• Many home builders are organized as pass-through entities, so looming tax increases could hit them.
• The tax rates popularly known as the Bush tax cuts are due to die Dec. 31, and rates would revert to previous levels on income, dividends and capital gains.
• Both chambers of Congress are away from Washington on an extended break, and it's unclear whether the House and Senate will agree on anything before the election. That would leave it to a lame-duck session to make a decision.

From the article:

By a vote of 51 to 48, the Senate on July 25 narrowly approved a Democratic proposal to extend the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts through 2013 for individuals earning less than $200,000 per year and couples earning up to $250,000 annually. The Democratic plan would also allow taxes on long-term capital gains and dividends to rise and cause the estate tax rate to revert back to its highest level since 2001. ...