The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's new rule, which was required by last year's Dodd-Frank Wall Street overhaul law, would exclude the value of a person's home from net worth calculations that are used to determine who is an "accredited investor." Only accredited investors who have a net worth of $1 million or more can participate in certain private placements and offerings that are not registered and do not require certain disclosures.

The rule comes on the heels of the 2007-2009 financial crisis, where home values plummeted and many investors lost money in sophisticated, mortgage-related securities instruments.