When it comes to the American Dream, what is it that you think of? Is it the promise of prosperity and success? Thanks in part to the Declaration of Independence, which guarantees life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, Americans have a wide view of what exactly this dream can encompass.

For many, that dream still includes becoming a homeowner, according to a recent poll from Allstate and the National Journal Group, even though this country is still trying desperately to recover from a collapsed economy and a real estate market that can’t keep its head above water.

The poll found that nearly nine out of 10 homeowners would buy their homes again. That’s saying a lot, considering prices have plummeted and home financing has increasingly become more difficult to secure. Nearly three-quarters would tell a family member or friend to buy a home as a long-term asset.

These numbers are a little hard to believe when only 35 percent of poll respondents said they thought their personal financial situations would improve over the next year. Were the other 65 percent not affected at all by the collapse of this country’s financial market, or have they not learned anything from the events that have occurred over the last few years?

Ronald Brownstein, editorial director of the National Journal Group said that “homeownership retains a powerful, almost tidal, grip on the American imagination. Even the economic experiences of the last several years don’t seem to have dimmed the yearning for ownership.”

Don’t get me wrong. I want people to buy homes and for the housing market to recover. But I don’t want more people buying homes that can’t afford them or are still in precarious financial situations.