Home Buying for the Long Haul Pays Off

An article from Bloomberg Businessweek says that even though housing is in a slump, in the right markets, housing remains a good long term investment. Here is an excerpt:

The era of get-rich-quick real estate is dead. The era of increasing long-term wealth in your home is back.

Historical data from the National Association of Realtors (and adjusted for inflation by Businessweek.com) show that in 18 of the 25 largest metro areas in the U.S., the value of homes purchased in 1990 had increased by 2010, often by double digits. And this in a year when real estate prices around the country have softened since their peak in 2006. These houses would have been worth even more a few years ago

While that's cold comfort for the many Americans whose homes have lost more than $1.7 trillion in value in 2010, according to a new, it underscores the fact that homeowners who buy for the long term have historically seen the value of their investment increase over the years. In inflation-adjusted terms, the median U.S. home sale price in the third quarter remains approximately 9.5 percent higher than in 1990, despite falling 26 percent from peak levels, according to calculations based on NAR data.

Says Greg Hebner, chief operating officer at Sorrento Capital, an Irvine (Calif.) asset management firm: "You should at least be looking at housing now," especially as interest rates are low and homeowners can deduct mortgage interest from their income taxes. "It's still a good game" if a buyer understands the risks, has consistent income, and purchases a house he can afford, Hebner says.

Based on data since 1968, nominal U.S. home prices have risen 5.5 percent annually and outpaced inflation by about 1 percent to 2 percent, says Lawrence Yun, NAR's chief economist. The main reasons housing has grown faster than inflation, he says, are that more people wanted to buy in places with a finite supply of developable land, which drove up prices, and owners increased the value of their properties through home improvements.

A national housing survey by Fannie Mae shows that in the third quarter this year, 66 percent of consumers believed buying a home is a safe investment, compared with 16 percent who believe stocks are safe.

Fannie Mae's survey also showed that 59 percent of respondents still believe owning a home is a good way to build wealth, and 84 percent believe buying makes more sense than renting.

Assuming home prices continue to increase 1 percent to 2 percent better than inflation, a buyer needs to own the property for at least five years to break even and cover selling costs, says Sorrento Capital's Hebner.

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