Tangle Trump's housing affordability proposals.
30 snips
Jan 15, 2026 The podcast dives into Trump's recent actions to tackle rising homeownership costs, including directing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to buy $200 billion in mortgage bonds. There's a heated debate between left-leaning critiques advocating for more housing supply and the conservative perspective favoring deregulation. The hosts discuss the potential pitfalls of banning institutional buyers, highlighting that such measures may not significantly affect affordability. Ari proposes taxing second homes to alleviate vacancy rates, sparking dissent from Isaac about its economic implications.
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How Fannie And Freddie Stabilize Mortgages
- Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac buy mortgages to provide liquidity and stability in the mortgage market.
- After 2008 the government capped their holdings and they currently hold about $247 billion combined.
Bond Purchases Lower Rates But Not Supply
- The White House ordered $200 billion in mortgage-bond purchases to push mortgage rates down.
- Such purchases can lower rates but they don't increase housing supply, a core affordability issue.
Targeting Institutional Buyers Has Local Impact
- The administration also proposed banning large institutional investors from buying more single-family homes.
- Institutional investors own a small national share but can be concentrated in some local markets and affect prices there.