The federally funded Home Buyer Tax Credit incentive offered a credit of $8,000 to first-time home buyers, along with a “long-time resident” credit of up to $6,500 to repeat buyers. The deadline for the at large credit was April 30th to have a binding contract and June 30, 2010 to close on the home (the closing date deadline has now been extended to September 30th, 2010.)
The National Association of Realtors reported a significant drop in May of existing home sales and the latest Campbell/Inside Mortgage Finance Monthly Survey of Real Estate Market Conditions showed a large drop in all home buyer traffic in May. Significantly, most of the drop was attributable to first-time homebuyers, who had been playing a major role in home sales since late last fall. The loss of traffic will result in June and July sales and fall closings.
“The decline of first-time homebuyer traffic is undoubtedly related to the expiration of the federal homebuyer tax credit,” noted Thomas Popik, research director for Campbell Surveys. “Homebuyers had until April 30 to sign a purchase and sale agreement and receive the credit. Once we entered the month of May, the government stimulus disappeared.”
At least one market has responded to loss of the government stimulus. California enacted a new $10,000 first-time homebuyer tax credit just in time to miss the drop cause by the end of the federal Home Buyers credit.
California has one of the highest foreclosure rates in the nation. The bill to enact the tax credit, signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in March, provides $200 million for homes purchased between May 1 and Dec. 31 and between Dec. 31 and Aug. 1, 2011.
No comments:
Post a Comment