The First Time Home Buyer's credit offer is quickly reaching the end of its line with the closing deadline just in sight on Dec. 1.

The program provides $8,000 for people buying or building their first home; and couples making less than $150,000 per year can qualify for the full credit.

Raleigh resident Pam Lewis has never owned her own home, but that may change soon.

"Just trying to decide if it was a good idea or a good move for me and my family," Lewis said.

She is cramming in as many home tours as she can right now, mainly because she wants to take advantage of the credit before it expires in less than two months.

"I have to make my mind up pretty quickly since I started so late in the process," Lewis said.

That deadline is a little deceiving, because finding and buying a new home is something that nobody can really do at the last second.

"With the lending guidelines changing a little bit, it's going to actually take anywhere between 30 ... to more like 45 days," Fonville-Morisey realtor Mark Connor said.

Connor says he's seen an influx of people trying to beat that Dec. 1 deadline.

"The ideal time is to try and get something under contract now," Connor said.

Real estate agents nationwide are hoping to see an extension of the tax credit, and have been lobbying the federal government to keep it going.

So far, though, there's been no decision.

"We've got our fingers crossed that hopefully that will happen," Connor said. "But we don't want any buyers to miss the boat and say, 'Hey, we're going to see.' We'd rather that they go ahead and get in now so they don't miss the deadline."

Lewis says she's "100 percent" confident she won't be one of those people.

NBC17 will be hosting a phone bank of real estate agents, home inspectors and mortgage experts Wednesday night live in studio.

You can call into the phone bank from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. by calling (888) 309-7437.

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