07/20/2017
Realtor Report
Americans upbeat about housing
A recent survey by Digital Risk showed that over half of homeowners believe the housing market in their region and nationwide has improved. It also found that the majority of homeowners (91%) and renters (83%) view home ownership as a good investment. The survey of 1,057 U.S. homeowners and 509 renters was conducted between May 26 and June 2.
Confidence in the housing sector is being driven by a noticeable increase in home values. Eighty-seven percent of homeowners have seen their appraisal values holding or increasing, while just 12% saw a decrease. Sixteen percent saw gains of more than 20% in value.
Barriers to the housing market remain, however. Forty percent of renters said they could not afford the down payment. Insufficient income was cited by 37% of respondents, while 33% stated that they preferred renting to ownership. When asked what would make the decision easier to purchase a home, 40% percent cited debt forgiveness, 36% said a life event such as marriage or children and 31% percent said lower credit requirements would push them into the market.
While homebuyers are upbeat on the housing market, 70% of homeowners and two-thirds of renters indicated they would not be comfortable managing the entire process via a smartphone application. And while two-thirds of homeowners and 59% of renters said they would be willing to complete an application on-line, about half of all respondents said they would prefer to speak to a representative in person during the process.
