August 26, 2010
In an article reporting on the plunge in new home sales reported for July, the NYT wrongly told readers that “July was the first month that home buyers could no longer qualify for a tax credit of as much as $8,000, which analysts said may have contributed to the decline.” The end of the tax credit was a major factor in the plunge in existing home sales reported on Tuesday, but not the drop in new home sales.
The existing homes series refers to the closings on existing home sales. These sales were typically contracted 6-8 weeks earlier. While the homes that were closed in June likely qualified for the homebuyers tax credit, this would not be true of the existing homes that closed in July.
However the new home sales refer to contracts signed for selling new homes. May, not July, was the first month in which contracts would not qualify for the tax credit.
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