WASHINGTON – April 18, 2008 – A new Reuters/Zogby poll finds that more than half (54 percent) of Americans now think it’s a good time to buy a home. While consumers still view the economy with a wary eye, confidence also improved in April, rebounding to 95.5 percent from a low of 87.7 in March.

“Despite months of negative economic news, the overall mood of Americans is showing some signs of improvement – even though most still believe the U.S. is in the midst of a recession,” the poll says. The Reuters/Zogby Index includes 10 poll questions that gauge perception of the state of the country and the economy.

Nearly three in four Americans (71 percent) believe the U.S. economy is currently in a recession, a slight decrease from 74 percent who said the same last month. This month’s survey also finds fewer Americans give their personal financial situation a negative rating (47 percent), compared 54 percent who said the same in March. Slightly more than half (53 percent) rate their personal financial situation as excellent or good, compared to 46 percent last month who felt the same.

The telephone survey included 1,049 likely voters nationwide and was conducted April 10-12, 2008. It carries a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percentage points.

For a methodology statement on this poll, please visit:
http://www.zogby.com/methodology/readmeth.dbm?ID=1292

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