Maggie and Coby Smallridge were ready to buy a home. 

The couple in their mid-twenties got preapproved for a loan. They found a real estate agent. Their government-backed loan made the idea of homeownership seem doable. 

But with every house, they ran into a set of new roadblocks becoming all too familiar to Nebraska’s young adults. 

Houses in their price range vanished before the couple could even schedule a showing. They lost bidding wars to cash buyers. Sellers said no to their federal loan — too much red tape. 

OMAHA — Nebraska’s largest annual conference of real estate and development experts, now in its 37th year, is poised to recognize Omaha’s new $158 million public library as its pick for a project with extraordinary rippling impact.

Omaha Central Library, which saw roughly 145,000 visitors in its first two months after opening in April, is to receive the top “Summit Award” at the CRE Summit to be held Aug. 21 at CHI Health Center in downtown Omaha. 

CRETE — It was Fourth of July weekend, and the small city 30 minutes southwest of Lincoln didn’t have enough police officers to go around. 

There was one officer on duty when the call came in. When the officer arrived, an irate man, naked and armed with an ax, greeted them from his car. 

Meanwhile, routine complaints — about fireworks, noise, general holiday disruptions — continued. Frustration built as callers learned no officers were immediately available.