Americans continue to choose real estate as the “best long-term investment” when given a choice between it and gold, stocks and mutual funds, savings accounts, and bonds. In fact, 35 percent of respondents to a recent poll from Gallup said they thought real estate was the best investment, up from 19 percent in August 2011. Stocks and mutual funds came in second at 22 percent and gold – which topped the list just five years ago – was preferred by only 17 percent of respondents. Gold prices have fallen over the past few years and, as a result, the number of Americans that consider it a good investment has dropped. Real estate, on the other hand, has been rebounding. The average sale price of new homes has risen to $348,900 from $259,300 since 2011 and, with home prices still rising, so has the number of participants who chose it as the safest investment. However, the results vary when broken down into demographic groups. For example, Americans under the age of 30 were the least likely age group to choose real estate and the most likely to prefer savings. On the other hand, stocks were preferred most by Americans with higher incomes. Surprisingly, renters were almost as likely as homeowners to pick real estate as the best investment. More here.
