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Homeownership rates fall to 66% as downturn nears a bottom
By Julie Schmit, USA TODAY
Fewer Americans own homes and many of them are continuing to see values decline.
The U.S. Census Bureau reported Tuesday that the nation’s homeownership rate fell to 66% in the fourth quarter, continuing a seven-year drop from a fourth-quarter peak of 69.2% in 2004.
At the same time, U.S. home prices fell 1.3% in November from October and were 3.7% below 2010 levels, the Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller home price index indicates.