Homeownership

• Property taxes have increased 48% since 1995.
   
• Home improvement is a $214 billion business with the escalating cost of materials.
   
• Homeownership is at an all-time high with 68% to 69% of Americans owning their own homes.
   
• Thirteen million to 15 million more households are expected to enter homeownership by 2010.
   
• The largest growth in homeownership is low- and moderate-income people.
   
• The number of low-income homeowners is expected to grow to 28.5 million by 2010, up from 24 million.
   
• Of the 41 million low- and moderate-income people, 14.4 million spend more than half of their income on housing.
   
• The number of homeowners who spend more than half their income on housing rose 35%, outpacing the 24% of renters.