Can Trump make buying a home more affordable?

The podcast explores the increasing difficulty of buying a house and examines potential solutions proposed by the Trump administration. It highlights the story of James, a National Guard member stationed in Djibouti to save for a down payment, as an extreme example of the lengths people go to in order to afford housing. The discussion centers on whether large Wall Street investors are driving up housing prices by buying single-family homes. Economist Caitlin Gorbach's research reveals that institutional investors own a small percentage of overall housing units but have a larger presence in certain Sunbelt cities. The conversation also covers the administration's plan to lower mortgage rates by purchasing mortgage-backed securities, though experts suggest this may have limited impact and carries risks for taxpayers.