U.S. Homeowner Confidence Improves

Americans are more confident than they’ve been all year that housing values are going up and also are more likely to say their home is worth more than they owe on it. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 27% of homeowners say the value of their home is likely to go up over the next year. That’s an eight-point jump from August and the highest level of confidence measured this year.

Just 19% say the value of their home is likely to go down in the next year, an eight-point drop from the previous survey. Unchanged is the 49% who expect their home’s value to stay about the same.

Homeowners are slightly more optimistic about long-term values, too. Fifty-four percent (54%) say the value of their home is likely to go up over the next five years, a four-point improvement over August but consistent with findings in the spring.