By Gino Blefari, President & CEO, Intero Real Estate
Services, Inc.
Homeownership is a value that seems to be under constant
assault in the media. Between the recent Nobel
Prize winner who claims that owning a home is a bad investment to the
frequent reports that our younger
generations aren't equipped to buy homes, you'd think the real estate
market was tanking.
That's why a recent survey of the ownership attitudes of
delinquent borrowers caught my eye.
Fannie Mae's national
survey finds that delinquent mortgage borrowers' views toward the housing
market have become more favorable in 2013 compared to 2012, and the majority
believes in the personal and financial benefits of homeownership.
This is significant news because this is a group of owners
whose views on housing we would assume would be negative because of the bad
feelings associated with falling behind on house payments.
But in 2013, delinquent borrowers' attitudes were positive
overall and moved closer to that of the general population. The survey found
that this group expects home prices will go up; they believe buying a home is a
safe investment and say that it's highly likely they'll buy a home on their
next move.
