A new house for Valentine's Day? Wasn't jewelry expensive enough?

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Coldwell Banker. All opinions are 100% mine.

Everyone last year heard about the "First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit," an $8000 credit for people who first bought a home in 2009. That credit's been extended, and expanded to include people who aren't buying a home for a first time.

That's right: Even if you own a home now, you can qualify for a version of the tax credit if you buy a new home in 2010. The expansion applies to those homeowners who want to move up, or on, or trade their house and have been living in their house for the past 5 years. If that's you, then you might be able to buy a new house in 2010, getting a newer, more modern house to replace that draft old barn you've been living in, or a bigger house to accommodate those new kids/tax credits you added in 2009, or just a better neighborhood.

So now, in 2010, if you buy your first house, ever, you can get up to $8,000 in tax credits.

Or if you're buying a house and haven't owned one in the past three years, you can qualify, too, for a tax credit.

Or, if you've been living in the same place for 5 years or more, you might be eligible for up to $6,500 in tax credits just for moving.

There are a few conditions on the program: Right now, the credit is only available to people who have a written binding contract to buy signed before April 30, 2010 (and the contract must close the purchase by June 30, 2010). And it's mainly available for singles making up to $125,000 per year (or married people making up to $225,000) (there's a phase-out at higher incomes, so check with a broker or accountant or advisor, if you think you might still qualify.) Check up on the details and find out just which aspect of the program is right for you.

So get going now to take advantage of all the 2010 Homebuyer Tax Credits that are available for you -- you can click that link and begin a new home search right this second. Don't even bother telling your wife about it . Just surprise her for Valentine's Day. Women love that stuff.