Free Republic

Inflation ticked higher once again in March, with consumer prices up 0.4 percent over the previous month and 3.5 percent compared to one year earlier. The latest data marks the third month in a row that the consumer price index (CPI), a closely watched gauge of inflation, has come in hotter than expected, likely throwing cold water on hopes that the Federal Reserve would begin cutting interest rates soon.

The ultimate goal of Democrats and their far-left allies is to destroy property rights and replace capitalism with socialism.Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., said last week that squatters have “no rights.” He should try to convince his Democrat colleagues and their far-left allies because their systemic effort to normalize property theft has led to the unprecedented squatter crisis in America. Their ultimate goal is to destroy property rights and replace capitalism with socialism.Squatting is a form of trespassing as squatters use properties without the owners’ permission or any legal documentation. Nor do squatters offer property owners financial compensation. Atlanta, Georgia, is...

The Big Apple is seeing a troublesome trend of unwelcome squatters illegally bedding down in private homes and apartments in the five boroughs — and it’s gotten much harder to kick them out. A backlog of housing court cases and changes in the law in recent years have made it a bigger and longer-lasting headache for landlords to boot unwelcome tenants.. “This is happening far more now than in the past.. Squatters have become far more sophisticated than before. They set up elaborate schemes, fake documents and investigate the homes before breaking in.” Two changes in city law in 2019...

There used to be a saying: "As goes California, so goes the nation." Bear in mind that the first time I remember hearing that the Governor of California was a man named Ronald Reagan, you may have heard of him. These days, we should be terrified at the very idea of California taking its fiscal train-wreck policies on the road. Under the current governor, the impeccably coiffed Gavin Newsom, California has gone from a state with a budget surplus to facing almost $70 billion in debt. Yes, that's "billion" with a "B."That isn't stopping the state of California from coming...

Migrants in Washington State left an encampment on a local tennis court after an unknown donor subsidized a temporary stay at a hotel. Now, they are demanding a long-term solution from the county. The migrants who were on the court of the local Garfield Community Center in Kent, a city in Seattle's metropolitan area located in southern King County, reportedly packed up their belongings on Thursday to return to a Quality Inn they were previously evicted from due to a lack of funds. They reportedly hail from Venezuela, the Republic of the Congo, and Angola.

Joe Biden (aka, BeelzeBiden) is really a piece of … work. His policies are helping drive prices through the roof, he seeks to protect deepstate employees against removal by Trump, had a disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan and is getting the US engaged in possible hot wars in Ukraine (against Russia), open borders allowing US crime to spike, seems to be suppoporting Hamas over our long-time ally Israel, the list goes on. Biden’s big push for electric cars is a Socialist fantasty and simply unrealistick, drives up energy costs and is EXPENSIVE. It is like Biden is the demon Beelzebub from...

The number of cities where the typical home price is at least $1 million has dramatically increased over the past year. There are now 550 U.S. cities where an average home is worth $1 million or more, according to a new analysis from Zillow. The lack of available homes for sale is keeping prices elevated and pushing values even higher. Even as sales inventory has begun to tick up this spring, a typical home in the U.S. is currently worth 4.2% more than it was last year. Homes in million-dollar cities saw values grow 4.6%. Zillow anticipates interest rate decreases...

Meredith Whitney, deemed the “Oracle of Wall Street” for successfully calling the financial crisis, says home prices are likely to fall substantially, and the reasons have to do with habits picked up by young guys. “You have men staying single longer…and then you have what I call a growing crisis of the young American male…they’re twice as likely to live at home than women. So one out of five young men live at home with their parents, and these aren’t young men going to college and coming home for holiday breaks, these are young, grown men choosing to live at...

Snippets: During the first two months of this year, builders in California pulled 35% more permits for single-family homes than during the same period a year earlier, according to census data. Permits for multifamily continued to decline — dropping 33%. Though it’s known as the “mansion tax,” except for rare exceptions it applies to all properties sold for more than $5 million, no matter if they are gas stations, strip malls, apartment buildings or actual mansions. Under the measure, a seller is charged 4% of the sales price for properties sold above $5 million and below $10 million. “ULA is...

Newcomer is the new word for illegal aliens. In Biden's America, there is a new word for everything. In Michigan, Democrat Governor Gretchen Whitmer has gone so far as to name a rent assistance program the Newcomer Rental Subsidy program. It offers landlords $500 for each illegal alien. The program "provides Refugees and other Newcomer population-eligible households with rental assistance up to $500 per month for up to 12 months, with eligibility based on immigration status and household income."Program applicants must have eligible immigration status, which includes refugees, asylum-seekers, special immigration visa holders, victims of human trafficking, Cubans, Haitians, Afghan...

