Stimulating!

Here is a nugget of some of the offerings of the stimulus package. So, if you're a first time homebuyer give me a call. The time is right to be a Buyer in Steamboat Springs. Get in while the gettin' is good! Rates are exceptional and we all know that won't last long. Call or email today, and we can start finding Your Steamboat Home. 970.819.4897 or angela@yoursteamboathome.com

Housing incentives

First-time homebuyers would get an $8,000 tax credit if they buy a house between Jan. 1 and Dec. 1, 2009. If you sell your home within three years of purchase, you would lose the credit. An individual who earns less than $75,000 annually and a couple that earns less than $150,000 annually qualify for this tax credit. Homebuyers would see the savings when they file their 2009 income tax return next year.

 Car buyers

If you buy a new car in 2009, the sales tax is deductible. The National Automobile Dealers Association estimates that this could save $300 to $600 for those who qualify for the deduction. The deduction would be claimed on your 2009 tax return.

 Going green

Buying a new energy-efficient furnace, energy-saving windows and doors, or adding insulation to homes could net tax credits. The stimulus bill would expand and extend existing tax credits for such energy-efficient investments through 2010.

 The new program allows consumers to recoup 30 percent of their total investment up to $1,500. You apply the tax credit when you file your 2009 or 2010 income tax return. Congress also has set aside $5 billion to weatherize more than 1 million homes for "modest-income" families, who are expected to save, on average, $350 a year on heating and air conditioning.