> HOUSING IS A GOOD LONG-TERM INVESTMENT

• Over the past 30 years, home values have risen more than 6 percent annually, according to the National Association of REALTORS®.
  
  
• On average, the value of a home nearly doubles every 10 years, according to data from the National Association of REALTORS®.
  
  
• Sixty percent of a homeowner’s wealth comes from their home’s equity, says a policy brief from the Office of Housing and Urban Development.
  
  
• The average homeowner's net worth is $171,000 - that's nearly 46 times that of a renter's, who has an average net worth of $4,800, according to the Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances.
  
  
• Homeowners benefit from the power of leverage. At an annual appreciation rate of 5 percent, a 10 percent down payment on a home will return 94 percent after three years. After five years, the rate of return increases to 225 percent and after 10 years, 623 percent, according to Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies.