The housing crisis continues to dog Americans, with half, or 50 percent, saying that the price of their home is worth the same or less than when they purchased it. And of those, 29 percent are in the “worth less” category, a crushing blow to the American Dream of building home equity.
Rasmussen Reports found that a near equal number believe that they’ve gained value in their home values. Some 48 percent said that their home is worth more than they purchased it.
By comparison, said Rasmussen, in October 2011, 62% reported that their home was worth more than when they bought it
The poll also pointed to a new reality: Americans are just not buying homes at the rate they used to as the slumping economy continues to stumble along. Of the 729 homeowners polled, 82 percent has purchased their home five or more years ago. Just two percent are new owners.
And while most said they were confident about the value of the home, the results split along gender, race and political affiliation.
For example, just 43 percent of men said their home had jumped in value since the purchase while 53 percent of women agreed. Of whites, 48 percent said the value has increased compared to 59 percent of African-Americans. And among the parties, Democrats were more optimistic, with 56 percent finding greater home value while 42 percent said their homes are now worth more than when they moved in.
