Will do!!!

Hi everyone.

I am very excited that Rep. Rengal has introduced House Bill H.R. 3590 Service Members Home Ownership Tax Act of 2009.

Well it is not a done deal yet. Still has to move throughout the legislative process.

So here is what we can do now. Contact members of the house Ways and Means committee (I have provided the contact info below) and lets drum up some additional support and ask that they get this moving as expeditiously as possible. There are already 29 who support the bill. After it passes the house then it has to pass the Senate and then it is Sent to the President. We probably should ask him to request it (like tomorrow LOL!!) but when I contacted come of the members of the committee I expressed to them that there are a great deal of people whom this bill is important to and that in many cases we have been waiting since March to get the ball moving so lets not hold this up any longer.

So here is the info



1. Charles B. Rangel, NY
2. Fortney Pete Stark, CA
3. Sander M. Levin, MI
4. Jim McDermott, WA
5. John Lewis, GA
6. Richard E. Neal, MA
7. John S. Tanner, TN
8. Xavier Becerra, CA
9. Lloyd Doggett, TX
10. Earl Pomeroy, ND
11. Mike Thompson, CA
12. John B. Larson, CT
13. Earl Blumenauer, OR
14. Ron Kind, WI
15. Bill Pascrell Jr., NJ
16. Shelley Berkley, NV
17. Joseph Crowley, NY
18. Chris Van Hollen, MD
19. Kendrick B. Meek, FL
20. Allyson Y. Schwartz, PA
21. Artur Davis, AL
22. Danny K. Davis, IL
23. Bob Etheridge, NC
24. Linda T. Sánchez, CA
25. Brian Higgins, NY
26. John A. Yarmuth, KY


(202) 225-3625

Okay lets get to work....

1. Dave Camp, MI
2. Wally Herger, CA
3. Sam Johnson, TX
4. Kevin Brady, TX
5. Paul Ryan, WI
6. Eric Cantor, VA
7. John Linder, GA
8. Devin Nunes, CA
9. Patrick J. Tiberi, OH
10. Ginny Brown-Waite, FL
11. Geoff Davis, KY
12. David G. Reichert, WA
13. Charles W. Boustany Jr., LA
14. Dean Heller, NV
15. Peter J. Roskam, IL

We need to keep pressing legislators...Ways and Means Committee has no meetings scheduled as of today to push H.R. 3590 forward. That can change in a moment though according to staffers. As we all know- Health Care is the major distractor from all else at the moment. We do have the benefit of it being Rep. Rangel's bill. Calling Rep. Nancy Pelosi's office may help as well, since she is Speaker and has a lot of influence on the agenda.

I heard a rumor is spreading through Army Corps chain that rules may publish next week and adjust as needed when legislation passes (think that means they withold taxes till then)--remembering there is also a 30-90 day open comment period for the rules....processing "in order of severity" (that definition should be interesting). As usual....stay tuned!

Hi everyone...

Just contacted the House Ways and Means Committee and was informed that the bill H.R. 3590 has been sent to the Senate Finance Committee.......

Did get confirmation from OSD that HAP rules are in line to publish on Federal Register this week. Unfortunately, Army Corps will indeed withhold taxes from any application processed before HR 3590 passes. Then those applicants will have their own "recovery" effort to deal with tax wise. Complete PCS applications are processing in chronological order of PCS transfer date.

The moment we have waited for...well sort of! Expanded Homeowner Assistance Program Interim Rule publishes on the Federal Register Wednesday. The rules are generally the same as originally published guidelines on Army Corps site. Greatest change is applications are to process in chronological order from transfer date for PCS applicants. See the 26 pages of Iterim rule here-
http://www.federalregister.gov...ta/2009-23418_PI.pdf

Unfortunately, taxes will be withheld from any payments under current rules. We all are waiting for Congress to take action on H.R. 3590. Please contact your Congressional representatives as well as Rep. Pelosi and Rep. Rangel. Request they support Service Members by expediting passage of H.R. 3590!

I'm not sure what all this bill entails, but, I would advise active duty members to be very very cautious about purchasing a home at this time. I don't believe I would if I were still on active duty, unless it was in the area I planned on retiring in.

What needs to be looked at is the resale potential. How easy or difficult will it be to unload that house at the completion of your tour. It doesn't take many months of a house sitting empty to drain your savings accounts..

Move cautiously...

Wray...

Wray this bill is a part of the stimulus package and is offering assistance to military members who are trying to sell their home as they depart PCS.

Okay I am having a little difficulty interpreting the actual benefit calculation...any one have any solutions yet?

Pat,
Thanks for clarifying that for me... Sure glad I'm not trying to sell a house these days.. Maybe in a year or two I'll sell my Mothers town house down here...

Wray...

H.R. 3590, the bill to "fix" the Expanded HAP tax problems, also includes a provision to extend the $8,000 tax credit timeline for deployed military personnel. As Wray sugested...consider very carefully the near future implications (next 3-5 years) if you are thinking of buying now.

Buying where you plan to retire sounds promising!

HAP Sacramento District said today they were trying to get the first checks off the line to 11 people by tomorrow. Wounded Warriors and Surving Spouses...moving along.

Also, looks like the House passed H.R. 3590 to make HAP tax free today! Now we need Senate to pass S. 1728

FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 768
H R 3590 Needed 2/3 YEA-AND-NAY 8-Oct-2009 12:15 PM
QUESTION: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass
BILL TITLE: Service Members Home Ownership Tax Act


Yeas Nays PRES NV
Democratic 243 12
Republican 173 4
Independent
TOTALS 416 Yeas 16 Didn't vote

Yes! Legislators attached our HAP tax piece as a rider to an unrelated but popular bill. In a vote of 403-12 the Senate moves HR.3548 on for Presidential signature. I certainly hope the rumor it will be signed tomorrow is correct.

Not to be a downer...we need to keep in mind that there are quite a few applications in line to be processed. HAP Sacramento is leading the way in processing. Representatives there have said legal department is working out paperwork challenges on the "Government Acquisition" piece. As well "Final Rule" is yet to be published. There were expected to be some changes in teh way the 10% decline in value is calculated. As well- legal was working on guidelines for possible coverage of mobilized Reservists.

Are you going for Government Acquisition because you do not have the money for the 10% cost share? If so, and are a PCS or BRAC applicant and your property does not yet have a buyer- you need to find one. That is a fact not yet published on the HAP website. The governement is not set up to keep your house in inventory. Basically- you find the Buyer, Government buys from you, Government sells to your Buyer 1-10 days later. If you were waiting for these rules and hurdles to clear up to list your property its time to move!

More to come as it becomes available...HAP is no longer HAPless!

If anyone has a copy of the DD1607 pdf application for HAP I would greatly appreciate it being email'd to me. The official site has been down for some time an I have no way to get it.

Please email it to bvanallen@verizon.net

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help!