Happy Homeowners?

A recent report from the HomeownershipAlliance (www.homeownershipalliance.com) claims that those whoown a home are happier than those whodon't, and that children of homeownersdo better in school. The Alliance is madeup of organizations, including mortgagelenders, realtors, and furniture makers, allof which want to promote homeownership, so it may be guilty of tweaking theresults a tad. The question, as with manystatistical studies, is one of cause andeffect. Is home ownership alone the sourceof greater happiness? Or is it the characterand lifestyle of those who own homes,including a certain measure of financialsuccess, that adds to their sense of well-being?The latter interpretation would fitin with other studies that show that beingfinancially comfortable can generally addto one's overall satisfaction with life.