Staff Reporter

Republicans hammer Democrats on inflation in midterms advertising

By David Wright, CNN

Republicans are leveraging voter frustration with high prices to hammer Democrats in midterms campaign ads.

GOP groups and campaigns up and down the ballot have produced 93 distinct TV ads mentioning inflation, spending $13 million on more than 30,000 airings from the start of 2021 through Thursday. By comparison, their Democratic counterparts have produced just two ads mentioning inflation, spending about $600,000 on 1,700 airings, according to a CNN analysis of AdImpact data.

In their ads, Republicans blame policies from President Joe Biden and Democrats in Washington for inflation, which is at its highest level since 1982.

One Nation, a GOP group, is targeting Democratic senators in key states such as Arizona, Nevada and New Hampshire with an ad filled with newsclips about inflation, saying, “Inflation is killing us. Stop the reckless spending.”

Another GOP group, Building America’s Future, is running ads across a range of competitive House and Senate races, warning that “inflation is rising out of control, prices surging from cars to gasoline, to groceries and utilities.” And American Action Network, a conservative group, is running ads in multiple races about “record inflation,” calling it a “hidden tax on the working class.”

Republican candidates for US Senate in key races across the country have also made inflation a point of emphasis.

In Arizona, Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly faces a competitive reelection campaign, and Republican challenger Jim Lamon accuses the senator in one of his ads of causing “rampant inflation” by supporting the Biden agenda. Lamon first faces a crowded GOP primary that includes state Attorney General Mark Brnovich, venture capitalist Blake Masters and retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Mick McGuire.

In the race to replace retiring Ohio GOP Sen. Rob Portman, Republican Mike Gibbons — a self-funding candidate pouring millions into his bid — has an ad that says, “It’s roaring into our lives, Biden’s raging inflation. We’re paying the high price, and politicians are completely to blame.” The competitive GOP primary there also features former state party chair Jane Timken, state senator and Cleveland Guardians part-owner Matt Dolan, author J.D. Vance and former state Treasurer Josh Mandel.

In another key open-seat Senate race, Pennsylvania Republican Mehmet Oz is spending millions on his ads saying “Biden’s reckless spending caused inflation.” GOP Sen. Pat Toomey’s retirement in the battleground state has drawn a long list of contenders for his seat, including former hedge fund manager David McCormick and Trump-era Ambassador Carla Sands on the GOP side, and state Lt. Gov. John Fetterman and US Rep. Conor Lamb on the Democratic side.

And in Missouri, US Rep. Billy Long — a former auctioneer running in the contested Republican primary for retiring GOP Sen. Roy Blunt’s seat that also includes ex-Gov. Eric Greitens and US Rep. Vicky Hartzler — remarks on inflation in one of his campaign spots. “Now we have Biden and the far left crazies letting inflation rise faster than an auctioneer rattling off numbers,” he says.

Wisconsin GOP Sen. Ron Johnson, who is up for reelection this fall in a state that Biden carried in 2020, warns in an ad that “from open borders, increasing crime and rising inflation, Democratic policies are weakening America.”

Democrats — currently with control of the White House and both chambers of Congress — have referenced inflation far less often in their midterms advertising. Alex Lasry, a potential challenger to Johnson in Wisconsin, confronts the issue in one of his ads: “Supply chain backlogs. Inflation agitation. Here’s an idea. If we make things here in America, supply chain issues won’t be a thing anymore.”

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Influential Women in US Politics You Should Know – SheKnows

The political landscape in the United States is always evolving as administrations change and the White House looks forward to a new crop of faces. One notable trend in that ever-evolving landscape has been the emergence of women running for office in the last decade: women who are ready to make a change and have their voices heard. The 2018 midterm elections established an exciting incoming freshman crop of leaders that included Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in the Democratic Party, and more and more noteworthy women in U.S. politics have been making their mark every year since.

A Look Back at Presidential Families Through the Decades

The uptick of women in elected office isn’t exclusive to the Democratic party. The Republican Party also has rising female stars — along with some veterans that are important to what’s happening in our country right now. Understanding conservative Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s views is important as Roe v. Wade heads back to court for a heated battle, and South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem hopes to take her state position and bring it to the national stage in 2024. So, no matter where you fall on the political spectrum, it’s important to know the names and faces that are currently shaking up Washington, D.C. as well as their home states.

