($250,000 for singles) in home-sales gains from taxes. "For the first time, this freed people to make housing choices based on their needs and desires rather than on avoiding that tax consequence," Molony says. Before, the incentive was to trade up. Now, downsizing is popular with boomers selling big family homes that have appreciated mightily. With pockets full of cash equity, many can buy both a smaller home and a vacation house or investment property. Tooltip Information: Home Prices & Elections Video by: Description: In the 10 largest U.S. housing markets, prices are down 2.4 percent from January 2009 through August 2012, reports CNBC's Diana Olick. Also, a look at whether either candidate will have any impact on housing prices, with David Lykken, Mortgage Banking Solutions, and Christopher Thornberg, Beacon Economics Principal.