> At a Glance
> – Donald Trump vows to bar big investors from buying single-family homes
> – Proposal aims to help first-time buyers, but investors own just 1% of stock
> – President plans full details at Davos in two weeks
> – Why it matters: Housing affordability dominates voter concerns ahead of midterms
President Trump on Wednesday declared war on corporate home ownership, promising legislation to stop large investors from snapping up houses he says should go to young families.
The Ban Plan
Trump posted:
> “People live in homes, not corporations,”
and demanded Congress outlaw institutional buyers that currently hold roughly one in every 100 U.S. single-family homes, according to American Enterprise Institute data.
Concentration is higher in Sun Belt metros:
- Atlanta: 4.2%
- Dallas: 2.6%
- Houston: 2.2%
The Bigger Picture
Goldman Sachs estimates 3-4 million extra homes are needed to cool prices. Rising mortgage rates since the pandemic have widened the affordability gap, while new construction lags.
Trump acknowledged the tension:
> “I don’t want to knock those numbers down because I want them to continue to have a big value for their house. At the same time, I want to make it possible for young people… to buy housing. In a way, they’re at conflict.”
He has also floated 50-year mortgages to shrink monthly payments, a move critics say would erode equity growth.
Key Takeaways
- Institutional ownership is statistically small nationally
- Local impact varies, often in lower- and middle-income areas
- Supply shortage and rate hikes remain the core hurdles
- Trump will unveil broader reforms at Davos
The president’s pledge puts housing affordability center-stage as midterm voters grapple with record prices.
