$8000 for 1st time home buyer - $4500 cash for clunkers - what's next?

Actually there are a couple of programs out there for people like us, but we have to spend money making our home's energy efficient to qualify. Like if you put in new windows, install solar panels, insulate, or put in a tank-less water heater. The problem is if your home was built in the last few years, it is probably all ready pretty energy efficient in many of those areas. And, even though the cost of solar panels is offset by federal and state tax credits, for my home it would be about a $25,000 outlay of cash with at least a 12-15 year pay back if I stayed in my home till I die! LIL

Eskie is correct about the home improvements thing. There are lots of tax rebates for improving your energy efficiency via home improvements.

Secondly, interest rates are at an all time low because of the Federla Reserve's Mortgage Treasury Bond Purchase Program.... As long as you have been on time with your home payments, you can refinance into the rediculously low interest rates availible right now. You can save 200-500 dollars a month or pay the home off sooner (saving tens/hundreds of thousands of dollars). That savings is NET (non-tax deductible, 500 dollars in your pocket every month!)...

You might be skeptical, but just checkout mortgagenewsdaily.com for an idea of what the rates are nowadays. If you can improve that number, consolidate debt, improve your cash flow, get cash-out for home improvements... now's the time to do it.

Don't count on it. All of these tax breaks WILL come around and bite us all in the rear eventually. In a time of declining tax revenues and the Spend-o-crats unwilling to cut spending on social programs...both of these WILL contribute to higher taxes.

Hopefully $100 for Beer and Alcohol

YOU are the TARGET. The government has no intention of helping YOU.

Please note: I AM bashing the programs you mentioned, and PRAYING there are NOT more coming.

Apparently, rebates on energy-efficient appliances is next...

http://www.mahalo.com/cash-for-clunkers-appliances

You need to hope there is not because the gov has to rein in this spending or it will be catastrophic!