Welcome back to the written page! We’ve been offering our weekly data for Today in Real Estate in video format over the past couple of months – but since we’ve already shot the video for this week and we have breaking news – I thought I would go old school for you again.

It looks as though the Tax Credit for Housing has been extended into 2010. As of writing time – 7am Friday morning – The President had not yet signed the extension into law. It has passed both the house and the senate so his signature seems to be a formality at this point. Let me give you the details on the extension – if you noticed I did not title it the first time home buyer extension – and that was intentional in that one of the big changes to the tax credit is that additional homeowners are now eligible for the credit as well.

So here are the details…
1. The eligibility pool has changed – first time home buyers (those who have not owned...

Contracts are being written on home sales, but the boost from the first-time buyer tax credit, rather than real recovery, may be behind that trend.

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Pending home sales offer positive sign

Melanie Woods of MW Designs talks about the changes a down economy brings to the interior design business, and how staging and editing a home can lead to a sale.

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Interior design serves home sellers

We’ve had some interesting housing and jobs figures released this week, as well as an update on the first time home buyers tax credit – all of which I would like to share with you.

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Home prices, jobless claims fail to show promised recovery

FHA loans are a popular way for bankers and buyers to get those with less-than-perfect credit into a mortgage.

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FHA loans make up 25 percent of new loans