Seventy-two percent of renters “prefer” or “strongly prefer” to own a home rather than rent one, according to the latest
SCE Housing Survey conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
Nearly 56 percent of renters view homeownership as a “good investment,” the survey finds.
The majority of renters favor homeownership, despite expressing concerns about their ability to one day afford a home. However, they do believe it’s getting easier to qualify for a mortgage. Sixty-five percent of renters say qualifying for a mortgage is “somewhat difficult” or “very difficult,” but that is gradually declining. Twenty percent of renters view qualifying for a mortgage as “somewhat easy” or “very easy,” which is up from 15 percent in 2015.
Renters also believe home prices will continue to increase one year from now as well as five years from now. They anticipate a 5.1 percent increase in prices over the next year.
Source: “Home Price Growth Expectations to Increase: Renters Perceive Easier Access to Mortgage Credit,” Federal Reserve Bank of New York (May 11, 2017)
