Forty-nine percent of Americans say
they expect home values to rise over the next 12 months, according to
Fannie Mae’s December National Housing Survey of more than 1,000 home
owners and renters. In December 2012, slightly fewer Americans -- 43
percent -- had held such big expectations for home price gains.
For those optimistic about home price increases, the average gain
expected is 3.2 percent -- also a jump over last year’s expectations of
2.6 percent, the survey showed.
More consumers also think it's now a better time to sell their home.
Thirty-three percent of respondents said it’s a good time to sell a
house, compared to 21 percent who said that in December 2012.
More consumers also view it as a good time to buy, with that
statistic rising 3 percentage points month-over-month in December to
reach 67 percent.
"The marked improvement in housing market sentiment over the course
of 2013 bore out our view going into [2014] that the housing recovery
was on a firm footing,” said Doug Duncan, chief economist at Fannie Mae.
“Year-over-year gains in home price expectations and attitudes about
the current selling environment were particularly notable. ... Consumer
attitudes about the ease of getting a mortgage today are at their
highest level in the survey's three-and-a-half-year history, which
should help offset the current higher interest rate environment and
support a continued but measured housing recovery as we move through
2014."
Source: “Mortgage Credit Easiest in 3.5 Years, Consumer Attitudes Improve -Fannie Housing Survey,