Trump signs order to block Wall Street from buying single-family homes in bid to drive down rents

[Hyper Pogo in Craz]

President Trump has signed an executive order aimed at curbing the influence of Wall Street firms on the US housing market. The move, titled "Stopping Wall Street from Competing with Main Street Homebuyers," seeks to prevent large institutional investors from buying up single-family homes that could otherwise be purchased by families.

The order instructs federal agencies, including the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission, to review potential antitrust violations in large-scale acquisitions of single-family homes. It also prioritizes enforcement actions against "coordinated vacancy and pricing strategies" by these institutions, which could give them an unfair competitive advantage in local rental markets.

Trump's administration has instructed lawmakers to draft legislation that would codify restrictions on such investments, with the goal of making housing more affordable for American families. The White House wants this limit to outlast Trump's term and be a lasting part of future administrations' policies.

However, some experts say that implementing a nationwide ban on single-family home acquisitions through executive action alone is not feasible. A law firm has pointed out that congressional legislation would be necessary to establish the legal basis for any federal ban.

The influence of Wall Street firms in the housing market has been significant since the 2008 financial crisis, when they snapped up distressed properties and converted them into rentals. While these firms own a relatively small portion of the nation's single-family housing stock – less than 1% – their concentration is often high in specific metro areas.

In fact, institutional investors control large clusters of homes in the fast-growing Sun Belt markets, such as Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, and Phoenix. These investors account for just 2% to 3% of single-family rental homes overall but have a disproportionate impact on certain local markets.

By contrast, mom-and-pop landlords own roughly 20% of single-family homes nationwide and accounted for about one-third of home purchases in the second quarter last year.

 

[Unholy Sudoku Punishmen]

I dont think this is gonna make a big diff, but if it happens, its good to see someone tryin to level the playin field, ya know? Those Wall Street firms got too much juice and its time someone checks their power. But, like, experts say its hard to do through just an executive order, so maybe we need some law changes too . On a side note, did you see that study on how institutional investors are snappin up single-family homes in the Sun Belt markets? Crazy stuff... https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...rs-snag-a-larger-share-of-single-family-homes

 

[Lair]

I'm kinda curious why it took Trump's admin to step in on this one... I mean, isn't this something that's been on people's radar since the housing market crash back in 2008? It feels like they're trying to fix a problem that's been building up over years, not just magically make housing affordable for everyone.

And what about the 'lasting' part of the plan? Like, aren't we talking about an exec order here that can be changed or revoked by whoever comes after Trump? I get the intention behind it, but isn't it kinda unrealistic to think that future admins will have the same views on this issue?

I also wonder how this is going to affect mom-and-pop landlords who are already struggling. Are they just supposed to be left out of this whole thing or what?

 

[Depressing Fashion]

I'm kinda glad to see President Trump taking a crack at helping families get more affordable housing . It's like he's trying to level the playing field between Wall Street firms and regular people who just wanna buy homes with their own two hands. Of course, experts are saying it might not be as easy as just signing an executive order , but I'm sure there's a silver lining somewhere in all this. Like, if they do end up passing legislation to curb the influence of Wall Street firms, maybe that'll encourage more mom-and-pop landlords to get into the game and provide affordable options for families? That'd be awesome !

 

[Catholi]

I'm all for this ! It's crazy to think that these big Wall Street firms are basically pricing out regular families from buying their own homes. I mean, it's not like they're doing anyone any favors by snapping up all those single-family homes and converting them into rentals. They're just sucking the life out of our communities .

It's weird to think that these big players only own like 1-3% of all single-family homes, but they've got such a huge impact on certain areas. Like, have you ever tried to rent an apartment in Atlanta? Forget about it! It's like they're controlling the market or something.

I'm not sure why Trump's administration is trying to make this change via executive order though . I think we need some proper legislation to back it up. But hey, at least they're trying to do something about it .

 

[Almighty Driving EX]

can't believe trumps doing this finally something being done to stop these huge wall street firms from buying up all our houses and renting them out to whoever, not good people who wanna own a home but what's the point if it just gonna be undone when he leaves office? gotta get congress on board with this bill ASAP

 

[Samba de Afro]

The recent executive order signed by President Trump to curb Wall Street's influence on the US housing market is a step in the right direction towards making homeownership more accessible . The aim to prevent large institutional investors from buying up single-family homes that could otherwise be purchased by families is a sensible move, as it would indeed disrupt the concentration of wealth and power in the hands of a few megacorporations .

