Builders Ask Congress to Extend Home Buyer Tax Credit

As members of Congress return home for the August congressional recess, NAHB’s more than 200,000 members are being urged to contact their lawmakers and ask them to help create jobs and set the stage for a strong recovery by extending the $8,000 first-time home buyer tax credit for an additional year and making it available to all eligible buyers of a principal residence.

“If Congress acts to extend the tax credit program, it would spur 383,000 additional home sales, including 80,000 housing starts, creating nearly 350,000 jobs over the coming year,” said NAHB Chairman Joe Robson. “That’s good for the economy and good for America.” ...

Many Sign Up Early for Hot IBS Deals on Housing, Registration

After just the first week of online registration, many industry professionals already have registered for the 2010 International Builders’ Show (IBS) in Las Vegas on Jan. 19-22 — the single, most important and largest industry event of the year — so that they could take advantage of NAHB's red hot deals on housing and exhibit passes available to members who register early.

Housing deals — featuring rooms for as little as $32 a night — are available through August with an accompanying IBS registration, and complimentary four-day exhibit hall passes are available to members who register by Dec. 11. ...

Public Feedback Drives Growing Coverage of Key Housing Issues

As reader and viewer feedback becomes an increasingly significant factor in editorial decisions on what news deserves to be reported, media coverage of faulty appraisals; the credit crunch for acquisition, development and construction (AD&C) financing; and the first-time home buyer tax credit has increased significantly over the past several months, based on news reports compiled by NAHB.

Particularly gaining attention has been the issue of inappropriate new-home appraisals that are based on foreclosed or distressed-sale properties. As a growing number of builders were reporting appraisals coming in below the contract sales price, undermining their new home sales, the amount of media coverage on this issue tripled in July over the previous month. ...