Eye On Housing
Last week saw the release of yet another discussion draft from the staff of the Senate Finance Committee concerning tax reform. Following draft proposals concerning depreciation/accounting and other business expenses (such as advertising), the most recent draft proposes changes to the tax code’s rules concerning energy production and energy-efficient improvements. Under the draft proposal, most existing energy tax incentives would be… Read More ›
Tag Archive for ‘energy’
Energy Efficiency Should Yield 10 Percent-Plus Return, Study Says
A study published in June presents evidence in support of NAHB’s policy, which classifies a change in building codes as cost effective if it returns at least 10 percent in energy savings the first year. The study argues that a common alternative to NAHB’s policy, using the current mortgage rate to evaluate energy efficiency, is an unrealistic assumption and produces unrealistic results…. Read More ›
Occupants Say Newer Homes are Better Insulated, Less Drafty
The Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS, produced by the Energy Information Agency in the U.S. Department of Energy) collects information on various housing characteristics, including the age of the structures. Although the actual energy consumption data has not yet been released, a RECS data set containing a considerable amount of ancillary, related information is available. For example, answers are available to… Read More ›
GAO Report on the 25C Energy Tax Credit Misses the Big Picture
Last week, the Government Accountability Office – the audit and evaluation agency of the U.S. Congress – issued a report on the energy-efficient home tax credit, sometimes called the section 25C tax credit. The program rewards homeowners with a tax credit if they make energy-efficient upgrades to their homes. In 2009 and 2010, the tax credit was capped at $1,500…. Read More ›
Energy Prices Continue to Push CPI Higher
The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.3% on a month-to-month basis during March 2012. Once again, energy prices boosted the topline reading on the month-to-month change in price levels, as the CPI for energy jumped 0.9%, after registering a 3.2% increase in February. Retail gasoline prices averaged $3.91 nationally (across all formulations) in March, surging 7.4%… Read More ›
CPI Holds Steady while Real Rents Notch Third Consecutive Monthly Increase
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) remained unchanged for the second month in a row. An easing in prices across much of the energy commodities complex weighed on topline CPI growth throughout the fourth quarter of 2011, offsetting the gains in the core (all items less food and energy) and food… Read More ›
How Did Homeowners Use the Remodeling Tax Credit?
In a previous Eye on Housing post, NAHB examined the geographic distribution of 2009 claims of the $1,500 remodeling tax credit. We now have data from the IRS on specific kinds of energy-efficient and energy producing equipment that was installed in homes to qualify for the program, as reported on IRS Form 5695 (hat tip to Charlie McCrudden of the Air… Read More ›