Overview
- The president said he will move to prohibit large institutional buyers from purchasing single-family homes and asked Congress to codify the ban.
- He also instructed his representatives to acquire $200 billion in mortgage-backed securities to lower borrowing costs, citing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac reserves, but provided no timeline or mechanism.
- Shares of listed housing investors dropped after the announcements, with American Homes 4 Rent hitting a three-year low, Blackstone falling about 5%, and the PHLX housing index down roughly 2.1%.
- Trump did not indicate whether existing portfolios held by large landlords would be affected, and experts questioned how much these steps would reduce housing costs.
- Research cited in coverage shows big investors own a small share of single-family rentals nationally—around 3% overall but higher in certain metros—while elevated prices and mortgage rates near 6.2% continue to strain affordability.