Marty Barrett of Champaign, Ill., had heard of Scottsdale before a recent stroll he and his wife took under the shaded awnings of its upscale downtown shops.

Despite rising housing prices, home ownership remains within reach for the majority of Americans, according to information released last month by the National Association of Home Builders.

A vast array of pharmaceuticals - including antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones - have been found in the drinking water supplies of at least 41 million Americans, an Associated Press investigation shows.