Americans highly value real estate as an investment option, according to a recent study by Bankrate.com. Real estate ranked as the number one investment choice among survey respondents.
Among participants, 27% said that if they had discretionary money, they would invest in property. Coming in second, at 23%, were certificates of deposit and other cash investments. Meanwhile, Wall Street came in third, with 17% of respondents saying they’d buy stocks — even though stocks have been a generally strong investment recently.
The survey participants’ responses often correlated to where they live. Those residing in the West or in urban areas, for example, showed a preference for real estate investments, at 35% and 31%, respectively. Midwesterners, however, were less likely to choose that option, preferring cash and stocks. Those living in the South preferred real estate and cash investments.
Similarly, age affected the response, with respondents between 30 and 49 preferring real estate, at 32%. Those 18-29 noted a preference for cash investments.