And in the spirit of Women’s History Month, it was the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg who wisely reminded us all, “Women belong in all places where decisions are being made.” So, get to know the women in politics who are making headlines (and decisions) as representatives of our states and our country.

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Region’s home prices hit another record in February, rising to $706,000 – Orange County Register

Southern California home prices continued a 1 ½-year, double-digit climb last month, setting a record for the 11th time in just over a year.

Meanwhile, home sales dipped from a year ago, but still had the second-highest tally for the month for the last 15 years.

With the 2022 spring homebuying season just getting started, economists and agents say the market has cooled from a white-hot buying frenzy in 2021 – but only slightly.

Homes are taking slightly longer to sell than last spring, but still are averaging less than two weeks on the market. Homes are getting fewer offers than before, but the most desirable properties still end up in bidding wars.

“The prices are hitting new highs, and the reason for that is, in most parts of Southern California, we don’t yet have the influx of inventory that we expected to see,” said Danielle Hale, chief economist for the Realtor.com website. “Homes are selling as fast as they’re coming on the market.”

CoreLogic data show the median price of a Southern California home, or the price at the midpoint of all sales, was $706,000 in February, up 15.4% from February 2021, DQ News reported Tuesday, March 15. That’s a 12-month gain of $94,000, equivalent to a price hike of $1,800 every week.

Prices hit or tied all-time highs in all but one county, Los Angeles, in the six-county region.

Sales dipped 8.8% from last year’s booming pace to 16,905 transactions, the DQ News/CoreLogic report showed. But it still was the second-highest sales tally for every February since 2007.

Demand continues to be driven by millennial first-time and move-up buyers who are entering their 40s and raising families, said CoreLogic Deputy Chief Economist Selma Hepp. Additional demand also is coming from second-home buyers and investors.

“It is not clear if the war in Ukraine has had any direct impact on the U.S. housing market yet, but if there is, it will likely be on the margin,” Hepp said.

Hepp and Hale said some buyers are pulling money from a jittery stock market and seeking the relative security of real estate. Both economists also say a nearly 1-percentage point jump in mortgage rates in the past year motivated some home shoppers to buy now before rates move up further.

A report by the OJO Labs website showed that nearly six out of 10 homes in the L.A. metro area sold above the asking price in February, the third-highest share among 50 U.S. cities.

One of them was a three-bedroom, single-story house in Van Nuys that listed for $700,000, but closed at $848,000 after getting at least 15 offers, said the listing agent, Steve Mullins of Vista Sotheby’s International Realty in Manhattan Beach. Mullins said he hasn’t seen a slowdown in the market yet.

“We see multiple offers,” he said. “The prices keep moving. There’s a lot of money out there.”

The lack of homes for sale is the key reason, agents and economists say.

Zillow reported Southern California had 26,743 homes for sale in February, down from 36,247 a year earlier and 47,359 two years before that.

The increase in competition among home shoppers comes as rising interest rates bite into their buying power.

Rates for the 30-year fixed mortgage averaged 3.76% in February, up from an average of 2.81% a year earlier.

As a result, someone able to afford payments for a $600,000 home only could afford to pay $532,500 last month, while a million-dollar home shopper in February 2021 could afford to pay just over $887,000.

The combined cost of higher rates plus higher prices amounts to a jump of about 26% in the monthly payment for a median-priced home.

The rapid rise in home-buying costs has been a double-edged sword, said the Realtor.com’s Hale.

Existing homeowners have gotten rich off their expanding home equity. The National Association of Realtors reported last week U.S. “housing wealth” increased $8.2 trillion – or 52% — to $24.1 trillion during the decade ending in 2020. That’s good for the economy, Hale said.

“If people feel wealthier, … they tend to spend more,” she said. But, she added, “For households that don’t yet own homes but aspire to homeownership, rising home prices raises the bar for them as far as getting their foot in the door.”

Only a fourth of households in the Los Angeles metro area could afford to buy the median-priced house, requiring an income of at least $134,000, the California Association of Realtors reported.

Mortgage rates still are low by historic standards, but are projected to end the year closer to 4%.

That will curb buying power even further, pushing some home shoppers out of the market, said Nicole Rankin, and agent with Re/Max Top Producers in Corona.

