Instead of hunting for discounts, value investors seek stability. They track where people are moving, where the job market is growing, and where home prices have been the most stable.
“They recognize that housing, when it performs normally, generates a reliable dividend and a reliable capital appreciation.”
According to a recent survey released by Bankrate.com, real estate is still America’s second favorite investment—after cash. And with the market turning around, more of these reliable investors will come into the fold.
CoreLogic’s Pending HPI released this week showed that July 2013 home prices, including distressed sales, are expected to rise by 12.5 percent on a year-over-year basis from July 2012 and rise by 1.8 percent on a month-over-month basis from June 2013, the fastest pace since 1977.
“In the first six months of 2013, the U.S. housing market appreciated a remarkable 10 percent,” said Dr. Mark Fleming, chief economist for CoreLogic. “This trend in home price gains is moving at the fastest pace since 1977.”
This stability is what draws in the new breed of investors. “They aren’t looking for a quick hit, but a long term business,” says Greg Rand, CEO of OwnAmerica. “Volatility repels them, and strong fundamentals attract them,” says Rand.
