March 25, 2010 - As the April 15 deadline to file 2009 federal tax returns approaches, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) is providing answers to some of the questions home buyers are most frequently asking about the home buyer tax credit.
“NAHB’s Web site that provides information about the home buyer tax credit, www.FederalHousingTaxCredit.com, has received more than 8 million visits,” said NAHB Chairman Bob Jones, a builder and developer in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. “We are doing everything we can to make sure home buyers are informed about this outstanding opportunity to benefit from buying a home before it expires April 30.”
Some of the more commonly-asked questions, and the answers, include:
How does a home buyer claim the tax credit?
The credit is claimed when the home buyer files or amends their federal income taxes. For qualifying homes purchased in 2009 or 2010, the taxpayer must complete IRS Form 5405 and attach a copy of the settlement statement. In most cases, the settlement statement is a properly executed Form HUD-1.
In circumstances where a HUD-1 is not provided, such as purchasing a mobile home or a newly constructed home, the IRS will accept an executed retail sales contract (mobile homes) or a copy of the certificate of occupancy (new homes).
Does the home buyer have to sell their current home in order to qualify for the $6,500 repeat home buyer tax credit?
A home buyer does not need to sell their current home in order to be eligible for the repeat buyer credit. They can continue to own both homes, and rent or use their former home for something else, as long as it no longer serves as their principal residence. The taxpayer is required to use the new home as their principal residence, and live in it for at least 36 months, or they will have to repay the credit.
Do married couples both have to meet the eligibility requirements in order to claim the credit, even if they file taxes separately?
Both spouses must fully meet all the eligibility requirements for either the $8,000 first-time home buyer tax credit or the $6,500 repeat buyer tax credit, regardless of if they file joint or separate tax returns. However, if an unmarried couple purchases a home and only one person qualifies, the eligible person may claim the full credit.
Do all home purchases need to be completed by April 30, 2010, in order to be eligible for the credit?
There are two exceptions to the April 30 deadline. If the buyer enters into a binding contract by the deadline, they have until June 30, 2010, to complete the purchase. The deadline has been extended a year, to April 30, 2011, for members of the uniformed services, Foreign Service or employees of the intelligence community who have been on qualified extended duty outside the United States for at least 90 days between January 1, 2009, and April 30, 2010.
NAHB’s Web site www.FederalHousingTaxCredit.com provides information including eligibility requirements for the $8,000 first-time home buyer and $6,500 repeat buyer tax credits, detailed question and answer sections, and links to additional home-buying resources for consumers.
Disclaimer: NAHB is providing this information for general guidance only. This information does not constitute the provision of legal advice, tax advice, accounting services, investment advice, or professional consulting of any kind nor should it be construed as such. The information provided herein should not be used as a substitute for consultation with professional tax, accounting, legal, or other competent advisers. Before making any decision or taking any action on this information, you should consult a qualified professional adviser to whom you have provided all of the facts applicable to your particular situation or question. None of the tax information in this release is intended to be used nor can it be used by any taxpayer, for the purpose of avoiding penalties that may be imposed on the taxpayer. The information is provided "as is," with no assurance or guarantee of completeness, accuracy, or timeliness of the information, and without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to warranties of performance, merchantability, and fitness for a particular purpose.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
New-Home Sales Decline in February
March 24, 2010 - Sales of newly built, single-family homes fell 2.2 percent in February to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 308,000 units, the Commerce Department reported today. While this figure marked a new record low for overall sales activity, only one region (the South) hit its own record low.
“The very slow pace of new-home sales in February was partly due to unusually poor weather conditions, but was also tied to consumers’ ongoing concerns about the poor job market and sluggish economy,” said Bob Jones, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and a home builder from Bloomfield Hills, Mich.
“Unusually bad weather certainly played a role in the large regional declines depicted in today’s new-home sales report,” agreed NAHB Chief Economist David Crowe. “In addition, many potential buyers remained nervous about their job security and their ability to qualify for a mortgage in light of tight underwriting standards. That said, we are still expecting to see some improvement in consumer demand as the deadline for taking advantage of home buyer tax credits nears. Going forward, other factors such as pent-up demand, new household formations among echo-boomers and excellent affordability conditions will support a 20 percent gain in new-home sales this year compared to 2009.”
While nationwide home sales fell to a record low in February, two out of four regions actually posted gains and all but the South remained above their record lows. Sales inched up 2 percent in the Midwest and 20.8 percent in the West, but declined by a respective 20 percent and 4.6 percent in the storm-battered Northeast and South.
