Homeownership Matters

The Hidden Value of Homeownership

Owning a home doesn’t just help you build wealth. It also impacts your life and your children’s lives. Here are some of the specific benefits homeowners may enjoy over renters.

  • Homeowners are healthier and live longer.
  • Homeowners are less likely to suffer from depression.
  • Children of homeowners often achieve a higher level of education.
  • Children of homeowners have significantly lower teen dropout and pregnancy rates.
  • Homeowners have a better understanding of politics and are more likely to vote.
  • Owning a home reduces the likelihood of divorce.
  • City homeowners are less likely to be victims of crime.
  • Children of homeowners are likely to earn more over their lifetimes.
  • Homeowners are more likely to be involved in neighborhood groups.
Hidden Value of Homeownership Flier

Top Five Reasons to work with a REALTOR®

Choosing to work with a REALTOR® is the most important decision you’ll make when buying or selling real estate.

Update America's Tax Code to Increase Access to Homeownership.

2024 REALTOR® Legislative Priorities

REALTORS® serve residential and commercial property buyers and sellers in every zip code. Members of the National Association of REALTORS® provide critical support to consumers, serving as a trusted advisor through one of the biggest financial decisions of their lifetime.


With current market challenges like rising prices and low inventory, as well as shifting trends in commercial real estate, those seeking to buy or sell a home or open or expand a business know they need a REALTOR® by their side.


Addressing housing affordability starts with adding to the nation’s severely limited inventory. The U.S. is facing an underbuilding gap of 5.5 million units, translating to a $4.4 trillion underinvestment in housing. America’s tax law can and must do more to promote homeownership, build stable communities, and boost economic growth.


  • Cosponsor the bipartisan More Homes on the Market Act to incentivize more long-term owners to sell their homes by increasing the maximum amount of capital gains a homeowner can exclude on the sale of a principal residence and annually adjusting it for inflation.
  • H.R. 1321 is sponsored by Representatives Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) and Mike Kelly (R-PA).
  • Cosponsor the bipartisan Neighborhood Homes Investment Act to attract private investment for building and rehabilitating owner-occupied homes by offering tax credits that create a pathway to neighborhood stability through sustainable homeownership. Providing this powerful incentive to build and rehabilitate homes for low- and moderate-income homeowners can fill the gap in areas where it is often more expensive to develop or rehabilitate than appraisal values will support.
  • S. 657 is sponsored by Senators Ben Cardin (D-MD), Todd Young (R-IN), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Jerry Moran (R-KS), and Sherrod Brown (D-OH).
  • H.R. 3940 is sponsored by Representatives Mike Kelly (R-PA) and Brian Higgins (D-NY).
  • Cosponsor the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act or legislative provisions to expand the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit and encourage investment in creating and preserving affordable housing.
  • S. 1557 is sponsored by Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Todd Young (R-IN), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN).
  • H.R. 3238 is sponsored by Representatives Darin LaHood (R-IL), Suzan DelBene (D-WA), Brad Wenstrup (R-OH), Don Beyer (D-VA), Claudia Tenney (R-NY), and Jimmy Panetta (D-CA)
  • Support small business by preserving the 199A qualified business income deduction and keeping taxes on business income lower for independent contractors and pass-through business owners.
  • Support commercial real estate investment and economic development by preserving 1031 like-kind exchanges.
  • Incentivize homeownership by increasing the $10,000 cap on the state and local tax (SALT) deduction and eliminate the penalty for married taxpayers filing jointly, who have the same maximum deduction as single filers. 
2024 Legislative Priorities Flier

In the home buying process, it’s hard to know what’s a right or wrong move.
Find a REALTOR® who has the expertise to guide you through it.

An expert who puts your needs first the difference between an agent and a realtor is real.
A REALTOR®'S expertise can help you rise above.