My wife and I bought a home, but decided not to move to the city because of a new job. Sold the house without ever living there. Why did I get a 1099-R?

[treyton1]

We took a massive loss on the house because of issues with the integrity of the home. We later purchased another home before the original home was sold.

[Opus 17]

Sale of a home is reported on a 1099-S.  Since this was a sale of your personal home (or what was intended to be your personal home), the loss is not taxable, but you need to report it.  Complete the section in turbotax for "sale of your home" and report the purchase price, date, selling price, and date, and if you sold at a loss, you can't deduct it, but you won't have a taxable gain.

A 1099-R is only used for distributions from a qualified retirement account.  If you got a 1099-R, someone probably made a mistake.

[DoninGA]

I believe you meant that you received a Form 1099-S for the sale of the home which shows the proceeds you received..

A Form 1099-R has noting to do with a home sale.  You would receive a Form 1099-R if you made a withdrawal from a tax deferred retirement plan, such as an IRA or 401(k).  Or you received a pension from a former employer.

[BillM223]

Opus is right. If the 1099-R was in reference to your home sale, this is a mistake, and you should contact the name of the Payer and ask them to correct it (otherwise the IRS will think that you got a retirement plan, pension, or IRA distribution that you failed to declare as income).

For the sake of others reading this post, the 1099-S is not always issued for home sales, but if it is, as Opus says, you have to put it on your return.