photo credit: Richard Elzey

The National Association of Home Builders requested the Democratic and Republican polling firms of Lake Research Partners in Washington, DC and Public Opinion Strategies in Alexandria, VA to conduct a survey in early January in hopes of gleaning Americans' attitudes towards homeownership as well as housing policy issues facing our nation. Neil Newhouse, partner and co-founder of Public Opinion Strategies, explains, "The American electorate is sending a clear message that owning a home remains a cornerstone of the American Dream and preserving a federal commitment to homeownership is essential to maintain a thriving middle class and get housing and the economy back on track."

The survey polled 1,500 likely voters from key political "swing areas and is a follow-up to a similar national poll conducted last May. The survey found that three out of four voters (both renters and owners) believe it is "appropriate and reasonalbe for the federal government to provide tax incentives to promote homeownership." 84 percent of Democrats, 71 percent of Republicans, and 71 percent of Independents polled agreed with this statement. Two-thirds of polled voters affirm that the federal government should help home buyers to afford a long-term or 30-year fixed-rate mortgage. 73 percent of respondents oppose eliminating the mortgage interest deduction.

Celinda Lake, president of Lake Research Partners, purports, "With the 2012 election season in full swing, candidates running for the White House and Congress would be wise to heed the will of the American voters, who have expressed broad support for government policies that encourage homeownership and oppose efforts to make it more difficult to get a home loan and to tamper with the moprtgage interest deduction."

Some other important stats from the survey:

• 96 percent of homeowners are happy with their decision to own. 84 percent of "underwater" borrowers (owing more on their mortgage loans than their homes are worth) still agree with this statement.
• 79 percent of owners would advocate purchasing a home to a friend or family memeber just starting out. 69 percent of underwater borrowers still agree with this statement.
• 74 percent attested that even with the crazy ups and downs in the housing market, owning their own home is still the best long-term investment they could possibly make.
• nearly 70 percent of voters who are not currently homeowners said it was still a goal of theirs to purchase and own their own home.

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