Let’s be real, your mortgage isn’t getting cheaper, and your paychecks aren’t significantly increasing either. So, it’s safe to say you probably aren’t looking forward to those monthly mortgage payments.
Notably, the latest Case-Shiller Index Report indicated home prices were increasing at least twice the rate of inflation.
This, paired with slight cent increases in wages, have left homeowners nationwide struggling to keep up with their mortgages.
One New Jersey senator is looking to bring his constituents some relief.
According to an article in New Jersey 101.5, State Sen. Troy Singleton, D-Burlington, is sponsoring a measure that could potentially help homeowners cover an extra mortgage payment by offering a tax credit of up to $1,000.
Singleton’s effort counters federal tax-code changes made at the end of 2017, which capped write-offs for state and local taxes at $10,000.
Under Singleton's measure, single homeowners making $125,000 a year or married couples making $250,000 a year are eligible for a credit on state taxes of up to 50% of their mortgage prepayments, according to the article, with a cap at $1,000.
This tax credit would be offered for 10 years to individuals with a 15- or 30-year mortgage on their primary residence, or other refinanced mortgages that require regular payments.
Singleton said he hopes this will ensure homeowners pay off their mortgages faster and give them more financial flexibility, according to the article.
Luckily for New Jerseyites, the measure has been approved by the Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee and is currently headed to the Budget Committee for approval.
Singleton said if all goes well, he hopes the bill we be passed in the fall and reviewed by the governor early next year.
