Tax Reform Must Keep Homeowners in Mind

There’s a reason homeownership is still considered the “American Dream.” A home is a place to create memories, a means for building wealth, and a pathway to strength and stability in the communities we all call home.

Here in North Texas, things are no different, and that’s something for lawmakers to remember as Congress embarks on an effort for comprehensive tax reform.

Middle-class families have built wealth for centuries through homeownership and real estate investment. Homeownership allows families to protect themselves against rising rents and inflation, while offering an opportunity to build equity over time.

Let’s face it: most families can’t get a loan to purchase stocks or invest in a mutual fund, but they can get a safe mortgage product at competitive rates to invest in a home. It’s a tremendous mechanism for building wealth that shouldn’t be taken away.

Best of all, homeowners aren’t the only ones who benefit. For every two homes sold, a job is created. In all, home sales support an average of more than 2.5 million private-sector jobs every year. At $3 trillion, real estate accounts for more than 16 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product.

That’s a big part of why, for over a century, the American tax code has incentivized homeowners. The country’s leaders acknowledge that a strong, stable housing market is good for everyone, which is why it deserves support.

Important tax incentives such as the mortgage interest deduction and the state and local tax deduction are a part of the tax code to ensure all creditworthy families have a fighting chance at the American Dream.

If those incentives went away, homebuyers would see their dream pushed further out of reach, while current homeowners would have the welcome mat pulled right out from under them.

Comprehensive tax reform is a worthy goal, and our lawmakers should be applauded for their ambitions approach.

As Congress continues working through this process, however, the incentives that put homeownership within reach for millions of Americans deserve full-throated support from both sides of the aisle.

About The Greater Fort Worth Association of REALTORS®

The Greater Fort Worth Association of REALTORS® was established in 1918 and has spent a century representing the real estate industry in the Greater Fort Worth area. With over 3,200 REALTOR® and affiliate members, GFWAR is a strong advocate for real estate professionals and private property owners. For more information, visit www.gfwar.org.

This story was originally published November 5, 2017 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Tax Reform Must Keep Homeowners in Mind."