More than 16 percent of respondents to Georgia Credit Union Affiliates' 2012 Mid-Year Consumer Poll said while owning a home used to be important, it is no longer a current goal. Respondents indicated several factors affected their overall attitude about home ownership:

• 37.8 percent cited earning less income

• 47.8 percent cited paying down debt

• 47 percent cited the national economy as the reason for their shift

A cautious approach to home ownership is reflective of a national trend.

"Our May consumer data shows that Americans are taking a 'wait and see' approach about buying or selling a home," said Doug Duncan, vice president and chief economist of Fannie Mae, upon the release of Fannie Mae's May 2012 National Housing Survey. "This is not surprising given their assessment that their income during the past twelve months and their personal financial expectations for the next twelve have leveled off."

However, a realistic view does not necessarily mean the death of a goal. A recent survey by Better Homes and Gardens found that eight out of 10 respondents still feel owning a home is an important part of the American Dream. While they may believe the dream is more difficult to achieve, for many Americans that traditional American dream is still very much alive. 

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An insider's perspective:

"MEA is not financing as many home loans as before the great recession," says Polly Bell, president of MEA Federal Credit Union in Columbus, "but we are beginning to see more requests to refinance and combine home equity loans and first mortgages at the current low rates." Bell says she has not seen a significant shift in attitude toward owning a home. "It's still the average person's basis for building future wealth," she explains. According to Bell, suppressed home prices and historically low interest rates have combined to help make the dream of home ownership more attainable.