What You Told Us Last Week: Reader Views

Think you shouldn’t have to pay extra for “green” products? Or worried that times are too uncertain to purchase a home right now?

If so, you’re not alone—you’re like a lot of your fellow SmartMoney readers. Thousands of you respond each week to our home-page Quick Poll. And your answers reveal a lot about how you’re feeling right now. Despite all the stimulus talk in Washington this week, many readers describe their confidence level as low (though most aren’t ready to blame the new president yet). One factor that could help turn home buying around, according to our survey: a better sense of job security (presumably providing a sense of assurance about being able to make those mortgage payments).

On a somewhat lighter note, when it comes to who will emerge victorious this Sunday at the Super Bowl, SmartMoney readers were calling it in favor of Pittsburgh as of Friday afternoon. (Current results here.)

Here are some of the highlights of what you told us this week:

HOME BUYING: When we asked what it would take for you to buy a home right now, 38% of you answered “Nothing—times are too uncertain.” Meanwhile, 25% answered that more confidence in job security would do the trick. As for lower mortgage rates—long a big factor in home purchase decisions—only 14% said it would get them to buy a home right now. (Details here.)

THE ECONOMY: Amid a gloomy consumer-confidence report of historic proportions, we asked readers to tell us how their own confidence is holding up. In addition to selections like “very confident” and “a little confident”, we also offered the admittedly less scientific choice of “eek!”—and fully 47% of you went with the “eek” option. (Details here.) On our message board, one reader who posted under the handle of siciliandragon, blames this pessimism on “media hype”, explaining: “The media and the government are screaming that the sky is falling in order to convince us that we need more government spending. In reality, we need less government spending.” (Here at SmartMoney we may be in the media industry, but that’s OK, siciliandragon—we don’t take it personally.)

Regardless of the confidence crisis, when it comes to President Obama’s performance on the economy so far, the majority of readers are either reasonably happy or willing to give him the benefit of the doubt (for now). Fully 41% said it’s too soon to tell regarding his handling of the economy, while 12% called it excellent and another 12% labeled it good. (Details here.)

“GREEN” PRODUCTS: In the search for the U.S.’s next big economic phenomenon, few industries have received as much buzz as “green” products and services. By becoming a leader in energy-efficient, environmentally friendly products, the thinking goes, the nation can develop new businesses to supplant or re-engergize waning industries (see: automotive manufacture).

But will people pay for green? We asked: How much of a premium are you willing to pay for a product or service that’s “green”? And 68% of readers gave this answer: “none.” (Details here.) As message-board poster CandiLou wrote: “From what I've seen so far however, "green" products do not put any more green in our wallets. The environmentalists are trying to change our economics by creating an artificial value where none (or little) exists.”

Visit SmartMoney.com daily to participate in our Quick Poll and learn the results.

--Thomas E. Weber
Editor, SmartMoney.com