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Real Estate Market
In the face of a decline in the stock market and lower interest rates,
Orange County residents seem to be expressing a more positive attitude
toward housing as an investment.
Among homeowners, 83 percent think that buying a home in Orange County
is an excellent or good investment; 11 percent say it would be a fair
investment; and only 5 percent think it would be a poor investment.
Since 1997, at least seven in 10 homeowners have described owning a
home in the county as an excellent or good investment. This year's scores
are significantly higher than in recent years and a marked improvement
from the perceptions of housing as an investment in the early-to-mid
1990s.
Among renters, 70 percent believe that buying a home in the county is
an excellent or good investment; 17 percent consider it a fair investment;
and 11 percent think it would be a poor investment. Since 1997, roughly
six in 10 renters have described buying a home as an excellent or good
investment. Once again, this year's scores are much higher than in recent
years and significantly higher than in the early-to-mid 1990s.
For both homeowners and renters, the positive perceptions of home buying
as an investment increase with income. There are no differences across
racial and ethnic groups, age categories, or regions. In general, overwhelming
numbers of residents in all demographic groups see buying a home in
Orange County as an excellent or good investment.
Table:
"Do you think that buying a home in Orange County is an excellent,
good, fair, or poor investment?"
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