75.6M owner-occupied US homes,24.9 M free & clear

Mortgage payments aren't the only housing costs that consumers are struggling with these days.
While mortgage payments increased 46% between 1996 and 2006, utilities increased 43%, property taxes increased 66% and property insurance increased 83%, according to a study released by the Center for Housing Policy this week. Homeowner incomes increased by just 36% during that time.
But a separate report released by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development pointed out another fact worth remembering: Among the 75.6 million homes in the country that were owner-occupied, 24.9 million units were owned free and clear in 2007. That means about one in three homes had no mortgage at all.
The American Housing Survey also reported that the median home value in 2007 was $191,471 and the median monthly payment for principal and interest was $852. See full news release.