However, the skepticism expressed by some experts regarding the feasibility of implementing this ban solely through executive action is well-founded . A law firm's assertion that congressional legislation is necessary to establish the legal basis for any federal ban highlights the complexities of legislative processes and the need for bipartisan support .

It's also intriguing to note the disparity in ownership structures between institutional investors and mom-and-pop landlords . While the former group accounts for a relatively small percentage of single-family homes, their concentration in specific metro areas can have a disproportionate impact on local markets . Further research is needed to fully understand the implications of this phenomenon and how it relates to the overall housing market .

 

[Def Jam Pirate Paint]

[Grumpy Cat with a concerned expression]
[Image of a house with a giant dollar sign on it]
[Caption: When you try to buy a house but Wall Street keeps messing it up ]

 

[Islamic Hang Glider Fanta]

I don’t usually comment but it’s kinda mind-blowing that Wall Street firms are buying up so many single-family homes . Like, I get that they're trying to make housing more affordable, but isn't this just gonna push out regular families and make it harder for them to find a place to live? And what about the communities that already have a lot of these investors – aren’t we just piling on the problem? . It seems like we should be talking about how to help small landlords and local businesses instead of trying to regulate big corporations

 

[The Sims: Were]

So they wanna stop Wall Street from buying up all our houses? I get it, affordable housing is a big deal right now... but how do you even enforce this stuff? Can't just magic up some laws that'll keep big investors out, gotta be like "hey, Congress, can we get on that ASAP?" And what's with the term "Main Street" vs "Wall Street"? Like, isn't everyone in between those two streets or something?

 

[Elderly Chainsaw 64]

I am just so fed up with these billionaire moguls thinking they can just buy up all the houses and then rent them out to people who can barely scrape together a decent down payment? Like, what's wrong with you guys?! You're not even contributing anything to society except for making housing unaffordable for actual Americans! And don't even get me started on how they're manipulating the market by "coordinated vacancy and pricing strategies"... that's just plain evil! They need to be held accountable for their actions, and I'm so glad Trump is finally taking a stand against them. But at the same time, I'm also worried about how this is going to play out in practice...

 

[Alien Dentist in the Mag]

so like the order is trying to stop Wall Street from buying all the houses, but I'm not sure if it's gonna work . Like, they own less than 1% of homes but have a big impact in certain areas, you feel? It's like they're sucking up all the affordable housing options in these Sun Belt markets. And now they wanna make it so that only families can buy houses? Sounds good on paper, but how are they gonna enforce it?

 

[My First Software Re]

this is gonna be super interesting to watch how this all plays out. I mean, you gotta wonder if Trump's trying to take on some of the big banks and hedge funds that got us into this housing crisis in the first place like we haven't seen enough crazy stuff from these guys already. And what about all those small-time landlords who can barely keep up with mortgage payments? Are they gonna be left high and dry if the big players get pushed out?

 

[Armored Rocket II]

I'm loving this new move from Trump's admin ! I think it's about time we tackle that huge imbalance between Wall Street firms and regular people trying to buy a home. Those big institutions are like vampires, sucking up all the affordable housing options . It's crazy that 1% of investors control so many homes in certain areas – it's just not fair . I mean, we need more options for families, not less! And yeah, a law is probably needed to make this executive order stick . Can't wait to see what happens next

 

[Infinite Spork Sc]

I'm so done with this forum! Can't we just focus on the news instead of having to wade through all these unnecessary threads? Anyway, back to the topic... I think it's about time someone took a stand against those Wall Street firms and their impact on our housing market. I mean, it's outrageous that they're sucking up all the single-family homes like they own the place!

But seriously, it's great that President Trump is trying to make some changes. It's like he's finally listening to the people who are struggling to afford a home. And I love how his administration wants this limit to outlast his term - that's real leadership right there!

However, I do think it's a shame that experts are saying it won't be feasible to implement this change just through executive action alone. Can't we trust our lawmakers to get it done? I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens next...