Primary Sources

House Shopping

This story from the Hampton Roads Daily Press caught my eye: the Northern Virginia town of Clifton has purchased or plans to purchase “19 federally owned houses across Virginia, including one in Newport News, one in Suffolk, three in Chesapeake and seven in Virginia Beach.” Why? To sell the foreclosed properties at a higher price to bring in revenue for the town’s budget. “In these days of competing financial demands, government creativity is required,” said Brant Baber, a Clifton resident and lawyer. “And that’s what we’re doing.” Why I’d like to know is how many other government entities are doing the same thing.