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


Protecting Rights, Expanding Access, Building Prosperity.
2023 REALTOR® Legislative Priorities

Address America's Housing Shortage

REALTORS® strive to ensure all Americans have the opportunity to achieve homeownership, which is the centerpiece of the American Dream and the pathway to economic well-being and intergenerational wealth building. However, a historic 50-year record shortage of affordable homes available for purchase has severely limited access to the residential real estate market.

A recent NAR study estimates that the U.S. has developed an “underbuilding gap” of over 5.5 million housing units
over the last 20 years. This translates into a $4.4 trillion underinvestment in housing. Even relatively modest steps
taken now to reduce this gap will unleash tremendous economic activity.

  • Incentivize more 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.
  • Attract private investment for building and rehabilitating owner-occupied homes by offering tax credits that create a pathway to neighborhood stability through sustainable homeownership.
  • Incentivize the conversion of unused commercial buildings to residential and mixed-use properties.
  • Create incentives for housing provider participation in the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program.

Ensure Fair Housing For All

  • Reauthorize and increase funding for HUD fair housing enforcement programs.

2023 Legislative Priorities Flier



NAR Research Reports on Homeownership


NAR Real Estate Today Podcast