the president issued an executive order that requires that data generated by government agencies be made available to the public in open, machine-readable formats when information systems are replaced or modernized. The White House hopes that entrepreneurs will use this data for new applications, just like what happened decades ago when weather data and the Global Positioning System was made accessible to the public.

My clients now say they'd like to do this, but there's the cost."

Greg Gent is able to recite the origins of almost every part and product used in building the house, from the suppliers of sand and limestone in Lake Wales to the cement company in Sumterville. The item he is most excited about, however, is the Pawleys Island handcrafted rope hammock from South Carolina.

Unable to find a ceiling fan manufactured on U.S. soil, he said he and his wife are holding off on ordering any. Maybe someone in this country will start manufacturing them again, he said.