The U.S. Congress and administration recently extended the popular and successful $8,000 first-time home buyers tax credit through April 30, 2010. However, they didn't just extend the credit; they also expanded it to include a $6,500 tax credit for current homebuyers who qualify. The legislation … [Read more...]

help promote and expand local affordable housing opportunities in communities across the country, the National Association of Realtors® has awarded $50,950 to 16 local and state Realtor® associations through the Housing Opportunity Fund grants program. … [Read more...]

Home prices rose again in September, the fourth straight monthly increase and a clear sign the housing market recovery is continuing on. The Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller home price index of 20 major cities released Tuesday rose 0.3 percent to a seasonally adjusted reading of 144.96 in … [Read more...]

First-time home buyers reached the highest market share on record during the past year, according to the latest consumer survey of home buyers and sellers. The 2009 National Association of Realtors® Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers is the latest in a series of large national NAR surveys … [Read more...]

The recent deep economic downturn has had a pronounced impact on commercial real estate sectors, but credit availability is the big unknown that will determine how soon commercial markets recover, according to the National Association of Realtors®. NAR's chief economist said some initial … [Read more...]

Disclosures Sellers have more knowledge about the home since they lived in them for years. So there may be some things you want to find out about the home. You should require a seller's disclosures as part of your offer. Essentially, you want the seller to disclose any poor conditions that may … [Read more...]

Not all buyers are suited for a short sale. This was one of the messages delivered at "Short Sales from the Buyer's Perspective" during the 2009 REALTORS® Conference & Expo today. According to the latest Realtors® Confidence Index, one out of 10 recent buyers purchased a home through a … [Read more...]

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®. Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said the projections are enhanced by a tax credit expansion to more home buyers through … [Read more...]

The "Service Members Home Ownership Tax Act of 2009" was signed into law on November 6, 2009.  This Act will give members of the uniformed services, intelligence agencies and Foreign Service, who were stationed abroad, greater opportunity to take advantage of the First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit, … [Read more...]

Most states continued to experience rising existing-home sales in the third quarter, with prices moderating in many metro areas, according to the latest survey by the National Association of Realtors®. Total state existing-home sales, including single-family and condo, increased 11.4 percent to … [Read more...]