The Great American Dream At
first, the Great American Dream was about the broadly defined aspirations of Freedom, Opportunity and the Pursuit of Happiness. To achieve that dream, we fought the Revolutionary War, then, over 160 years later, we fought World War II to preserve that dream. Shortly after winning that war and with the optimism and prosperity that followed, home ownership became the fundamental goal of Americans, symbolizing our great dreams of happiness and success. From 1900 to 1940, the percentage of families who lived in homes that they owned was listed at around 45 percent. By 1950 this figure had shot up to 55 percent, and by 1960 it was 62 percent. During approximately that same period, the number of U.S. adults who had completed at least four years of college more than doubled. America was enjoying prosperity, and at the foundation of it all was the American Home. Today, statisticians and economists will give you graphs, percentages and formulas about the many advantages of owning a home of your own, over just renting mere square footage from someone else. But you can get a much more down-to-earth slant when you talk with actual renters. Recently, I did just that, and here are some of comments I received: “We‟re renting and paying two-thousand per month. At today‟s interest rates we could be paying less on a mortgage, enjoying our own home and building equity to use towards retirement” “My husband and I love to landscape and garden, but we‟re renting and we just don‟t seem to have the motivation to improve someone else‟s property. We‟re looking to buy.” “We‟re on a year-to-year lease, and we‟re at our landlord‟s mercy when our renewal comes up in a few months. He could decide to sell the house out from under us or up our rent.” “We have two kids starting college. They‟ll be coming home to stay with us over summer break. I‟d feel a lot better if they were coming „home‟ rather than just visiting a rental “My wife and I have rent receipts. No interest deduction. No property tax deduction. No equity. Just a debit.” “I always thought pride of home ownership was exaggerated, but we‟re renting and like someone once said, you don‟t wash and wax a rental car.” Website: - http://larrykush.blogspot.in
The Great American Dream The chief economist at Moody’s Analytics said this a few months ago: “By mid-2011 and certainly by the end of 2011, buying will be superior to renting in most parts of the country.” And in July, billionaire investor Warren Buffett said, “We will come back big time on employment when residential construction comes back.” Are we set for such a rebound? Many feel the cycle has reached bottom and could be set for such an upswing because the Census Bureau reports that home ownership in the United States has fallen to its lowest level in more than 13 years. Recently, a poll conducted by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) showed that even with increasing foreclosures and continued bad news on the real estate market, about 75 percent of Americans say that owning a home is worth the ups and downs, and people who currently rent overwhelmingly said that their goal is home ownership. At the core of home ownership there’s a quality to the lifestyle that over the years has marked our nation as being something very special. And the decline in our home ownership has resulted in an erosion in living standards. Consider these facts: Homeowners have an incentive to improve the overall quality of their community through greater community involvement and awareness. Homeowners are twice as likely than renters to know the name of their local school board representative. One study found that 77% of homeowners voted in local elections compared with 52% of renters. Homeowners also had a higher incidence of membership in voluntary organizations. Homeowners are more likely than renters to form voluntary neighborhood crime prevention programs. Crime, drug use and juvenile delinquency rates all decrease in stable neighborhoods with extensive social ties. Consequently, homeowners are far less likely to become crime victims. Home ownership makes a significant positive impact on educational achievement. Teenage students of homeowners have a greater likelihood of graduating, and young children of homeowners tend to have higher levels of achievement in math and reading. There’s something temporary about renting and something permanent about owning something that remains a dynamic and stable part of our culture. The American Dream has long been the American Home. And despite the scandal of our national debt, the depth of our global despair and the plight of our unemployed, there is great reason to believe the dream is still very much alive. Contact Us 6991 E. Camelback Road, Suite D-300 Scottsdale, AZ 85251 Telephone: +1 480 290 2909 E-mail: lkush@plusaz.com Source URL: - http://bit.ly/1PHnvLe
Website: - http://larrykush.blogspot.in