$15,000 housing tax credit dead

The $15,000 house buyer tax credit is going to be wiped out of the reconciled bill between the house and the senate.  It will be replaced with a $7,500 credit, which is still better than the $7,500 15 year interest free loan that is currently available.

My biggest beef?  This is not a true stimulus, because it will likely be retroactive, applying to those who purchased houses as far back as January 1.  If the goal is just to stimulate housing sales, it would be better to make it for the future only.  However, this credit may be used to spend on a house, at stores like Home Depot, which would then make it more of a stimulus.  But who knows what the buyers will do with it?