Buying a home in most developed countries has become increasingly difficult over the past few years, and that is certainly true in the United States.
The high interest rates and rising home values have left millions of Americans unable to afford a house.
President Joe Biden proposed a new tax credit that would provide 10,000 dollars to first-time home buyers in his State of the Union address on Thursday in an effort to address this issue.
A separate 10,000-dollar tax credit is also being proposed by Biden for homeowners who sell their “starter homes” to upgrade.
It will still take congress to enact these proposals before any Americans can benefit from them, but advocates for affordable housing cheered them up, including David M. Dworkin, the CEO of the National Housing Council. According to Dworkin, it was “the most consequential State of the Union address in 50 years.”
“Housing affordability has become a key issue for Americans spanning all demographics and political divides, and housing policy has mostly remained steady in recent congressional budgets,” noted Moody’s associate economist Nick Luettke in a report touching on Biden’s efforts.
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How does it work?
To help offset the cost of buying a home, Biden is proposing the following tax credits:
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A first-time homebuyer tax credit of 10,000 dollars
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A one-year tax credit of up to 10,000 dollars to current homeowners who sell their starter homes
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Who is eligible to apply?
CBS reports that first-time homebuyers are entitled to an annual tax credit of 5,000 dollars for two years, for a total of 10,000 dollars.
“The one-year tax credit for current homeowners would be available to people who own starter homes, defined as homes below the median home price in their county. The owners would have to sell to another owner-occupant, rather than an investor, according to the White House.
“Both tax credits are geared toward “middle-class families,” with the Biden administration official telling CBS MoneyWatch that the credits would be limited to households earning less than 200,000 dollars.”