WASHINGTON — Senate negotiators agreed Wednesday to extend a popular tax credit for first-time homebuyers and to offer a reduced credit to some repeat buyers.
The tax credit, which provides up to $8,000 to first-time homebuyers, is set to expire at the end of November.
Senators agreed to extend the existing tax credit for first-time homebuyers while offering a reduced credit of up to $6,500 to repeat buyers who have owned their current homes for at least five years, said Regan Lachapelle, a spokeswoman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.
The tax credits would be available to homebuyers who sign sales agreements by the end of April. They would have until the end of June to close on their new homes, said a congressional aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to publicly discuss the deal.
Senators were still negotiating the expansion of a separate tax credit that lets money-losing businesses get refunds for taxes paid in previous years, providing them with an immediate source of cash.
Senators in both political parties were hoping to add both tax provisions to a bill that would give people running out of unemployment insurance benefits up to 20 more weeks of federal aid. The Senate could vote on the overall bill as early as Thursday, but lawmakers were still haggling over several unrelated amendments Wednesday evening.
Popular bills like the one to extend unemployment benefits often attract amendments that would have a difficult time passing on their own.
Republicans were demanding that they be given a chance to offer amendments to restrict federal aid to the beleaguered community activist group ACORN and on requiring that people receiving unemployment insurance be processed through E-Verify, an Internet-based system that employers use to check on the immigration status of new hires.
Majority Democrats have refused to add the amendments.
October 29, 2009
October 27, 2009
High Point
October, 2009
Bolstered by low prices and interest rates, national housing affordability on the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Opportunity Index (HOI) continued in this year's second quarter to hover near its highest level since the series began 18 years ago.
The HOI showed that 72.3 percent of all new and existing homes sold in the second quarter on 2009 were affordable to families earning the national median income of $64,000, down from the record-high 72.5 percent during the previous quarter and up from 55.0 percent during the second quarter 2008.
The original article can be found in the October 2009 issue of Builder Magazine.
Bolstered by low prices and interest rates, national housing affordability on the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Opportunity Index (HOI) continued in this year's second quarter to hover near its highest level since the series began 18 years ago.
The HOI showed that 72.3 percent of all new and existing homes sold in the second quarter on 2009 were affordable to families earning the national median income of $64,000, down from the record-high 72.5 percent during the previous quarter and up from 55.0 percent during the second quarter 2008.
The original article can be found in the October 2009 issue of Builder Magazine.
October 14, 2009
Builders Urge Congress To Act On Home Buyer Tax Credit, Appraisal And Lending Issues
October 7, 2009 - The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) today called on Congress to help housing take a lead role in putting America back to work by taking quick action to extend and enhance the $8,000 first-time home buyer tax credit, resolve appraisal problems that have been slowing home sales and urge regulators to restore the full flow of credit needed by both home buyers and home builders alike.
Though existing and new home sales appear to have stabilized in recent months, NAHB Chairman Joe Robson, a home builder from Tulsa, Okla., told members of the House Small Business Committee that the industry is facing a number of housing-specific headwinds that are continuing to buffet any significant housing recovery.
“Not only are we continuing to feel the impact of foreclosures and short sales in the market, but we’re facing a severe credit crunch for acquisition, development and construction (AD&C) lending,” said Robson. “Meanwhile, the use of foreclosed and short-sale properties as comps is resulting in inappropriately low appraisals that are effectively sinking one quarter of all new-home sales right now. Add to this the fact that demand and home sales are already showing signs of slowing with the pending Nov. 30 expiration of the first-time home buyer tax credit.”
To create jobs and put the housing market and the economy on sounder footing, NAHB is urging Congress to extend the credit for an additional year and to make it available to all purchasers of a principal residence.
“We estimate that this would increase home purchases by 383,000 in the next year and help mitigate the foreclosure crisis by whittling down inventory at all levels of the housing market, setting the stage for a full recovery,” said Robson. “This stimulus alone would create nearly 350,000 jobs over the coming year, which is exactly what the economy needs right now.”
In a recent survey of more than 500 builders by NAHB, 25 percent reported they are losing sales because the appraisal is coming in below the contract sales price. The process has gone seriously wrong because some appraisers are using distressed properties – many of which have been neglected and are in poor physical condition – as comparables in assessing the value of brand new homes without accounting for major differences in condition and quality.
“Any prospective buyer would recognize the differences in the value between a well-kept home and a distressed property that is damaged or not properly maintained. The same should be true of an appraiser,” said Robson.
He said Congress can help resolve this issue by urging the Federal Housing Administration and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to adopt and enforce guidance that instructs appraisers on the proper procedures for the use of distressed and/or foreclosed properties as comparables.
Lawmakers can further help put the housing industry back on its feet by exerting their influence on regulators and the banking industry to restore lending for viable home building projects and to take meaningful steps to avoid unnecessary foreclosures on outstanding loans.
