Parents Should Consider Homes as Gifts

Parents Should Consider Homes as Gifts Parents who are looking for a gift to give their kids this holiday season should consider a house. With prices in the cellar, this could be a terrific year to give a down payment or even the whole home.

The Internal Revenue Service says a married couple can each give gifts of $13,000 of money or property without triggering taxes for the gift givers or the recipients.

That means a married couple can give another married couple a total of $52,000 a year.

To maximize that they can give $52,000 in December and another $52,000 in January for a total of $104,000 to be used on a property before the federal tax credit expires. This would buy a house in some parts of the country and be sufficient for a down payment in most others.

Source: The Wall Street Journal, June Fletcher (11/27/2009)
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