For five years dire press reports have told of people losing their homes-but for three families and many more, falling prices signal buying opportunities.

OAKLAND-California State University officials plan to freeze enrollment next spring on most of its campuses and wait-list applicants the following fall unless voters pass a proposed tax initiative in November.

The tax proposal, which has yet to qualify for the November ballot, raises the sales tax by a quarter cent for four years and increases personal income tax for those earning over $250,000 by up to 3 percentage points, expiring after seven years.

In Fairfax, Calif., a small, quirky town nestled in hilly Marin County, the Purple Haze Smoke Shop fits in with local stores like Crystal Chalice Gratitude Power (featuring an ancient crystal skull with healing powers) and Culture Shock, a gypsy-inspired clothing store that entices customers with bubbles drifting from its entry.

Editor's note: Given the ups and downs of Chinese church-state relations, we have changed names and dropped cities that would give potential persecutors geographic hints.