Real estate investing is drawing the interest of more and more people. A survey commissioned by a private company revealed that interest in real estate as investments more than tripled in 2009. The survey also showed that 12.3% of Americans planning to buy an investment property will be “cash buyers.” Another good thing real estate investors will surely be interested in is this nugget: 17.2% of potential home buyers will buy a house not as a residence but as an investment.

If these figures aren’t attractive enough, what else would they be?

It seems more and more people are realizing the potential of real estate investing to change their lives for the better. After all, most of the country’s millionaires amassed their wealth through this industry. Although the economy is still on an apparent recovery from the recession, opportunities in real estate are sprouting here and there, it’s just natural for sharp ones to notice them.

Here are some other nuggets from the survey you might find interesting:

Some 50.7% of consumers who plan to buy a house in next 12 months to five years are first-time home buyers. This clearly shows that despite the economic uncertainty, the American Dream of home ownership remains alive. While a lot of people are choosing to let go of their homes for practical reasons, many Americans are still aspiring to buy and own homes. This will fuel real estate investing deals.

Some 41.5% of Americans believe that a family with a median income of $52,029 can afford only 45.7% of the houses available in their area. In reality, families with this income have the ability to purchase around 70% of all the houses in their area. This means real estate investors still have a lot of educating to do for buyers to realize their purchasing power.

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