ATLANTA -- Home prices in Metro Atlanta continued to take a beating in early summer, traditionally one of the better times to sell a house.

Metro Atlanta home prices fell 6.8 percent year-over-year in June, CoreLogic reported Wednesday. Georgia's home prices also were down 6.8 percent in the period.

That was even with the national home price dip of 6.8 percent from June 2010 to June 2011.

"While there is a consistent and sustained seasonal improvement in prices over the last three months, prices are lower than a year ago due to the decline in prices after the expiration of the tax credit last year," CoreLogic's chief economist Mark Fleming said in a statement. "The difference between the overall home price index and our index excluding distressed sales indicates that the price declines are more concentrated in the distressed sales market."

ATLANTA -- Rep. John Lewis (D-5th District) found himself in unusual company Monday. He was the only Georgia Democrat to vote against the Budget Control Act. His name will forever be next to Republicans like Tom Graves and Paul Broun who voted "No."

"I wanted to vote yes but in good conscience I could not," he told 11Alive's Brenda Wood from Washington. "We gave in over and over again. And I didn't like this idea of a super Congress."

A committee of 12 is tasked with finding the $1.5 trillion in debt reduction over the next 10 years, one of the curious inclusions of a compromise that appears to be leaving few in Washington totally satisfied.

"I think the Tea Party and the Republicans got everything they wanted. The democratic side of the aisle in the house got very little," Lewis said.

It’s been 2 years since I’ve been to France. 2 years too long. For me, France perfectly epitomizes a beautiful life. Its rich culture, classical art, immense history and chic lifestyle make it a country I’d easily live in.

And that was that plan I had committed to earlier this year. More on that later, but let’s just say my non-stop American hustle has arrested my plans in motion for the time being and so any dream of making Paris or any central France my home for an enviable amount of time is on the backburner.