January 31 – With voters across the country making their choices in primary elections, it remains to be seen if the various candidates are going to listen to what the polls and economists are saying about housing.

On the one hand, there are clear indications that there has been an uptick in economic activity, but those same indicators show that for housing there is a long way to go before it joins the turnaround.

But what those running for elected office should understand is that the majority of Americans want to see a strong push for homeownership and generally oppose any new government policy that would deter homeownership – especially when it comes to the home mortgage deduction.

In the first week of this year a survey was conducted for the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) by the Republican and Democratic polling firms Public Opinion Strategies of Alexandria, Virginia, and Lake Research Partners in Washington, D.C., respectively. The results: three out of four voters – both renters and current homeowners – believe that the federal government needs to provide tax incentives to promote home ownership.

This sentiment cuts across regional and party lines, with 84 percent of Democrats, 71 percent of Republicans and 71 percent of Independents agreeing with this statement. Also, two-thirds of respondents say that the federal government should help homebuyers afford a long-term or 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage.

Also, in clear opposition to proposals from various segments of government, 73 percent of voters oppose eliminating the mortgage interest deduction. These figures held firm across the political spectrum, with 77 percent of Republicans, 71 percent of Democrats and 71 percent of Independents against doing away with the mortgage interest write-off.

In addition, 68 percent would be less likely to vote for a congressional candidate who proposed to abolish the deduction, a figure that was virtually identical across all party affiliations (69 percent of Independents and 68 percent of Democrats and Republicans).

A majority of voters are also against proposals to reduce the mortgage interest deduction, eliminate the deduction for interest paid for a second home, limit the deduction for those earning more than $250,000 per year, scale back the deduction for home owners with mortgages above $500,000 and do away with the deduction for interest paid on home equity loans.

“With the 2012 election season in full swing, candidates running for the White House and Congress would be wise to heed the will of the American voters, who have expressed broad support for government policies that encourage homeownership and oppose efforts to make it more difficult to get a home loan and to tamper with the mortgage interest deduction,” said Celinda Lake, president of Lake Research Partners.

Even with the decline in the housing market, it is apparent that Americans still value their homes and real estate; with home ownership still being the most popular form of investment for the average family.

This latest survey is consistent with the results of other public opinion surveys, including a New York Times/CBS News poll conducted last June where 89 percent said that homeownership is an important part of the American Dream and more than 90 percent indicated that it is important for the federal government to continue the mortgage interest deduction. A Pew Research Study conducted last March found 81 percent of respondents agreeing that buying a home is the best long-term investment a person can make and 81 percent of renters surveyed said they would like to buy a house.

Other findings in this latest poll found that 96 percent of home owners are happy with their decision to purchase and 84 percent who are “underwater,” or owe more on their mortgages than their home is worth, expressed the same sentiment. Also, 79 percent of homeowners would advise a family member or close friend just starting out to buy a home, and 69 percent of those who are underwater on their mortgage would offer the same advice.

In addition, 74 percent said that despite the ups and downs in the housing market, owning a home is the best long-term investment they can make and 78 percent of respondents said that owning their own home is very important to them.

Among those polled, homeownership and a retirement savings program are considered by voters to be their best long-term investments, and nearly seven out of 10 voters who are not currently home owners (68 percent) said one of their goals is to buy a home.

“Even in a down housing market, homeownership remains a core American value, with the vast majority of citizens who do not currently own a home saying they want to buy a home,” said Bob Nielsen, president of the National Association of Home Builders and a home builder in Reno, Nevada. "Those running for office in November need to understand that voters will not look kindly on any candidates who seek to dismantle the nation's long-term commitment to homeownership.”

With budget deficits making it tough to eliminate taxes or fund new homeownership programs to aid consumers, Washington appears to be in a quandary about how to handle the homeownership situation – or to restore health to this key segment of the economy.

With job uncertainty, saving for a down payment and closing costs being the biggest barriers to buying a home, candidates should try solving real problems as opposed to just finding new ways to tax existing homeowners.

Terry Ross, the broker-owner of TR Properties, will answer any questions about today’s real estate market. E-mail questions to Realty Views at terryross1@cs.com or call 562/498-1049.