Blog the news

A post that Phoenix-based broker-owner Jay Thompson wrote for his blog, "The Phoenix Real Estate Guy," is turning up on page one of Google search results for "home buyers tax credit" — higher than the IRS, Realtor.org and mainstream news, he Tweets.

The tax credit is a hot topic right now because the new stimulus bill expands the existing $7,500 tax credit for first-time homebuyers (anyone who hasn’t owned a primary residence in the last three years) to $8,000, eliminates a requirement to repay the credit, and extends the previous July 1 sunset to Dec. 1.

That’s not quite as much as the $15,000 credit for all homebuyers that was in the Senate version of the bill, but the news is generating lots of interest on the Net. Thompson demonstrates how to capitalize on such news events: with a thorough, accurate table comparing the existing tax break to the new one.

Thompson doesn’t rank as high if you use the more formal search term, "home buyer tax credit" (with no s after buyer — both searches conducted without quotation marks). Nevertheless, an impressive accomplishment for a blog to land on page 1 of Google search results.

Another facet of massive stimulus bill that you can capitalize on in your blog because it’s getting lost or buried in many news stories: The legislation reinstates the higher $729,750 loan limit in high-cost areas in place for Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and FHA during much of 2008 (see Inman News story).

Get more tips on blogging from Thompson and more than 380 other members of Inman.com Real Estate Bloggers group.

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