This week Senate leaders have been more open about the talks of extending the housing credit that is available to first time homebuyers.  While Senators have yet to come to a decision as to what type of extension will be put in place they are highly considering some type of extension.

Senator Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus are proposing that the housing tax credit be extended throughout 2010 but decrease in amount quarterly.  The credit would continue at $8,000 until the end of the first quarter and if successful would continue into the second quarter but will only be for a tax credit of $6,000 and so on and so forth until the end of 2010 at which time the last quarter would consist of a $2,000 tax credit for first time homebuyers and then would end at the end of 2010.

Another idea that is being proposed by Senator Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd and Senator Johnny Isakson which is that the first time home buyer tax credit should be extended until June of 2010 but will be able to used by all first time home buyer couples who make less than $300,000 a year.

While the Senate has not decided on the exact terms of the extension yet House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said “generally we do support it” when asked about the tax credit extension but she also said that it is still too premature to determine if and under what conditions the first time homebuyers tax credit will be extended until the Senate reviews the situation and comes up with a proposal.

The consideration to extend the housing tax credit comes after mortgage brokers, real estate agents and home builders have been putting pressure on lawmakers to extend the first time homebuyer tax credit which they believe will cause the housing market to slump if taken away prematurely.