The nationwide inventory of new homes on the market rose by a marginal 1.3 percent in February, to 236,000 units. Due to the slower sales pace, the month’s supply of new homes for sale rose from 8.9 in January to 9.2 in February.
“The very slow pace of new-home sales in February was partly due to unusually poor weather conditions, but was also tied to consumers’ ongoing concerns about the poor job market and sluggish economy,” said Bob Jones, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and a home builder from Bloomfield Hills, Mich.
“Unusually bad weather certainly played a role in the large regional declines depicted in today’s new-home sales report,” agreed NAHB Chief Economist David Crowe. “In addition, many potential buyers remained nervous about their job security and their ability to qualify for a mortgage in light of tight underwriting standards. That said, we are still expecting to see some improvement in consumer demand as the deadline for taking advantage of home buyer tax credits nears. Going forward, other factors such as pent-up demand, new household formations among echo-boomers and excellent affordability conditions will support a 20 percent gain in new-home sales this year compared to 2009.”
While nationwide home sales fell to a record low in February, two out of four regions actually posted gains and all but the South remained above their record lows. Sales inched up 2 percent in the Midwest and 20.8 percent in the West, but declined by a respective 20 percent and 4.6 percent in the storm-battered Northeast and South.
The nationwide inventory of new homes on the market rose by a marginal 1.3 percent in February, to 236,000 units. Due to the slower sales pace, the month’s supply of new homes for sale rose from 8.9 in January to 9.2 in February.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
New Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac Structures Should Ensure Availability of Mortgage Capital and Protect Taxpayer Dollars, Says NAR
Government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac should be restructured as government-chartered, non-shareholder owned authorities, the National Association of Realtors® said in congressional testimony today.
“We want to ensure a flow of capital into the mortgage market regardless of the state of the market or economy,” Vince Malta, NAR vice president and liaison to government affairs, testified to the House Financial Services Committee. “The new Fannie and Freddie must ensure there is always mortgage capital available for creditworthy buyers and that taxpayer dollars are protected.”
In outlining NAR’s proposal, Malta cautioned Congress and the administration about moving too quickly in restructuring the GSEs. “The housing recovery is still too fragile for the government to completely step away, and any disruption in the marketplace now by doing something too radical would be harmful,” he said. “Our goal is to help Congress and our industry design a secondary mortgage model that will serve America’s best interest today, and in the future.”
Neither a fully privatized entity nor a fully nationalized structure for the secondary mortgage market giants effectively addresses the critical issues of loan availability and taxpayer protection, he said. A fully private entity would foster mortgage products more aligned with business goals rather than the nation’s housing policy for consumers. “In difficult markets, like today’s, private lenders have not been willing to make loans without government backing,” said Malta.
A fully federal structure would put taxpayers at risk. “We want to eliminate any scenario that would place taxpayers on the hook to protect these entities. And to combine the two, or merge them with Ginnie Mae, would remove competition in the secondary market, and the new entity could lose focus on it missions to serve low- and moderate-income families and maintain liquidity in the mortgage markets,” he said.
The new authorities should be subject to tighter regulations on products, profitability and minimal, retained portfolio practices in a way to ensure protection of taxpayer monies. The new entities would also concentrate on standard mortgage products that are the foundation of the housing finance market.
“While that might curtail some private participation and alternative products in this market, we believe privates will offer innovations that meet consumer needs. The new entities would focus on safe mortgage products, including 15- and 30-year fixed rate mortgages and traditional adjustable rate mortgages.”
“We want to ensure a flow of capital into the mortgage market regardless of the state of the market or economy,” Vince Malta, NAR vice president and liaison to government affairs, testified to the House Financial Services Committee. “The new Fannie and Freddie must ensure there is always mortgage capital available for creditworthy buyers and that taxpayer dollars are protected.”
In outlining NAR’s proposal, Malta cautioned Congress and the administration about moving too quickly in restructuring the GSEs. “The housing recovery is still too fragile for the government to completely step away, and any disruption in the marketplace now by doing something too radical would be harmful,” he said. “Our goal is to help Congress and our industry design a secondary mortgage model that will serve America’s best interest today, and in the future.”
Neither a fully privatized entity nor a fully nationalized structure for the secondary mortgage market giants effectively addresses the critical issues of loan availability and taxpayer protection, he said. A fully private entity would foster mortgage products more aligned with business goals rather than the nation’s housing policy for consumers. “In difficult markets, like today’s, private lenders have not been willing to make loans without government backing,” said Malta.
