Tough times, sure. But the "Well-Being Index" is peaking

From a recently weekly feed that I get from ICONOCULTURE comes this report on the country's feelings of well being.

WHAT'S HAPPENING

•Beginning in January 2008, Gallup research developed the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index. The index measures the comprehensive emotional, physical and fiscal health of American consumers on a scale of 0-100.
•During the fourth quarter of 2009, the index stood at 67.8, equal to its highest previously recorded levels. Emotional health and "daily experience of enjoyment" were both at record levels as well (Gallup.com 12.10.09).
•Analysts say the steady uptick in well-being since its low last December is a reflection of growing optimism.
•The index compares well-being across income groups, and while well-being increases with wealth, all income groups have seen an improvement in the past year.


WHAT THIS MEANS TO BUSINESS

•Well-being can be a vague thing to try to measure. But one striking thing seems certain: Americans are feeling better about themselves and their prospects even as the economy continues to struggle.
•At Iconoculture, we believe the improvement in well-being is a natural result of Americans discovering the emotional, physical and financial upside of paying down debt, spending less and generally simplifying.

WHAT THIS MEANS TO US IN REAL ESTATE

Obviously people who feel better about themselves and are optimistic about their future make for better potential home buyers. I was surprised to read that the Gallup – Healthways Well-Being Index actually rose year-over-year, even though it ended on a down-swing at the end of 2009. To see the index and read about the components that make it up and the methodology used to compute those components and the Index overall - click here.

This is fascinating stuff that we Realtors probably all need to understand better, in order to understand our customers better, or at least where their heads are at these days. As a consumer, maybe this explains why I feel a little better about things overall than I did a short while back. At least it give me some things to think about now that I can see and understand some of the components that go into the overall feeling of well being.