CAPE CORAL, Fla. — After an improbable rise from the Bronx projects to a job selling Gulf Coast homes, Isabel Bermudez lost it all to an epic housing bust — the six-figure income, the house with the pool and the investment property. More: continued here

The gift frenzy over Zhu Zhu Pets leaves some power sellers feeling like they’ve just run a marathon–but the steep price tags driven by scarcity lead to some impressive profits. More: continued here

SC agency gets grant to help with social servicesCharlotteObserver.comDSS Chief of Staff Katie Morgan says the money can be used to help a grandmother file for food stamps or find clothes when she suddenly has to take care of …and more » More: continued here

MADISON Diamond rings, collectible stamps and coins and gold pendants are among the unclaimed property that the state of Wisconsin is selling over eBay starting Monday. More: continued here

Living on Nothing but Food StampsEl Paso IncWith food-stamp use at a record high and surging by the day, Ms. Bermudez belongs to an overlooked subgroup that is growing especially fast: recipients with … More: continued here

The history of Happy ValleyRecord-Searchlight (blog)The post office names have changed many times over the years. The first post office was named Happy Valley in 1881 by a settler from Happy Valley in San … More: continued here

Living on Nothing but Food StampsEl Paso IncWith food-stamp use at a record high and surging by the day, Ms. Bermudez belongs to an overlooked subgroup that is growing especially fast: recipients with … More: continued here

Social IPO? Hype Accumulates for 2010 OfferingsBloggingStocks (blog)Skype, which eBay (EBAY) unloaded to private investors in November, may also be looking for public glory in 2010. Outside the social media space, …and more » More: continued here

EBay Sees Boom in Shopping Via Mobile Devices Over HolidayMobile-Financial.com6 million people have the eBay app on their mobile phone. Consumers used their mobiles to purchase 1.5 million items from eBay during the 2009 holiday … More: continued here

MADISON — Diamond rings, collectible stamps and coins and gold pendants are among the unclaimed property that the state of Wisconsin is selling through online auction house eBay starting Monday. More: continued here