A fully federal structure would put taxpayers at risk. “We want to eliminate any scenario that would place taxpayers on the hook to protect these entities. And to combine the two, or merge them with Ginnie Mae, would remove competition in the secondary market, and the new entity could lose focus on it missions to serve low- and moderate-income families and maintain liquidity in the mortgage markets,” he said.
The new authorities should be subject to tighter regulations on products, profitability and minimal, retained portfolio practices in a way to ensure protection of taxpayer monies. The new entities would also concentrate on standard mortgage products that are the foundation of the housing finance market.
“While that might curtail some private participation and alternative products in this market, we believe privates will offer innovations that meet consumer needs. The new entities would focus on safe mortgage products, including 15- and 30-year fixed rate mortgages and traditional adjustable rate mortgages.”
Monday, March 22, 2010
Single-Family Starts Hold Firm In February
The pace of single-family home production remained virtually unchanged in February, with a 0.6 percent decline to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 499,000 units, according to figures released today by the U.S. Commerce Department. Meanwhile, a large decline on the more volatile multifamily side brought the overall number of housing starts down 5.9 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 575,000 units.
“Today’s single-family numbers are fairly encouraging, in that the level of building activity held firm even as large portions of the country experienced abnormal weather conditions,” noted Bob Jones, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and a home builder from Bloomfield Hills, Mich.
“This latest data indicates that the single-family sector is gradually finding more stable ground, particularly in light of the poor weather conditions that hampered new building activity in two out of four regions last month and the continued difficulties that builders faced in accessing financing for new projects,” said NAHB Chief Economist David Crowe. “With the deadline for purchasers to take advantage of home buyer tax credits fast approaching at the end of April, improvement in single-family building activity was expected and may have continued into early March. Moreover, the very thin inventory of new homes now on the market, the pent-up demand from three-plus years of low household formations and good affordability conditions will provide the platform for a 25 percent gain in new-home construction in 2010 over 2009.”
While the combined pace of single- and multifamily housing starts fell 5.9 percent to 575,000 units in February, that decline was mostly due to a 30.3 percent dip in multifamily starts to a 76,000-unit pace following a double-digit increase on that side in the previous month. Meanwhile, single-family starts held virtually even, with a 0.6 percent decline to a 499,000-unit pace.
On a regional basis, combined starts activity declined 9.6 percent in the Northeast and 15.5 percent in the South, where unusually poor weather conditions were a factor in February. Meanwhile, starts activity posted gains of 14.3 percent in the Midwest and 7.9 percent in the West.
Permit issuance, which can be an indicator of future building activity, declined 1.6 percent overall to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 612,000 units in February. This reflected a statistically insignificant 0.2 percent decline to 503,000 units on the single-family side and a 7.6 percent decline to 109,000 units on the multifamily side.
Regionally, permit issuance was mixed in February, with the Northeast posting no change, the Midwest posting an 11.7 percent gain, the South registering a 5.8 percent decline and the West recording a 2.1 percent decline.
“Today’s single-family numbers are fairly encouraging, in that the level of building activity held firm even as large portions of the country experienced abnormal weather conditions,” noted Bob Jones, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and a home builder from Bloomfield Hills, Mich.
“This latest data indicates that the single-family sector is gradually finding more stable ground, particularly in light of the poor weather conditions that hampered new building activity in two out of four regions last month and the continued difficulties that builders faced in accessing financing for new projects,” said NAHB Chief Economist David Crowe. “With the deadline for purchasers to take advantage of home buyer tax credits fast approaching at the end of April, improvement in single-family building activity was expected and may have continued into early March. Moreover, the very thin inventory of new homes now on the market, the pent-up demand from three-plus years of low household formations and good affordability conditions will provide the platform for a 25 percent gain in new-home construction in 2010 over 2009.”
While the combined pace of single- and multifamily housing starts fell 5.9 percent to 575,000 units in February, that decline was mostly due to a 30.3 percent dip in multifamily starts to a 76,000-unit pace following a double-digit increase on that side in the previous month. Meanwhile, single-family starts held virtually even, with a 0.6 percent decline to a 499,000-unit pace.
On a regional basis, combined starts activity declined 9.6 percent in the Northeast and 15.5 percent in the South, where unusually poor weather conditions were a factor in February. Meanwhile, starts activity posted gains of 14.3 percent in the Midwest and 7.9 percent in the West.
