1.   At a White House dinner, Republicans eyed the mansion like house hunters on a real estate tour.

2.   A lot of house hunters pull in, see what they consider to be weeds, and pull right out again.

3.   Buck, an art director for FAO Schwarz, and Ms. Levin, a food stylist, advise young or impecunious house hunters to go the extra distance.

4.   But house hunters were soon on the prowl again, swarming back in large numbers as though making up for the hiatus.

5.   Even before that, Mrs. Williams, an inveterate house hunter, was out hunting.

6.   Higher interest rates are causing builders to cut back on new projects and house hunters are becoming increasingly scarce.

7.   In major real estate markets from New York to Houston and from Chicago to Palm Desert, Calif., brokers report that house hunters continue to hunt.

8.   Many house hunters are suffering from battle fatigue brought on by the highest real estate prices in history.

9.   Prices may not be dropping like stones, but some house hunters think they might be soon.

10.   So what are wealthy house hunters looking for?