06/12/2026
A new analysis from the National Association of Realtors® finds that 50% of homeowners in New Hampshire have more home equity than the IRS currently allows to be excluded from capital gains tax. And 9.3% of married couples filing jointly owners exceed even the $500,000 threshold.
That’s because the federal capital gains exclusion—$250,000 for individuals, $500,000 for joint filers—hasn’t changed since 1997. But in the decades since, home values have skyrocketed, growing more than 260% nationwide. Now, middle-class homeowners in states like New Hampshire are hitting limits originally designed for luxury markets.
That’s why NHAR will be discussing the More Homes on the Market Act with our federal congressional delegation.The proposed law would double the capital gains exclusion and index it to inflation—something experts say should have happened decades ago.