Permit issuance, which can be an indicator of future building activity, declined 1.6 percent overall to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 612,000 units in February. This reflected a statistically insignificant 0.2 percent decline to 503,000 units on the single-family side and a 7.6 percent decline to 109,000 units on the multifamily side.
Regionally, permit issuance was mixed in February, with the Northeast posting no change, the Midwest posting an 11.7 percent gain, the South registering a 5.8 percent decline and the West recording a 2.1 percent decline.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Pending Home Sales Down; Severe Weather Impacting Market
Pending home sales are down and additional declines are expected from abnormal weather conditions, according to the National Association of Realtors®.
The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on contracts signed in January, fell 7.6 percent to 90.4 from an upwardly revised 97.8 in December, but remains 12.3 percent higher than January 2009 when it was 80.5.
Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said weather is likely to impact housing data. “January pending sales, though still higher than one year ago, remain much lower than expected given that a large number of potential buyers are eligible for the expanded home buyer tax credit. Moreover, the abnormally severe and prolonged winter weather, which affected large regions of the U.S., hampered shopping activity in February,” he said.
As such, abnormal swings are expected in housing data. “We will see weak near-term sales followed by a likely surge of existing-home sales in April, May and June,” Yun said. “The real question is what happens in the second half of the year. If there is sufficient job creation, housing can become self-sustaining with stable to modestly rising home prices because inventory has been trending downward.”
The PHSI in the Northeast fell 8.7 percent to 71.3 in January but is 20.5 percent higher than January 2009. In the Midwest the index dropped 8.9 percent to 81.2 but is 11.8 percent above a year ago. Pending home sales in the South slipped 2.1 percent to an index of 98.1, but the index is 18.0 percent higher than January 2009. In the West the index dropped 13.2 percent to 102.9 but is 1.4 percent above a year ago.
The National Association of Realtors®, “The Voice for Real Estate,” is America’s largest trade association, representing 1.2 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.
The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on contracts signed in January, fell 7.6 percent to 90.4 from an upwardly revised 97.8 in December, but remains 12.3 percent higher than January 2009 when it was 80.5.
Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said weather is likely to impact housing data. “January pending sales, though still higher than one year ago, remain much lower than expected given that a large number of potential buyers are eligible for the expanded home buyer tax credit. Moreover, the abnormally severe and prolonged winter weather, which affected large regions of the U.S., hampered shopping activity in February,” he said.
As such, abnormal swings are expected in housing data. “We will see weak near-term sales followed by a likely surge of existing-home sales in April, May and June,” Yun said. “The real question is what happens in the second half of the year. If there is sufficient job creation, housing can become self-sustaining with stable to modestly rising home prices because inventory has been trending downward.”
The PHSI in the Northeast fell 8.7 percent to 71.3 in January but is 20.5 percent higher than January 2009. In the Midwest the index dropped 8.9 percent to 81.2 but is 11.8 percent above a year ago. Pending home sales in the South slipped 2.1 percent to an index of 98.1, but the index is 18.0 percent higher than January 2009. In the West the index dropped 13.2 percent to 102.9 but is 1.4 percent above a year ago.
The National Association of Realtors®, “The Voice for Real Estate,” is America’s largest trade association, representing 1.2 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Existing-Home Sales Down in January 2010 but Higher Than Year Ago
Existing-home sales fell in January 2010 but are above year-ago levels, according to the National Association of Realtors. Existing-home sales- including single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops- dropped 7.2% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.05 million units in January from a revised 5.44 million in December, but remain 11.5% above the 4.53 million-unit level in January 2009.
Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said there is still some delay between shopping and closing that affected current sales. “Most of the completed deals in January were based on contracts in November and December. People who got into the market after the home buyer tax credit was extended in November have only recently started to offer contracts, so it will take a couple months to close those sales,” he said. “Still, the latest monthly sales decline is not encouraging, and raises concern about the strength of a recovery.”
Total housing inventory at the end of January fell 0.5% to 3.27 million existing homes available for sale, which represents a 7.8-month supply at the current sales pace, up from a 7.2-month supply in December. Raw unsold inventory is 9.6% below a year ago, and is at the lowest level since March 2006.
“Activity should be picking up strongly in late spring as buyers take advantage of the tax credit, which is critical to absorb distressed properties reaching the market and to continually chip away at inventory,” Yun said. “With a downtrend in the number of homes on the market, especially in the lower price ranges, values are beginning to firm but with great variance around the country.”
