Free Republic

Earlier this year the Clinton’s bought the house next door to their current home in Chappaqua, NY for just over a million dollars. According to the Journal News, the Clintons then started renovations on the property without taking out permits for any of the work. At some point, someone turned them in and an inspector came out to have a look at the property: [Building Inspector William] Maskiell, who said he visited the home Oct. 5, after the department received a complaint about excavation done there, said as he headed to the basement to talk to the contractor, he noticed...

In the 1970's Santa Cruz was a sleepy seaside town, mostly retirees, but there were plenty of young people as well. The University was starting to grow. Students and residents alike appreciated the open space and uncrowded beaches. They surfed, swam, hiked, biked and enjoyed the natural beauty and mild climate of the area. The Victorian-style buildings in the downtowns were reminiscent of any small town in America. In the city of Santa Cruz, a variety of shops catered to the students and the county -- on a trip downtown you could drop into a hardware store and pick up...

U.S. home starts hit 17-year high in July Tuesday August 19, 5:01 pm ET By Eric Burroughs (Updates with market close)NEW YORK, Aug 19 (Reuters) - U.S. home builders cranked up new construction to a 17-year high in July as quickly rising mortgage rates prompted consumers to buy sooner rather than later, a report showed on Tuesday, the latest sign of the economy's brightening outlook. In a separate report, the University of Michigan's survey showed consumer sentiment dipped during the first half of August as Americans remain worried about job security. Sentiment has essentially remained flat for three months after...