Most Americans Think Home Prices Will Rise Over Next Year

NEW YORK, Sept. 23, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Most Americans (55%) think home prices will go up over the next 12 months, according to a new Bankrate.com (NYSE: RATE) report. Twenty-seven percent say they will stay the same and just nine percent forecast a decline. Upper-middle-income households (those earning between $50,000 and $75,000 per year) are the most optimistic; 65% expect prices to rise and just 6% expect prices to fall.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130805/FL58072LOGO )

In July, Bankrate established that 23% of Americans believe real estate is the best way to invest money not needed for more than 10 years. That was the second-most common response, slightly behind cash.

"It seems like Americans' love affair with real estate has returned," said Greg McBride, CFA, Bankrate.com's senior financial analyst. "But there are still some clear headwinds, including rising mortgage rates, stubbornly high unemployment and the relatively low U.S. household savings rate."

Bankrate found that Americans' financial security turned negative in September for the first time since February. The Financial Security Index slipped from August's 100.5 reading to 99.5 in September. Readings below 100 indicate deteriorating financial security compared with one year previous.

The readings on debt, net worth and overall financial situation dropped from August to September. Americans' comfort level with their debt took the biggest hit; those feeling less comfortable than one year ago (21%) now outnumber those feeling more comfortable (17%).

Savings remains a drag on financial security, with those feeling less comfortable with their savings now compared to one year ago outnumbering those feeling more comfortable by a margin of greater than two-to-one. Whether looking at age group, income bracket or educational attainment, no group feels more comfortable with their savings now versus last year.

On a bright note, just one-in-eight employed Americans feel less secure in their jobs now than 12 months ago, a new low since polling began in December 2010.

The survey was conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International (PSRAI) and can be seen in its entirety here:

http://www.bankrate.com/finance/consumer-index/financial-security-charts-0913.aspx

PSRAI obtained telephone interviews with a nationally representative sample of 1,002 adults living in the continental United States. Interviews were conducted by landline (500) and cell phone (502, including 258 without a landline phone) in English by Princeton Data Source from September 5-8, 2013. Statistical results are weighted to correct known demographic discrepancies. The margin of sampling error for the complete set of weighted data is plus or minus 3.6 percentage points.

About Bankrate, Inc.

Bankrate is a leading publisher, aggregator, and distributor of personal finance content on the Internet. Bankrate provides consumers with proprietary, fully researched, comprehensive, independent and objective personal finance editorial content across multiple vertical categories including mortgages, deposits, insurance, credit cards, and other categories, such as retirement, automobile loans, and taxes. The Bankrate network includes Bankrate.com, our flagship website, and other owned and operated personal finance websites, including CreditCards.com, Interest.com, Bankaholic.com, Mortgage-calc.com, CreditCardGuide.com, Nationwide Card Services, InsuranceQuotes.com, CarInsuranceQuotes.com, InsureMe, Bankrate.com.cn, CreditCards.ca, NetQuote.com, and CD.com. Bankrate aggregates rate information from over 4,800 institutions on more than 300 financial products. With coverage of nearly 600 local markets in all 50 U.S. states, Bankrate generates over 172,000 distinct rate tables capturing on average over three million pieces of information daily. Bankrate develops and provides web services to over 80 co-branded websites with online partners, including some of the most trusted and frequently visited personal finance sites on the Internet such as Yahoo!, AOL, CNBC, and Bloomberg. In addition, Bankrate licenses editorial content to over 500 newspapers on a daily basis including The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and The Boston Globe.

For more information:

Ted Rossman
Public Relations Manager
Bankrate, Inc.
ted.rossman@bankrate.com 
(917) 368-8635

SOURCE Bankrate, Inc.