Housing Virginia, a statewide nonprofit dedicated to affordable housing, and the Virginia Association of Realtors will produce a quarterly housing-affordability index for the state beginning in January. The index will be a broad measure of housing affordability that compares housing and rental costs with household incomes. “Basically what we’re looking at is presenting the percentage of a typical Virginia household’s income necessary to afford the typical home in Virginia,“ said R. Scott Brunner, chief executive officer of the Virginia Association of Realtors.

Missed out on Cash for Clunkers? Congress has another deal for you: Buy a home before May 1 and collect up to $6,500 from the government. If you’re a first-time homebuyer, get up to $8,000. As part of efforts to encourage people to spend money to help revive the economy, the House voted yesterday to expand a popular tax credit for homebuyers.

Incident in Northern Virginia prompts reminder that real estate agents must call “Miss Utility” before planting “for sale” signs.

Fourteen housing nonprofits will join together during the week of April 20-25 to host the Richmond region’s second Affordable Housing Awareness Week. It is an interesting time to hold such an event, because many people believe that housing affordability is a far less pressing issue today than it was five years ago or even just nine months ago.