A record 67 percent of Americans own their own home. That number should reach 70 percent in another 10 years, according to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. You need objective information to help you make the best decisions for your money. Consumers spend nearly 40 cents of every dollar for housing and its related costs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Price Index. You need to know when to move and when to stay put.
Economists say that as goes the real estate market so goes the economy.
The housing market can signal an economy climbing out of a recession or it can signal an economy slipping into one. When consumer confidence is down, you avoid major purchases. When it's up, you buy homes. The economic impact alone is enough to warrant plenty of solid information. But there's more.