Last week Shaun Donovan, Secretary of HUD, announced that the Obama administration is coming out with a plan to allow buyers to use the $8000 tax credit up front, as a down payment. The plan will apparently be to utilize FHA to monetize this credit.

Basically lenders that provide FHA loans will be allowed to show an $8000 down payment at settlement, coming from the tax credit. Full details are not yet available, but presumably there will be additional paperwork to sign at settlement acknowledging the source of this financing and waiving the right to the tax credit in the future.

We don't know all the details yet. There may be eligibility restrictions that aren't immediately obvious.

And, of course, some of you will still prefer to have the $8000 tax credit. This appears to be an option. You should be able to take the credit now as a down payment or use it as originally intended for a tax credit on your 2009 income taxes.

More details should be available this week.