Webber on the First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit

Sarah Webber (Dayton) has posted Don't Burst the Bubble: An Analysis of the First-Time Homebuyer Credit and its Use as an Economic Policy Tool (John Marshall Law Review) on SSRN.  Here's the abstract:

In 2008, faced with a looming real estate crisis, Congress hastily acted to stabilize the economy by offering a first-time homebuyer credit. This tax credit was trumpeted as a solution to the excess inventory of homes for sale and to stop the free-fall in home values. The credit, however, failed to deliver on its promises. By analyzing the first-time homebuyer credit, its creation, its implementation and its economic impact, this Article concludes that, when compared to alternative policy solutions, Congress erred in using the tax code to implement a first-time homebuyer credit.

Steve Clowney