Pulte Homes Inc., one of the country's largest home builders, said it will match a new $7,500 tax credit for first-time homebuyers with its own $7,500 discount on homes.
The goal of Pulte's offer is "to draw attention not only to our homes but to the housing market in general," Richard J. Dugas, the builder's president and chief executive, said Monday.
Builders lobbied hard for the credit, which was signed into law last week as part of a housing rescue package.
The National Association of Home Builders launched a Web site to promote the credit,
First-time homebuyers account for 40% of all buyers, according to the group. The industry sees them as critical to reviving the housing market, because they do not have to unload a home before buying one.
