At the very end of 2009, there was a surge of purchases of qualifying windows and doors for the $1,500 federal tax credit program. It's likely that many consumers didn't realize that they had another year to have qualifying products purchased and installed.

There will almost certainly be another surge at the end of 2010. This year, however, will be different than 2009 for several reasons:

1. There is no additional year in which to participate in the program.

2. To qualify for the credit, qualifying products must not only be purchased, they must be INSTALLED before Dec. 31, 2010.

3. Contractors installing replacement windows and doors will likely have a backlog of projects for homeowners who want to have their windows installed in time.

If you want to take advantage of the tax credit, you may want to take action immediately. Do your research on qualifying products and make decisions on what to purchase. Contact a dealer from whom to purchase qualifying windows and/or doors and ensure the dealer will install them before December 31. Unless it can be proved the windows and doors were installed in 2010, they will not be eligible for the federal tax credit.

For a concise, easy-to-understand overview of the tax credit program, see http://www.replacementwindows.org/2010/06/accurate-tax-credit-information/