Realtors Thank Homebuyer Tax Credit For Increasing Sales

Rebounding home sales across the nation mean good things for local real estate agents.

October home sales hit 10.1 percent, which is the highest it’s been in two-and-a-half years.

Realtors said the homebuyer tax credit is what's helping.

The ringing phone is a sweet sound to Realtor Diane Daugherty.

“It's a customer coming out looking,” she said.

She is on her way to selling six homes this month in the Willow Creek subdivision.

That's big, because last month she sold three, and the month before she sold two.

She sees what real estate agents nationwide are seeing: a rebounding market.

“This one will come back big and we know it and everybody knows it,” Daugherty said. “We can see it.”

Last month, sales nationwide rose to the highest level since February 2007, before the market crunch last year and the economy began to collapse.

Daugherty thanks the new home buyers tax credit advertised at the entrance of Willow Creek.

“They don't know about it and then they say, ‘Oh man. I can get $8,000,’” she said.

Daugherty is one of the real estate agents who wrote to Washington, begging lawmakers to extend the incentive that was supposed to end on Nov. 31.

A board in the model home reads: "Good news. The tax credit has been extended."

Buyers now have until April 30.

“This is huge,” Daugherty said.