Hale said the pace of home-price gains are projected to slow, perhaps in the second half of 2022. CoreLogic predicted the price appreciation rate will fall to 3.8% by next January.

“Interest rates going up has cooled (the market) a little bit,” observed Pablo Salcedo of Placentia, an agent with HomeSmart Evergreen Realty. “From homes getting 20-30 offers, it’s gone to 5-10. … (But) it’s still a battle on some (homes).”

Here’s a county-by-county breakdown of median home prices and sales:

Los Angeles County’s median rose 13.2% to $800,000; sales were down 5.7% to 5,348 transactions.
Orange County’s median rose 20.1% to $985,000; sales were down 18.6% to 2,217 transactions.
Riverside County’s median rose 20.3% to $565,000; sales were down 3.5% to 3,430 transactions.
San Bernardino County’s median rose 17.7% to $485,000; sales were down 4.1% to 2,359 transactions.
San Diego County’s median rose 15.2% to $775,000; sales were down 10.6% to 2,885 transactions.
Ventura County’s median rose 16.2% to $755,000; sales were down 19.5% to 666 transactions.

— SCNG business columnist Jonathan Lansner contributed to this report.

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Peter Thiel to leave Facebook board

Facebook’s parent company, Meta, said Monday that Peter Thiel, the venture capitalist who helped supercharge the social network’s trajectory and later became a vocal supporter of former President Donald Trump, will leave the company’s board of directors later this year.

Meta said in a statement that Thiel had decided not to be re-elected to the board. The company did not give a reason.

Thiel has been on the board of directors for Facebook since 2005, a year after CEO Mark Zuckerberg co-founded the company, and he was among its earliest investors.

His influence over Facebook has included not only an early jolt of cash, but also serving as an intermediary to prominent Republicans — he attended a dinner meeting between Trump and Zuckerberg in 2019 — as well as his belief in monopolization as a business strategy.

In a statement, Zuckerberg said Thiel had taught him many lessons.

“Peter has been a valuable member of our board and I’m deeply grateful for everything he has done for our company — from believing in us when few others would, to teaching me so many lessons about business, economics, and the world,” Zuckerberg said.

“Peter is truly an original thinker you can bring your hardest problems and get unique suggestions.”

Thiel, in a statement released by Meta, called Zuckerberg “one of the great entrepreneurs of our time” whose “talents will serve Meta well as he leads the company into a new era.”

A spokesperson for Thiel did not immediately respond to a request for additional comment Monday.

Thiel addressed the Republican National Convention in 2016, making history by speaking about being gay while also serving as Trump’s most prominent backer from Silicon Valley.

But he also sometimes clashed with other Facebook board members, and his numerous other business interests as an investor in tech startups always threatened to create potential conflicts with Facebook’s own business.

In 2016, fellow Facebook board member and Netflix CEO Reed Hastings told Thiel that his support for Trump showed “catastrophically bad judgment” as a director, according to The New York Times. (Hastings left the board in 2019.)

In 2019, The Wall Street Journal reported that Thiel advised Zuckerberg to continue Facebook’s policy of not fact-checking political advertisements from politicians, creating another flashpoint within the company.

More recently, Thiel has backed the Ohio Senate run of J.D. Vance, an author-turned venture capitalist who embraced much of Trump’s populism.

Thiel has been a prominent figure in the world of technology and startups for more than two decades, having worked with Elon Musk to build PayPal in the late 1990s before moving on to focus on investing. He has since invested in many successful companies including Palantir and, through Founders Fund, Airbnb, Spotify and SpaceX.

Meta said Thiel would continue to serve as a director until Meta’s next annual shareholders meeting. The date of this year’s meeting hasn’t been announced but the event typically happens in May.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

David Ingram covers tech for NBC News.

Jason Abbruzzese contributed.

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Overhaul of Electoral Count Act Will Pass, Manchin Says

WASHINGTON — Key senators working on an overhaul of the little-known law that former President Donald J. Trump and his allies tried to use to overturn the 2020 election pledged on Sunday that their legislation would pass the Senate, saying that recent revelations about the plot made their work even more important.