A vigilante group in Southern California is taking the squatting crisis into its own hands by removing the unruly tenants themselves. Though they officially launched as a business little more than a year ago, the Squatter Squad is now fielding up to 30 calls a day from victims complaining that someone has broken into their home and changed the locks. Entire communities in pockets of the Golden State have been ravaged by criminals turning properties into strip clubs and drug dens, hosting all-night raves, or simply claiming tenant rights without any form of agreement.

An anti-squatting "professional" is warning homeowners against taking squatters to court, amid ongoing issues relating to property rights. Flash Shelton, who describes himself as a professional squatter remover, on Wednesday spoke to Fox News' America's Newsroom about how to handle squatting incidents and different ways to remove uninvited dwellers from your home. "First thing, call law enforcement, it's dangerous, don't do anything yourself, it's property, don't risk your life. Call law enforcement and when they tell you there's nothing they can do, contact SquatterHunters.com, let us assess the situation, before you hire an attorney and go to civil process," Shelton...

A Denver official recently encouraged new migrants there to pack their bags for New York or other US cities — warning they would “suffer even more” if they stayed in the Colorado capital, according to reportedly obtained footage. City worker Andres Carrera told a group of migrants staying inside a shelter that Denver didn’t have the resources to support them as he made clear that “the opportunities are over,” according to a video obtained by 9 News and aired over the weekend. “We are not going to block you if you want to stay here … I am here to...

Housing advocates say easy public access to landlord-tenant complaints hamstrings renter efforts to find new housing, but pulling records from public view also raises concerns. The Strip District woman would feel a lot more confident about apartment hunting if her tenant history was not marked by three recent court complaints filed against her by her current landlord. “Honestly, it makes me feel like a criminal,” she said. The tenant, whose name is being withheld for privacy reasons, faced a health crisis last year and an ongoing disability that slashed her income, even prompting a GoFundMe plea for help with medical...

Jerome Powell and The Federal Reserve have to make a decision about tightening monetary policy or loosening it. It’s a Presidential election year and The Fed will probably do what is necessary to support The Biden Administration’s re-election. But let’s look at the various conflicting economic indicators that are causing confusion at The Fed. First, the Federal Reserve’s preferred gauge of inflation wasn’t hotter than expected in February, which could keep a mid year interest rate cut on the table. The year-over-year change in the so-called “core” Personal Consumption Expenditures index — which excludes volatile food and energy prices —...

It was a triumphant day for Patti Peeples, but one thing didn’t sit right with her. For more than a year, the 61-year-old Florida landlord fought to tighten the state’s law against squatting, a crime she saw up close when two women faked a rental agreement and occupied one of her Jacksonville properties. She’d done interview after interview, worked closely with her local legislators, and testified in Tallahassee. The result, a tough new law that would let sheriffs evict squatters without entering a lengthy legal process, passed with unanimous bipartisan support. On Wednesday, invited by her Republican state representative, Peeples...

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Squatters beware. Florida's latest law makes it easier to remove those illegally staying on private property. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed HB 621 into law Wednesday, eliminating squatters' rights in the state. "We are putting an end to the squatters scam in Florida," DeSantis said. "While other states are siding with the squatters, we are protecting property owners and punishing criminals looking to game the system." DeSantis said the law provides homeowners with remedies against squatting and increases penalties for squatters.

Anne Reynolds bought a plot of land in Hawaii's Paradise Park to start a women's wellness retreat for $22,500 in 2018 While she was in California during the pandemic she got a call from a realtor saying that he had sold a $500k home that was mistakenly built on her land The brand new empty house is now attracting squatters while the developer and Reynolds are in a legal battle A woman who purchased a plot of land to set-up a dream business was shocked to discover a $500,000 house was mistakenly built on her lot. Annaleine 'Anne' Reynolds purchased...

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law on Wednesday that empowers residents in the state to have law enforcement immediately evict squatters from homes instead of having the situation devolve into a drawn out legal battle, and increases the criminal penalties against squatters. DeSantis signed the bill at a press conference as recent incidents of home squatters have gone viral in Democrat strongholds like California and New York. “So we’re here today because you assume in America if you purchase a home and own a residence that that’s your residence, that if you happen to maybe split time...

Michigan’s Democrat Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is facing backlash for her rent subsidies for illegals program after an illegal border crosser allegedly murdered a woman. A previously deported illegal alien, identified as Brandon Ortiz-Vite, was arrested and charged with the murder of 25-year-old Ruby Garcia in Kent County, Michigan. The illegal from Mexico was charged with felony murder, open murder, carjacking, carrying a concealed weapon, and felony possession of a firearm for the March 22 incident. Ortiz-Vite stands accused of murdering Ruby Garcia and leaving her body beside the road on U.S. Highway 31.