I suppose I should not be surprised. More than 75% of voters in my poll said they really did believe that renting was the new American Dream. After all, San Francisco is a city of renters (and dreamers), and the poll results below are close to the distribution of residents who own compared to those who rent.

The question of how much we should incent renting versus owning is among the most supercharged political lightning rods in the Bay Area. Accordingly, I received a range of comments from a readers, friends and colleagues.

Dennis O’Brien sent me a message wondering whether the huge subsidies we have for homeownership (including, as he pointed out, the temporary $8k incentive for home purchase in the stimulus bill) distort the market.

Nathan Nayman sent me this link to a Rasmussen Reports poll showing that 59% of Americans think buying a home is the best investment a family can make.

I know that Rasmussen polls often reflect a more conservative point of view. But these poll numbers would be unsurprising to me even if they had come from a source known to lean toward the left. I still see a very strong desire to buy homes among the thousands of families that we serve at EARN.

I heard from many folks who work in real estate. Many of them believe the results of this poll reflect the incredible frustration many Bay Area residents feel over the difficulty of buying a home.

The range of comments I received, combined with the overwhelming poll results, reminded me of a Rorschach test. None of the polls I post on this blog have any real scientific value. But they are legitimate reflecting points about mood and perspective.

This conversation will continue to rage as the economy, and our collective view of our futures continue to evolve.The poll results could mean that we are clear that huge mistakes were made in the way we shaped homeownership opportunities through public policy and market structure. The poll results may reflect deep frustration and resignation over how difficult it is to buy homes here. These results could mean that one really frustrated reader voted again and again 300 times to make a point (see my previous point). I’m quite curious to see what you think these poll results mean.