National Association of REALTORS eleventh Housing Pulse Survey shows a vast majority of Americans believe that buying a home is a solid financial decision and most believe they could sell their home for at least its initial purchase price. The survey, which measures consumers’ attitudes and concerns about housing issues found that building equity; wanting a stable and safe environment; and having the freedom to choose their neighborhood remain the top three reasons to own a home. The numbers of renters who are now thinking about purchasing a home has increased since the last survey in 2014, up from 36 percent to 39 percent. The telephone survey of 1,000 adults nationwide in 50 most populous metropolitan statistical areas was conducted for NAR by American Strategies and Myers Research for NAR’s Housing Opportunity Program. An additional 250 interviews were conducted with millennial adults (born after 1981) from the same geographic areas. Other findings include: More than eight in ten Americans believe that purchasing a home is a good financial decision, and 68% believe that now is a good time to buy. Sixty-one percent of renters now say that eventually owning a home is one of their highest personal priorities, up 11% since 2013. Respondents expect to see continued improvement (in the marketplace), as 89% expect real estate sales to increase or remain the same in the immediate future.