A majority of survey respondents still expect home prices tornincrease over the next 12 months and that number increased 2 percentage pointsrnfrom July to 55 percent but is below early summer responses.  The pace at which respondents expect price tornrise dropped to 3.4 percent from 3.9 percent in July.   </p

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Additionally, the share of Americans who say it is a goodrntime to buy a home has stayed relatively flat during the past year andrndecreased 3 percentage points in August. rnThose who say it is a good time to sell increased fairly steadily sincernthe first of the year but fell 4 percentage points to 36 percent in August.</p

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Americans have a similar view about rental prices.  The number of respondents who expect rents torncontinue to increase, while still a majority, fell slightly in August (from 54rnto 53 percent) as did the rate at which they expect those rents to go up,rndipping from 4.2 percent to 4.1 percent.</p

Expectations about mortgage rates leveled off a bit with 60rnpercent expecting further increases – down from 62 percent – while those whornfeel rates have stabilized rose from 28 percent to 31 percent.  Forty-six percent of respondents feel itrnwould be easy for them to get a home mortgage today while 53 percent view it asrna difficult proposition.  Both views werernup 1 percentage point from July.  </p

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At 37 percent, the share of respondents who say the economyrnis on the right track decreased 3 percentage points from July but there was a onernpoint increase in persons who expect their own financial situation to improvernover the next 12 months and a 3 month drop in those who expect it to getrnworse.   </p

The National Housing Survey is conducted every month byrntelephone among 1,001 Americans including persons who own their homes with arnmortgage and without a mortgage and persons who rent.  The survey is designed to assess attitudes towardrnowning and renting a home, home and rental price changes, homeownershiprndistress, the economy, household finances, and overall consumer confidence.

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