Execution Rocks Lighthouse in Long Island Sound could become a bed and breakfast if the nonprofit organization which recently acquired the property has its way. According to a recent article in Newsday, the lighthouse's "ladder is rusty, the stairs are rickety and the plaster walls are crumbling." But Historically Significant Structures hopes to undertake a $1.2 million renovation project to turn the circa 1850 building into a B&B.

More Lighthouse Bed and Breakfasts:

• Keeper's House Inn - Isle au Haut, Maine
• East Brother Light Station - Port Richmond, California
• More East Coast U.S. Lighthouse Inns
• More West Coast U.S. Lighthouse Inns

Buying a bed and breakfast is a serious undertaking in the best of economic times. In an economic downturn, it becomes even more of a challenge. According to a recent report in USA Today, "Commercial bankruptcies are surging. Fewer people are starting small businesses, and firms already open are struggling under changing consumer habits, a lack of funding options and tougher bankruptcy laws."

I asked two bed and breakfast industry experts, Rick Wolf of The B&B Team and Howard J. Levitan of Quantum Hospitality Group, to offer some advice for anyone who is currently considering buying a bed and breakfast.

More About Buying a Bed and Breakfast:

• Before You Buy a B&B
• Startup Costs
• Bed and Breakfasts for Sale

Running a Bed & Breakfast for Dummies is a new book by Mary White, founder of the online directory BnBFinder.com. The book is packed with the practical, down-to-earth information that anyone considering becoming a bed and breakfast innkeeper really needs to know. Here's a look at Running a Bed and Breakfast for Dummies, including an interview with the author.

More About Running a Bed and Breakfast:

• Do You Have the Right Skills to Be an Innkeeper?
• Do Innkeepers Make a Profit?
• Top 10 Pet Peeves at Bed and Breakfasts

^{Image courtesy of Wiley Publishing}

A local non-profit organization has stepped in to ensure that the Levi Deal Mansion Bed and Breakfast in Meyersdale, Pennsylvania, will remain open. The inn's previous owner ran into financial difficulties in businesses not related to the inn, according to an article in the Somerset (Pennsylvania) Daily American. The Progress Fund, a community development financial institution, decided to acquire the mansion so that it could continue to operate while another owner is found.

^{Photo courtesy of Levi Deal Mansion}