealing with the housing crisis. Read more…

More news in Real Estate: Real Estate Industry

• Manhattan home prices: Still crazy
• Mortgage application volume slips
• New home sales hit 12-year low
• How they got housing wrong
• Timing the housing market