The $8,000 federal tax credit for first-time home buyers is soon to expire, causing anxious house hunters to hustle and prompting a debate in Congress over extending a program that some say is central to the fragile real estate recovery.

Nicole and Jared Kitchen, with son Dillon, say the tax re…Nicole Kitchen, with son Dillon, says the tax rebate help…

The rebate is available to anyone who has not owned a home in the past three years. The government introduced the program in February as part of the stimulus package, and several studies estimate that by the Nov. 30 expiration date, it will have spurred several hundred thousand home sales.

The real estate industry in California and across the nation is lobbying Congress to extend the credit through next summer. Meanwhile, local Realtors and prospective buyers are eager to complete sales – which sometimes take months – not knowing whether the credit will be continued.

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