Consumers split on home ownership

Home ownership is a conundrum for U.S. consumers, who view it as important but not necessarily the wisest investment, a survey indicates. Country Financial said Americans are split on home ownership, with 53 percent of respondents saying owning is better than renting. However, while 72 percent indicated it is important to own a home, only 32 percent said it is "the best investment a family can make." Other ways of looking at home ownership also came away with disparate opinions. While 88 percent of respondents indicated owning a home is important, only 45 percent indicated they believed a middle-income family could afford to own a home, Country Financial said. "Home ownership is important for Americans, but the market's slow recovery might be causing them to doubt its value," said Joe Buhrmann, Country Financial manager of financial security. But the survey also found 18- to 29-year-old consumers indicated home ownership was more attainable, but not as important compared with older consumers. Those 65 years old or older indicated owning a home was less attainable, but more important. In the survey, 49 percent of the younger group indicated owning a home is attainable, while only 37 percent indicated it was the best investment a family could make. In the older group, 36 percent indicated owning a home was attainable and a slim majority, 51 percent, said it was the best investment for a family. The results were based on 4,000 online and telephone interviews. Country Financial did not divulge the margin of error for the survey, which was compiled by Rasmussen Reports, or when they were conducted.