The national median existing-home price for all housing types was $164,700 in January, unchanged from a year earlier. Distressed homes, which accounted for 38% of sales last month, continue to downwardly distort the median price because they typically are discounted in comparison with traditional homes in the same area.
A parallel NAR practitioner survey shows first-time buyers purchased 40% of homes in January, down from 43% in December. Investors accounted for 17% of transactions in January, up from 15% in December; the remaining sales were to repeat buyers. The survey also shows that buyer traffic increased 9.4% in January.
NAR President Vicki Cox Golder, owner of Vicki L. Cox & Associates in Tucson, Ariz., said buying a home in the current environment has become more challenging. “First-time buyers and others who need a mortgage are increasingly losing out to all-cash investors for the best bargains in many areas, particularly for foreclosed homes where cash is king,” she said. “Inventory conditions vary by price range, and of course there are major differences depending on location. Realtors are the best buyer resource for strategies on winning bids in increasingly competitive markets,” Golder said. “The bidding for more desirable homes will only accelerate between now and the April 30 contract deadline to qualify for a tax credit of up to $8,000.”
According to Freddie Mac, the national average commitment rate for a 30-year, conventional, fixed-rate mortgage edged up to 5.03% in January from 4.93% in December; the rate was 5.05% in January 2009.
Single-family home sales fell 6.9% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.43 million in January from a level of 4.76 million in December, but are 8.6% above the 4.08 million pace in January 2009. The median existing single-family home price was $163,600 in January, down 0.4% from a year ago.
Existing condominium and co-op sales dropped 8.1% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 620,000 in January from 675,000 in December, but are 38.1% above the 449,000-unit level a year ago. The median existing condo price was $172,400 in January, which is 1.4 % higher than January 2009.
Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said there is still some delay between shopping and closing that affected current sales. “Most of the completed deals in January were based on contracts in November and December. People who got into the market after the home buyer tax credit was extended in November have only recently started to offer contracts, so it will take a couple months to close those sales,” he said. “Still, the latest monthly sales decline is not encouraging, and raises concern about the strength of a recovery.”
Total housing inventory at the end of January fell 0.5% to 3.27 million existing homes available for sale, which represents a 7.8-month supply at the current sales pace, up from a 7.2-month supply in December. Raw unsold inventory is 9.6% below a year ago, and is at the lowest level since March 2006.
“Activity should be picking up strongly in late spring as buyers take advantage of the tax credit, which is critical to absorb distressed properties reaching the market and to continually chip away at inventory,” Yun said. “With a downtrend in the number of homes on the market, especially in the lower price ranges, values are beginning to firm but with great variance around the country.”
The national median existing-home price for all housing types was $164,700 in January, unchanged from a year earlier. Distressed homes, which accounted for 38% of sales last month, continue to downwardly distort the median price because they typically are discounted in comparison with traditional homes in the same area.
A parallel NAR practitioner survey shows first-time buyers purchased 40% of homes in January, down from 43% in December. Investors accounted for 17% of transactions in January, up from 15% in December; the remaining sales were to repeat buyers. The survey also shows that buyer traffic increased 9.4% in January.
NAR President Vicki Cox Golder, owner of Vicki L. Cox & Associates in Tucson, Ariz., said buying a home in the current environment has become more challenging. “First-time buyers and others who need a mortgage are increasingly losing out to all-cash investors for the best bargains in many areas, particularly for foreclosed homes where cash is king,” she said. “Inventory conditions vary by price range, and of course there are major differences depending on location. Realtors are the best buyer resource for strategies on winning bids in increasingly competitive markets,” Golder said. “The bidding for more desirable homes will only accelerate between now and the April 30 contract deadline to qualify for a tax credit of up to $8,000.”
According to Freddie Mac, the national average commitment rate for a 30-year, conventional, fixed-rate mortgage edged up to 5.03% in January from 4.93% in December; the rate was 5.05% in January 2009.
Single-family home sales fell 6.9% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.43 million in January from a level of 4.76 million in December, but are 8.6% above the 4.08 million pace in January 2009. The median existing single-family home price was $163,600 in January, down 0.4% from a year ago.
Existing condominium and co-op sales dropped 8.1% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 620,000 in January from 675,000 in December, but are 38.1% above the 449,000-unit level a year ago. The median existing condo price was $172,400 in January, which is 1.4 % higher than January 2009.
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