When you start looking at all the new government measures and what they mean for real estate investing, you won’t be blamed for thinking that it almost appears to be an all-out assault on the housing market.

Despite the government’s claim that it is doing everything it can to help homeowners, the facts and proposed bills now seem to tell a completely different story. Perhaps that is why the president of the National Association of Realtors, Ron Phipps, appeared in a recent article in the Hartford Business Journal where he described real estate values ​​as under blatant attack.

We’ve all heard of the recently proposed employment plan that is likely to have a neutral effect on the housing market at best, even if it passes. Then there’s the qualified residential mortgage rule that threatens to force home buyers to pay 3% more for a home loan or have to wait another 9 to 14 years to qualify for a loan.

However, it is perhaps some of the proposals that go unnoticed that present the greatest threats to the housing market. This includes a reduction or elimination of the Mortgage Interest Reduction for homeowners. For the past 100 years, this tax deduction has been a great incentive for individuals and families to buy rather than rent, and taking it away would essentially mean an immediate tax increase for homeowners equal to thousands of dollars a year. even for low and middle income. families NAR economists have predicted that this alone could cause home values ​​to drop by 15% and wipe out $ 2.5 trillion in home equity nationwide. Then to add a little icing to this cake, you have the possible FHA loan limit lowering. With 30% of home buyers using FHA loans to buy today, this could close the door for many more potential homeowners.

We still have to wait to see what the Obama millionaire tax actually looks like, but given everything else that’s going on, this may be the least of real estate investors’ concerns. Although it clearly seems a bit unfair to punish those who have been more responsible with their money than the government by making them give more profits.

If that wasn’t enough, today the Obama Administration launched new plans that include a series of fees on everything from airfare to mortgages, as well as more payroll deductions for federal employees.

Despite appearances, surely this is not really an attack on the housing market or investors by the current administration, more likely a series of desperate acts and poor decisions.