In a joint interview on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Senators Joe Manchin III, Democrat of West Virginia, and Lisa Murkowski, Republican of Alaska, said their efforts to rewrite the Electoral Count Act of 1887 were gaining broader support in the Senate, with as many as 20 senators taking part in the discussions.

“Absolutely, it will pass,” Mr. Manchin said of an overhaul of the law, which dictates how Congress formalizes elections.

He said efforts by Mr. Trump and his allies to exploit “ambiguity” in the law were “what caused the insurrection” — the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. That misreading of the statute led to a plan by Mr. Trump and his allies to amass a crowd outside the Capitol to try to pressure Congress and Vice President Mike Pence, who presided over Congress’s official count of electoral votes, to overturn the results of the election.

Ms. Murkowski said the rewrite could be expanded to include other protections for democracy, such as a crackdown on threats and harassment against election workers.

“We want to make sure that if you are going to be an election worker,” Ms. Murkowski said, “you don’t feel intimidated or threatened or harassed.”

A bipartisan group of at least 15 senators — which includes Mr. Manchin and Ms. Murkowski and is led by Senator Susan Collins, Republican of Maine — recently began discussions with another group that features top Democrats who have studied the issue for months. That group includes Senator Angus King, independent of Maine; Senator Amy Klobuchar, Democrat of Minnesota; and Senator Richard J. Durbin, Democrat of Illinois.

Mr. King’s group last week released draft legislative text for a rewrite of the Electoral Count Act that would address deficiencies exposed by Mr. Trump’s plan. The bill would clarify that the vice president has no power to reject a state’s electors and ensure that state legislatures cannot appoint electors after Election Day in an effort to overturn their state’s election results.

It would also give states additional time to complete legitimate recounts and litigation; provide limited judicial review to ensure that the electors appointed by a state reflect the popular vote results in the state; enumerate specific and narrow grounds for objections to electors or electoral votes; raise the thresholds for Congress to consider objections; and make it harder to sustain objections without broad support by both chambers of Congress.

In an interview with The New York Times, Mr. King called his group’s draft “very nonpartisan” and said it included the input of conservative and liberal legal scholars.

“Hopefully we can join forces and get a good bill,” Mr. King said of Ms. Collins’s group.

The latest push to clarify the law follows a series of revelations about a campaign by Mr. Trump and his allies to try to overturn the 2020 election, including the surfacing of memos that show the roots of the attempts to use so-called alternate electors to keep Mr. Trump in power and the former president’s exploration of proposals to seize voting machines.

On Friday, Mr. Pence offered his most forceful rebuke of Mr. Trump’s plan, saying the former president was “wrong” to insist that Mr. Pence had the legal authority to overturn the results of the election. Those comments came on the same day the Republican National Committee voted to censure two members of the party, Representatives Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, in a resolution that described the events of Jan. 6 as “legitimate political discourse.”

Ms. Cheney and Mr. Kinzinger are the only Republican members of the special House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack, which left more than 150 police officers injured and resulted in several deaths.

The resolution drew criticism from some congressional Republicans on Sunday.

Representative Michael McCaul, Republican of Texas, said on ABC’s “This Week” that he did “not agree with that statement — if it’s applying to those who committed criminal offenses and violence to overtake our shrine of democracy.”

In an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Marc Short, Mr. Pence’s former chief of staff, said that “from my front-row seat, I did not see a lot of legitimate political discourse.”

Mr. Short blamed Mr. Trump’s push to overturn the election on “many bad advisers who were basically snake-oil salesmen, giving him really random and novel ideas as to what the vice president could do.”

He described being taken to a secure room in the Capitol with Mr. Pence on Jan. 6 as rioters stormed the building, some chanting, “Hang Mike Pence.” He said Mr. Trump and Mr. Pence did not talk that day.

Mr. Short and another top Pence aide, Greg Jacob, recently testified before the committee, a step Mr. Pence’s advisers have hoped would stop the committee from issuing a subpoena for Mr. Pence. Representatives of Mr. Pence have been negotiating with the committee’s lawyers for months.

“That would be a pretty unprecedented step for the committee to take,” Mr. Short said of a subpoena for the former vice president, adding that it would be “very difficult for me to see that scenario unfolding.”

Emily Cochrane and Chris Cameron contributed reporting.

