Nik's Laws: Mortgage Interest Deductability

Eliminating the mortgage interest deductability on income taxes will have the effect of instantly reducing all house prices by 10-30%. Such an attempt to increase federal tax receipts would have the inverse effect, as it would push the economy soundly into a double-dip recession, would degrade the capital stock of most US financial institutions at a time of increased capital requirements, would push a new tier of homeowners underwater, and would trigger a new round of bankruptcies for those on the margin.