The Latest News About Recent Home Buyer Tax Credits
There’s wonderful news for people considering purchasing a home! Congress has recently passed further legislation, as a portion of the plan for energizing the U.S. housing market, that makes the Federal tax credit of up to $8,000 now available to even more first-time buyers. Also, selected individuals who now own a home and want to purchase a new one will also be eligible for a Federal tax credit totaling up to $6,500.
The Extended Home Buyer Tax Credit extends and improves the existing law that runs out on November 30. Both new and move-up buyers can now take advantage of the Federal tax credit. Needless to say, this is over and above the current historically low mortgage interest rates.
Here are the important new particulars:
* The first-time buyers’ $8,000 has now been extended through April 30th, 2010. * Current homeowners are now eligible for a $6,500 tax credit, if they have lived in the home they are selling as their principal residence for a minimum of five consecutive years out of the last eight years. * Income limits for eligible buyers were increased to a range of $75,000 to $125,000 (for single buyers) and a range of $150,000 to $225,000 for couples. * Time has been extended to make allowance for closing the home purchase. As long as they have a ratified contract by April 30th, they will then have until June 30th, 2010, to close the purchase. The qualifying purchase price of the new residence has to be no more than $800,000.
Additional details:
* Tax credits provide a dollar-for-dollar reduction of taxes owed with any surplus funds available as a refund. The amount of the credit will be first credited toward any tax liability for the year of purchase. Subsequently the amount remaining will be refunded to the buyer. (For example a first-time buyer who owes $2000 in taxes would receive a check for $6,000). * Any single-family home purchased to be used as a principal residence (including condos, co-ops) will qualify assuming that it is purchased by the 30th of April, 2010 and closed by the 30th of June, 2010. * The full amount of the credit is available for individuals with an adjusted gross income of no more than $125,000 or $225,000 on a joint return. When income is greater than these figures, the amount of the tax credit drops until the maximum limit is reached – $145,000 for an individual or $245,000 of joint income.
Jim Navary has been a freelance writer and researcher for more thirty years covering a broad range of topics. He is also a licensed real estate salesperson in the Commonwealth of Virginia specializing in real estate in the Tri-Cities area of Virginia and, in particular, Petersburg, Virginia, area houses for sale.