According to NAR research, the percentage of first-time homebuyers has risen from roughly one-third of all buyers in January to just under half in March and April. Why the sudden jump??

The answer is simple: those buyers have an $8,000 incentive, in the form of a tax credit, to buy now.

We’ve heard from a lot of members lately who would like to see the tax credit expanded.

I recently asked our Chief Economist Lawrence Yun what the impact on the market would be if Congress extended the credit through 2010 and offered it to all homebuyers. According to Lawrence, those changes could result in 800,000 additional home sales this year, raising the total from 5.4 million to 6.2 million. That would certainly take a big bite out of inventory and help stabilize prices.

And, that’s not all…

When you consider that for each home sold in the United States $62,000 is pumped into the national economy, the resulting impact of expanding the credit could be nearly $50 billion. That’s what I call a true economic stimulus!

NAR is working with members of Congress to introduce legislation that would expand and extend the credit. We will keep you posted on those efforts in the months ahead.

In the meantime, we would love to hear your stories about how the tax credit is helping consumers in your local markets. Post your experiences right here on the Voices of Real Estate blog, and we’ll share them with lawmakers. Help us tell Congress to give credit where it is due – to ALL homebuyers. – Charles McMillan, 2009 NAR President