A majority of Americans think now’s a good time to buy a home, according to the Reuters/Zogby poll released today.
Less than 42 percent say it’s a bad time to buy. The poll surveyed 1,049 Americans.
But just because people say or feel it’s a good time to buy doesn’t mean they’ll do it. They may not have the money and they may not want to risk putting their home on the market. If they can’t make enough money on their current home to buy another one, they won’t act.
“While today’s real estate market offers low home prices, low mortgage rates and supply of available homes, the missing ingredient to recovery within the housing market has been consumer confidence,” said a ForSaleByOwner.com spokesman. “This poll’s findings are a great sign of growing consumer confidence and awareness that market conditions have provided unique buying opportunities.”
Knowing people are open to buying homes may bring smiles back to some real estate industry players’ faces. But whether those smiles will last will depend on sales coming through.

April 16, 2008.