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Must See Protectors of Freedom Memorial in Toms River, New Jersey

If you love art and love history and the great freedom we enjoy here in the United States of America then You need to take a quick visit to the Protectors of Freedom Memorial Park and it’s right in Toms River, New Jersey.

Recently Myself, April and my Mom went for a quick tour and look at the Protectors of Freedom Memorial in Toms River New Jersey. A wonderful sculpture park provided to the Ocean County area by the Jay and Linda Grunin Foundation. It features World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, and Medical Nurse sculptures honoring the men and women who served to protect our freedom. The park features the sculpting art of artist Brian Hanlon.

Listen to Shawn Michaels mornings on 92.7 WOBM and download our free 92.7 WOBM app

This wonderful little park is located right near the Ocean County Mall and is a quick tour through the history of the major freedom conflicts of the last century including the medical work of nurses through these moments in history. Each section high listed by the breathtaking sculptures of artist Brian Hanlon, amazing how detailed in person these sculptures are.

This little park is a wonderful place for veterans, history buffs and schools to visit for a day trip to see not only historical moments of our past, but to learn how freedom is NOT free with many tyrannical people out there who would love to take away your freedoms and if not for these men and women they may have already done so. These “Protectors of Freedom” stood up to bullies through history and said NO you will not take away our right to freedom. Be respectful and learn and honor these folks. Many of you probably have family from prior generations that are “ Protectors of Freedom”. God bless them and never forget.

The Protectors of Freedom Park is located at Bay Lea Park on Bay Avenue in Toms River, Ocean County – New Jersey.

Take a few minutes to scroll through some of our photos from our recent trip.

The Protectors of Freedom Memorial in Toms River, New Jersey

A look at the Protectors of Freedom Memorial in Toms River New Jersey. A wonderful sculpture park provided to the Ocean County area by the Jay and Linda Grunin Foundation. It features World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, and Medical Nurse sculptures honoring the men and women who served to protect our freedom. The park features the sculpting art of artist Brian Hanlon.

LOOK: 100 years of American military history

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Argument leads to fatal shooting in checkout line of grocery | National News

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — An argument in the checkout line of a South Florida grocery store escalated into a fatal shooting, as other shootings around the state took place in a sports bar and a banquet hall.

The argument between two men started in the checkout line of a Publix on Saturday evening in the upscale neighborhood of Coral Gables, known for its Mediterranean-style mansions and being the home of the University of Miami. One of the men pulled a gun and shot the other man. The victim died in the store, and the shooter was in police custody, according to the Miami Herald.

No further details were immediately provided.

Meanwhile, four people were shot Saturday night at the Player’s Sports Bar and Grill in North Lauderdale, according to the Broward County Sheriff’s Office. After a fight took place in the sports bar and a patron was told to leave, the patron shot at the bar, striking several people. One victim has injuries that are believed to be life-threatening, the sheriff’s office said in a news release.

The suspect fled the scene.

In Orlando, police were searching for a suspect in a fatal shooting at a banquet hall early Sunday. Police were called to the event space where they found a victim in critical condition, according to Orlando television station, WFTV.

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BoE Expectations Continue To Underpin Sterling, Pound To Dollar Rate Posts 1-Week High

The Pound Sterling posted gains on Tuesday with a weaker US dollar and expectations of a Bank of England interest rate hike providing net support.

The Pound to Dollar (GBP/USD) exchange rate advanced to above 1.3500 and secured a further advance to near 1.3550 on Wednesday.

The Pound to Euro (GBP/EUR) exchange rate also posted a net gain to 1.2020 before settling just below 1.2000 after failure to post fresh 23-month highs.

Inflation Spreads in the Retail Sector

BRC reported that UK shop prices increased 1.5% in the year to December from 0.8% the previous month and the strongest reading since December 2012.

Food prices rose by 2.7% over the year, the strongest increase since 2013 with BRC reporting that poor harvests, labour shortages and rising global food prices were contributory factors.

Non-food prices rose by 0.9% after falling by 0.2% in December.

BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson commented; “The rise in shop prices is playing into wider UK inflation, which is pushing cost of living to the forefront of the political agenda. Many households will find it difficult to absorb the additional costs, as well as others on the horizon.

