Homeownership Rate in U.S.

The dream of possessing a home has become increasingly non-achievable for many Americans, and the condition is not possible to get better soon, as the fall of the housing market and the downturn continue to take their toll. That is the worrying conclusion to be drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau’s lately released report which is an overview of the homeownership rate at the end of the last decade.

Homeowners in the United States also tend to have higher incomes and the households staying in their own home were more likely to be families than were their tenant counterparts. The name “home ownership rate” can be deceptive. As defined by the US Census Bureau, it is the percentage of homes that are occupied by the owner. It is not the percentage of adults that have possession of their own home. The second percentage will be importantly lower than the home ownership rate as many households that are owner occupied contain adult relatives (most frequently young adults, descendants of the owner) who do not possess their own home, and because single bedroom multi-bedroom rental units can have more than 1 adult, all of whom do not possess a home.

According to Consumer Insights 2012, here is what consumers are thinking today about home ownership:

In the U.S. the homeownership rate is shaped through Housing Vacancy Survey by the US Census Bureau. It is formed by dividing the owner occupied units by the total number of engaged units. This is a significant point to comprehend changes in the homeownership time over time. The bust of the housing bubble resulted in many houses becoming foreclosed. However, the decrease the in the homeownership rate from 3Q2007 to 4Q2007 mainly a result of an increase in the renter’s populace and less because of a decrease in the homeowner population.

The impact of the bursting of the U.S housing bubble is still being felt across the country. In the first quarter of 2012, the homeownership rate fell to a 15-year low as per the Census Bureau. The 65.4% rate in the 1st quarter of 2012 is down from the 66% rate in the 4th quarter of 2011 and from the rate of 66.4% in the first quarter of 2011. Prior to the housing bubble burst, the rate of homeownership in the U.S. had been as high as 69.2% in the 4th quarter of 2004.

Economists say the rate could trip further. While low mortgage-interest rates and declining home prices have made homes more reasonable than at any time in the past decade, mortgage-lending standards stay tight. Besides, more Americans may feel less confident about property ownership after the sharp price declines of the past 6 years.

According to New York-based Reis Inc. (Reis) the vacancy rate fell to 4.9%in the first quarter, an 11-year low. The Census Bureau said that the vacancy rate for rental homes was 8.8% in the first quarter when compared with a 9.7% a year earlier.

Home Vacancies

Of the expected 132.6 million U.S. homes, 18.5 million, or 13.9%, were available in the first quarter a year before, about 19 million homes were empty, as per a report. That comprises homes for rent or sale or held off the market, and vacation properties used seasonally.

According to Stephen East, an analyst with International Strategy & Investment Group LLC, the dropped rates of both homeowner and rental vacancy during the 1st quarter bodes well for housing as shrinking inventory will enhance rents and urge demand for new homes.

New Rental Households

Almost 6 million borrowers will lose their properties in the next five years because of inability to pay, creating 4 million new rental households.

The homeownership rate fell 3 percentage points from a year earlier to 61.4% in the 1st quarter for people aged 35 to 44, the highest drop of any age group. The Northeast has the largest regional decline, with the ownership rate falling 1.4% points to 62.5%. The West has the lowest ownership rate at 55.9%, down 1% point from a year before.

Ownership Society

In 2004, when President George W. Bush, running for re-election, called for expanding home – loan availability to create an “ownership society”, the U.S homeownership rate rose to a record. The present rate of 65.4% matches the average since 1965, when the Census Bureau began reporting the figures, according to data collected by Bloomberg.

Home prices fell 3.5% in February from a year earlier and are 35% below their July 2006 peak, as per the S&P/Case-Shiller index of 20 U.S. cities. The average rate for a 30 year fixed loan was 3.88% and reached 3.87% in February, the lowest level in at least four decades.

Homeownership Rates By State

Following are the home ownership rates of various states in U.S.

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