Eyes are Watching

All eyes are watching for the Stimulus package to give the economy and us all a boost. The real estate portion of that economy is looking more and more promising. I am attaching a couple of articles for those of you who are interested in the $15,000 stimulus tax credit for purchase of a new home. There is an additional proposal that the mortgage rate be 4% for 30 years. This would be so healthy for new home buyers. The other article is about affordability. Please enjoy and let me know your thoughts. Caroline



Editorial - A Stimulus for the Poor -

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/07/opinion/07sat3.html?_r=1&emc=eta1

Also about the amended homebuyer tax credit for first timehomebuyers

Housing aid gaining steam in stimulus bill
By ALAN ZIBEL Associated Press Writer
Feb 2nd, 2009 WASHINGTON -- Homebuyers could see lower mortgage rates and get tax credits as part of a sweeping economic stimulus package being considered on Capitol Hill.
Lawmakers are heeding the pleas of two powerful and well-heeled interest groups: real estate agents and homebuilders. Those industries have lobbied hard in recent weeks for more expansive assistance for their flailing members.
The Senate took up an $884 billion version of the stimulus legislation on Monday after an $819 billion version passed the House last week without a single Republican vote.
Any government aid for the housing sector should be temporary and apply to all buyers to help boost sales of expensive homes as well as low-priced ones, said Wachovia Corp. economist Mark Vitner.
"Nobody wants to buy a home before prices have bottomed out," Vitner said. "Unfortunately if everybody has the same idea, prices are going to keep falling."
With median sales prices back to levels last seen in mid-2003 and rates on 30-year mortgages hovering around 5 percent, homes have become far more affordable in most of the country. But some economists say they still have further to fall, particularly in former bubble markets like California and the Northeast.
Plus, some question the amount of money going toward relatively wealthy homebuyers, instead of renters or those who can't qualify for a mortgage.
"I'm amazed," said Dean Baker, an economist and co-director of the liberal Center for Economic Policy Research in Washington. "We're giving people way more money -- just because they bought a home -- than if they're unemployed."
Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told reporters Monday that Republicans would offer a plan to have the government step in to reduce mortgage rates to around 4 percent, which could shore up home prices and lower housing payments for millions of Americans.
"A stimulus bill must fix the main problem first, and that's housing," McConnell said. "That's how all of this began. We think you ought to go right at housing first."
Republicans want to have banks lower the interest rates to 4 percent or 4.5 percent on 30-year fixed rate loans, up to a certain cap. Rates could drop if Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac agreed to buy the mortgages.
The two companies were seized by the government in September, and have bought the majority of the new home loans issued over the past year because Wall Street's appetite for mortgage securities has vanished. The new rates would be available through 2010 for both new purchases and refinanced loans.
Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y on Sunday told "Face the Nation" on CBS that Democrats would support a GOP-backed idea to double a home buyers' tax credit from $7,500 to $15,000 and make it available to all buyers instead of those purchasing their first home. He also said the Obama administration is considering ways for the government to lower mortgage rates.
"There seems to be real bipartisan support for a stronger housing focus," said Mary Trupo, a spokeswoman for the National Association of Realtors, which has rallied its members to push for more aid to the hobbled market.
The Realtors group spent more than $17 million on lobbying last year, with more than $6.5 million coming in the final three months, according to disclosure forms.
The building industry, which has been devastated by the housing bust, has been pushing a package of subsidies that would bring mortgage rates to just under 3 percent for the first half of this year. The National Association of Home Builders -- which spent more than $4.5 million lobbying last year -- favors a tax credit of up to $22,000 for home purchases.
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Associated Press Writers David Espo and Andrew Taylor contributed to this report.
Salon provides breaking news articles from the Associated Press as a service to its readers, but does not edit the AP articles it publishes.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.