Capitol Hill: The Intersection of Land, Money and Power

The intersection of money, land and power often is not on Wall Street but on Capitol Hill. That is why the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) fourth annual list of ethics investigations in the halls of Congress just out today is worth a moment of your time. Although CREW's list isn't just about real estate matters, we were surprised to see how many actually were at a quick glance: Rep. Gary Miller, Rep. Charles Rangel, Rep. Laura Richardson and Sen. Ted Stevens.

Here's why you care: The circumstances surrounding the members mentioned above illustrate the degree to which real estate touches all our lives and creates opportunities and risks. Understanding the degree to which business deals involving land are going on around you is helpful to not only decipher the business pages, but also the legislation coming out of Congress. Take a moment and look at each of the deals above, it is food for thought.