Survey: Many Americans Still Find Property Investing Attractive

U.S. investors still consider real estate as a good investment, according to a survey released by Citi. When asked to rate whether it was a good or excellent time to invest in a specific type of investment, the real estate sector-which for this survey was defined as property, investment properties and/or real estate investment trusts-came back with a positive response from 47% of all investors and 50% of large investors, tops among both groups. "Real estate may have been badly battered in recent years. Still, it has an enduring appeal for Americans, who find it far easier to grasp the value of a house than the value of a stock or stock fund," said Jonathan Clements, director of financial education for Citi Personal Wealth Management. Hart Research Associates conducted the survey for Citi, with the respondents consisting of 756 investors with at least $100,000 of investible assets with 317 of those have more than $500,000 of assets.