According to David Crowe, chief economist of the National Association of Home Builders, home builders, mired in their deepest slump since the Great Depression, are likely to see a rebound in sales in 2010 as stabilizing home prices and record-high affordability conditions draw buyers into the market. The survey shows, many builders are starting the […]
As we begin 2010, home buyers have something to look forward to and more importantly, take advantage of—the extended and expanded home buyer tax credit. “First-time home buyers” who purchase homes between November 7, 2009 and April 30, 2010 are eligible for the credit. To qualify as a “first-time home buyer” the purchaser or his/her […]
Hats off to the National Association of Realtors (NAR) and its lobbying efforts for bringing us fantastic news out of Washington, D.C.–lawmakers have extended the homebuyer tax credit to April 30, 2010. And they’ve sweetened the deal: the law increases the limit for couples to $225,000 in annual income, roughly $55,000 more than the existing […]
The Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller index is up 0.3% from August in 20 U.S. cities. Home prices in 20 U.S. cities ticked up modestly in September, marking the fifth consecutive month of improvement. Housing has seen signs of stabilization in recent months with consumers taking advantage of low interest rates, inexpensive properties and a popular tax […]
Aided by the home buyer tax credit, the outlook for housing and the economy appears headed for a sustainable recovery, according to the National Association of Realtors®. There has been a steady downtrend in housing inventory for well over a year, and home prices appear to be in the early stages of stabilizing. With the […]
President Barack Obama has approved the first-time homebuyer tax credit extension which will extend the tax credit until April 30, 2010. The extension is part of a $24 billion economic stimulus bill that will extend the $8,000 tax credit for homebuyers who are purchasing their first home from the current November 30 deadline, and expands […]
Buying a foreclosure often is appealing to buyers trying to stretch their dollars. It’s finding a good one can that can be a challenge. If you’re considering the purchase of a home that is now owned by a bank, it’s also important to know at the outset just how much work you’re in for — […]
Data through August 2009, released by Standard & Poor’s for its S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices, show that the annual rate of decline of the 10-City and 20-City Composites improved compared to last month’s reading. This marks approximately seven months of improved readings in these statistics, beginning in early 2009. The annual returns of the 10-City […]
Existing-home sales bounced back strongly in September with first-time buyers driving much of the activity, marking five gains in the past six months, according to the National Association of Realtors®. Existing-home sales–including single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops–jumped 9.4% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.57 million units in September from a level of 5.10 […]
Some want to expand the tax credit for homebuyers. Supporters say it could stem price declines. Congress is considering proposals to greatly expand a soon-to-expire $8,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers — potentially applying it to all but the wealthiest homebuyers. Beyond extending that deadline, some lawmakers want to make the credit available to all […]
