Here's a great article from the good folks at Keeping Current Matters on the perceived (and real!) benefits of homeownership. In a market that is slowly leaning towards renting instead of buying, we can see why some people will continue to want to own a home rather than rent for reasons other than investment purposes. Read a teaser below...

Homeownership: Still the American Dream

by THE KCM CREW on AUGUST 16, 2011 Yesterday, Fannie Mae released theirNational Housing Survey for the second quarter of 2011. They survey the American public on a multitude of questions concerning today’s housing market. Each quarter, we like to pull out some of the findings we deem most interesting. Here they are for the most recent report:

Most Important Reasons to Buy a Home

When we talk about homeownership today, it seems that the financial aspects always jump to the front of the discussion. However, the study shows that the four major reasons a person buys a home have nothing to do with money. The top four reasons, in order, are:
  • It means having a good place to raise children and provide them with a good education
  • You have a physical structure where you and your family feel safe
  • It allows you to have more space for your family
  • It gives you control of what you do with your living space (renovations and updates)                                    (more)

So what do you think? Do you find homeownership more desirable than renting in today's economy? What do you think are the trade-offs?

Cheers, Brian