She added; “Retailers are working hard to cut costs, but it would be impossible to protect consumers from any future rises. As commodity prices, energy prices and transportation costs continue to rise, it is inevitable that retail prices will continue to follow in the future.”

Mike Watkins, head of retailer and business insight at NielsenIQ, which co-produces the data noted; “The surge in energy and travel costs is now impacting disposable incomes and is likely to dent consumers’ willingness to spend.”

Markets Expect BoE will Respond

There are strong expectations that the Bank of England (BoE) will respond to inflation concerns with a further increase in interest rates to 0.50%.

ING noted; “EUR/GBP pared Monday’s gains yesterday, getting back on track to test the 0.8300 support tomorrow when we expect a combination of a BoE hike and a patient ECB to generate more pressure on the pair.”

Bank of America remains sceptical over the Sterling outlook “We doubt that a hawkish BoE provides the kind of impetus that it did in December as GBP enters into a month which has historically presented seasonal headwinds to sterling.”

Dollar Remains on the Defensive

The dollar has continued to lose ground with the Euro to Dollar (EUR/USD) exchange rate advancing to near 1.1285.

There has been short covering in the Australian dollar and renewed buying support for European currencies.

Marshall Gittler, Head of Investment Research at BDSwiss Group, commented; “USD’s weakness was also due more to the risk-on sentiment than US fundamentals. On the contrary, yesterday’s US economic news was distinctly positive for the dollar.”

Capital Economics still consider that markets are underestimating how high US rates will go; “Fed fund futures imply a peak around 1.75-2.0% which would be very low by historical standards and would likely still leave real rates in negative territory.”

It adds; “We think the terminal rate in the U.S. currently discounted in money markets is too low, both in absolute terms and relative to equivalent rates elsewhere. This is the key reason why we think the greenback will eventually resume its rise.”

ING expects that the dollar selling will abate; “we expect the dollar’s positioning now to have reached a somewhat more balanced level which can allow for some stabilisation. After all, a market that is quite freely speculating on the pace and size of Fed tightening is unlikely to turn much less bullish on the dollar anytime soon.”

MUFG expects a firm US dollar in the near term; “The focus on the potential for more aggressive tightening by the Fed will likely keep the US dollar supported for now.”

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Private Equity Group Of The Year: Skadden

By Caleb Drickey (February 1, 2022, 2:04 PM EST) — Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP’s transatlantic team of private equity professionals guided Apollo Global Management and Hg Capital on two of the year’s biggest insurance industry transactions, landing it a spot among Law360’s 2021 Private Equity Groups of the Year.

Unlike some competitor firms, Skadden has not fully severed its private equity operations from its larger mergers and acquisitions practice. The firm maintains a London-based team of five partners and roughly 30 associates who exclusively serve European private equity clients, while U.S. business is conducted by versatile M&A attorneys working out of the firm’s New York, Delaware, Los Angeles…

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Total value of U.S. housing doubled in the last 10 years

The total value of the U.S. housing market has doubled in the last decade and is now worth $43.4 trillion, according to a Zillow analysis.

Home values grew 19.6% last year, an all-time high in Zillow’s data, which goes back more than 20 years. U.S. housing gained $9.6 trillion in 2021, topping the previous one-year increase of $3.7 trillion in 2005.

“Even in the context of a year in which several housing records were topped, the scale of the housing market’s growth in 2021 is eye-opening,” Zillow senior economist Jeff Tucker said in a press release. “Not only did prices rise faster than ever, but more homes were built than in any year since 2007 as builders raced to meet demand.”

Not surprisingly, the states with the most housing value tend to be the states with the highest populations, but there are a few outliers.

Washington, Massachusetts and Colorado are the 13th, 16th and 20th most populous states in the U.S., yet all three rank in the top 10 for total housing value.

California’s housing value grew by $1.4 trillion in 2021 and now accounts for 21.3% of the housing value in the U.S., more than the bottom 30 states combined.

The top 10 states for housing value:

California, $9.23 trillion total housing value.
New York, $3.18 trillion.
Florida, $2.76 trillion.
Texas, $2.66 trillion.
Washington, $1.52 trillion.
Massachusetts, $1.46 trillion.
New Jersey, $1.38 trillion.
Pennsylvania, $1.31 trillion.
Colorado, $1.2 trillion.
Illinois, $1.16 trillion.

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