“This would provide relief for a major sector of the economy that has suffered because of regulatory overkill and the inability of banks to provide the necessary funding and flexibility that would otherwise keep loans performing as scheduled,” said Robson.
To further promote energy efficiency in new-home construction, Robson called on Congress to make permanent and enhance the new energy efficient home tax credit due to expire at the end of the year. Section 45L of the Internal Revenue Code provides a $2,000 tax credit to a home builder who constructs a qualified new energy-efficient home that is certified to achieve a 50 percent reduction in energy usage.
“As the only incentive in the tax code for energy efficiency in single-family home construction, this program will help to ensure that new homes built today and going forward are highly energy-efficient,” said Robson. “We strongly urge the Congress to make the 45L credit permanent and increase the credit amount to $5,000 to pay for a bigger percentage of the higher building costs that are incurred when making a home 50 percent more energy-efficient.”
The original article can be found at:
http://www.nahb.org/news_details.aspx?newsID=9810
Though existing and new home sales appear to have stabilized in recent months, NAHB Chairman Joe Robson, a home builder from Tulsa, Okla., told members of the House Small Business Committee that the industry is facing a number of housing-specific headwinds that are continuing to buffet any significant housing recovery.
“Not only are we continuing to feel the impact of foreclosures and short sales in the market, but we’re facing a severe credit crunch for acquisition, development and construction (AD&C) lending,” said Robson. “Meanwhile, the use of foreclosed and short-sale properties as comps is resulting in inappropriately low appraisals that are effectively sinking one quarter of all new-home sales right now. Add to this the fact that demand and home sales are already showing signs of slowing with the pending Nov. 30 expiration of the first-time home buyer tax credit.”
To create jobs and put the housing market and the economy on sounder footing, NAHB is urging Congress to extend the credit for an additional year and to make it available to all purchasers of a principal residence.
“We estimate that this would increase home purchases by 383,000 in the next year and help mitigate the foreclosure crisis by whittling down inventory at all levels of the housing market, setting the stage for a full recovery,” said Robson. “This stimulus alone would create nearly 350,000 jobs over the coming year, which is exactly what the economy needs right now.”
In a recent survey of more than 500 builders by NAHB, 25 percent reported they are losing sales because the appraisal is coming in below the contract sales price. The process has gone seriously wrong because some appraisers are using distressed properties – many of which have been neglected and are in poor physical condition – as comparables in assessing the value of brand new homes without accounting for major differences in condition and quality.
“Any prospective buyer would recognize the differences in the value between a well-kept home and a distressed property that is damaged or not properly maintained. The same should be true of an appraiser,” said Robson.
He said Congress can help resolve this issue by urging the Federal Housing Administration and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to adopt and enforce guidance that instructs appraisers on the proper procedures for the use of distressed and/or foreclosed properties as comparables.
Lawmakers can further help put the housing industry back on its feet by exerting their influence on regulators and the banking industry to restore lending for viable home building projects and to take meaningful steps to avoid unnecessary foreclosures on outstanding loans.
“This would provide relief for a major sector of the economy that has suffered because of regulatory overkill and the inability of banks to provide the necessary funding and flexibility that would otherwise keep loans performing as scheduled,” said Robson.
To further promote energy efficiency in new-home construction, Robson called on Congress to make permanent and enhance the new energy efficient home tax credit due to expire at the end of the year. Section 45L of the Internal Revenue Code provides a $2,000 tax credit to a home builder who constructs a qualified new energy-efficient home that is certified to achieve a 50 percent reduction in energy usage.
“As the only incentive in the tax code for energy efficiency in single-family home construction, this program will help to ensure that new homes built today and going forward are highly energy-efficient,” said Robson. “We strongly urge the Congress to make the 45L credit permanent and increase the credit amount to $5,000 to pay for a bigger percentage of the higher building costs that are incurred when making a home 50 percent more energy-efficient.”
The original article can be found at:
http://www.nahb.org/news_details.aspx?newsID=9810
Glen Lakes Lot #94
Location: Lot #94 Glen Lakes
Call Paul Hanlon at 502-992-4184 for more information on Glen Lakes #94 or visit our web site at Elite Homes.
Address: 501 Davenport Drive
Square Footage: 4,165 Finished 571 Unfinished
Floorplan: The Hamilton
Stunning Model Home Absolutely loaded with custom upgrades. This home will "wow" you, featured in Louisville Magazine it has been professionaly decorated and has over 4,165 square feet of beautifully appointed details situated on a large corner lot with finished walkout lower level, 3 car garage, 5 Bedrooms, 3 ½ Baths and covered screened enclosed deck. Open Daily!
Call Paul Hanlon at 502-992-4184 for more information on Glen Lakes #94 or visit our web site at Elite Homes.
Price: $499,900.00
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
