"To be happy at home is the ultimate result of all ambition." Or so wrote famous writer and essayist ~Samuel Johnson in the 18owners century.

Johnson who was famous for such important works like “A Dictionary of the English Language”, knew what many people who came afterward began to realize.  That owning your own property, your own home, would enrich your life and give you a feeling of purpose and stature.  Americans have always felt that home ownership, whether small apartment home or sprawling estate should be viewed with the pride of ownership and sense of accomplishment.  As author John Howard Payne stated “Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home.”

The housing crisis which resulted in many foreclosures and short sales is now well behind us and many of the people that were affected are again able to purchase and restart the pursuit toward the American dream. While many are still a bit gun shy it has been shown that home owners in the United States tend to have greater wealth and higher incomes than their tenant counterparts.

Today, home ownership in the U.S is at an estimated 67.4%, down slightly from an all-time high of 69% in 2004.  But the number is trending upward and with the improving economy and job outlook that movement should continue... 

What does home mean to you? A place that gives you unconditional love, happiness, and comfort? A place where you can bury your sorrows and shame without guilt? To have a happy home, you don't need the trappings of opulence. Any place can be home as long as you are comfortable and secure. A small house in need of repair would be a palace to a homeless person. 

While the number of wonderful historical references to the wonders of home are nearly boundless.  There are a few that may warm your heart or lift your spirits.

“There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort”. - Jane Austen

“I had rather be on my farm than be emperor of the world”. - George Washington

“Peace, like charity, begins at home.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt

Or you can simply sum it up by saying: “Home Sweet Home”