Donald Trump

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President Donald Trump

President Donald Trump says he wants to block large institutions from buying single-family homes, arguing that housing should belong to people, not corporations.
The proposal lands as U.S. home prices and mortgage costs sit near record highs, keeping many first-time buyers locked out of the market.
One billionaire investor says the idea makes sense, even if the details are still unclear.
<a href="https://www.thestreet.com/crypto/markets/wall-street-veteran-drops-major-hint-ahead-of-trumps-friday-tariff-ruling" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Related: Wall Street veteran drops major hint ahead of Trump’s Friday tariff ruling</a>
<h2 id="what-trump-s-ban-on-institutional-home-buying-means">What Trump’s ban on institutional home buying means</h2>
In a <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/115855059527504524" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">post shared</a> on Jan. 7, President Donald Trump said he is “immediately taking steps to ban large institutional investors from buying more single family homes,” adding that he will push Congress to “codify it.”
Trump framed the move as a response to affordability strain, writing that:
<blockquote>
 “Buying and owning a home” was once “the pinnacle of the American Dream,” but is now “increasingly out of reach for far too many people, especially younger Americans.”
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U.S. <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-existing-home-sales-increase-moderately-november-2025-12-19" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">housing data</a> backs up the pressure.&nbsp;
The median price for an existing home hit a record high in 2025, while <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/us-home-price-rises-stay-modest-mortgage-rates-stick-2025-12-10" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">mortgage rates</a> stayed above 6%, pushing monthly payments further out of reach for many first-time buyers.
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 <img src="https://www.thestreet.com/.image/c_fit%2Ch_800%2Cw_1200/MjE0MjIyOTg3NzU3MzY1MDg1/trump.jpg" height="800" width="1199">
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 US President Donald Trump
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Even with sales volumes near historic lows, limited inventory and years of <a href="https://privatebank.jpmorgan.com/nam/en/insights/markets-and-investing/tmt/a-shortage-of-supply-the-housing-market-explained" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">underbuilding </a>have kept prices elevated, reinforcing the political appeal of targeting institutional demand.
<h2 id="why-mark-cuban-s-response-matters">Why Mark Cuban’s response matters</h2>
In an exclusive response to TheStreet Roundtable,&nbsp;Billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban said he supports the idea in principle.
<blockquote>
 “I’m fine with it,” Cuban said, when asked about Trump’s proposal. “If it has some unintended consequences, they can always unwind it.”
</blockquote>
Cuban’s reaction carries weight because he sits at the intersection of business, investing and policy debates. He has<a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/mark-cuban-top-housing-affordability-180015154.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com&amp;guccounter=1&amp;guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly9jaGF0Z3B0LmNvbS8&amp;guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAFZBTm5o4o-aw5NyyFDIfNleOEntyb5y4eSPjTSDrJcUqRfIGyk16-Xw599YB0EZGijcQbA_ul7_0pj6ejYoOp2-MsXQdjwhNsYYud0zdIZDvBpnC9HZyQIw50R-s0B5RJWLZ3F6AIzOurYupAzZzMw3NP3hxUsK623f7Xlxq4nS" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow"> long argued</a> that affordability issues are shaped by multiple forces, including insurance costs, supply constraints and local regulation.
<h3 id="popular-on-thestreet-roundtable">Popular on TheStreet Roundtable:</h3>
<ul>
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 <li><a href="https://www.thestreet.com/crypto/markets/u-s-housing-crisis-sparks-boom-in-crypto-backed-mortgages" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">U.S. housing crisis sparks boom in crypto-backed mortgages</a></li>
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</ul>
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 <img src="https://www.thestreet.com/.image/c_fit%2Ch_800%2Cw_1200/MjE4MDAwMzMwMTU4MjUzNjcw/mark-cuban.jpg" height="800" width="1200">
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 Billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban 
 Getty Images
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When pressed on what unintended consequences might look like, Cuban said they are hard to predict in advance.
<blockquote>
 &nbsp;“Meaning you can’t anticipate everything,” he said, adding “I don’t know what they could be.”
</blockquote>
His answer highlights both the appeal and the risk of blunt policy tools.&nbsp;
While restricting large buyers could ease competition in some markets, it does not address the deeper <a href="https://www.goldmansachs.com/insights/articles/the-outlook-for-us-housing-supply-and-affordability" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">shortage of homes</a> that economists say is the main driver of high prices.
<h2 id="housing-stress-and-the-emerging-crypto-angle">Housing stress and the emerging crypto angle</h2>
The housing crunch is also feeding into broader shifts in how younger investors think about wealth and risk.
Crypto commentator MAGS argued that Trump’s stance on real estate could strengthen the appeal of digital assets.
<a href="https://x.com/Crypto_Mags/status/2009004509713014796?s=20" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">She wrote</a> that while institutions may be curbed in housing, policies in recent years have made it easier for large players to hold digital assets instead.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
 The bull case for Bitcoin just got stronger: Trump wants to ban large institutions from buying real estate Meanwhile his administration enabled policies that make it easier for institutions to buy and hold digital real estate in 2025. The institutions are coming for your BTC <a href="https://t.co/MWeyoQgyYI" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">pic.twitter.com/MWeyoQgyYI</a>— MAGS 🔑⛏️🚒 (@Crypto_Mags) <a href="https://twitter.com/Crypto_Mags/status/2009004509713014796?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">January 7, 2026</a>
</blockquote>
Market data reinforces the pressure point.&nbsp;
Financial data provider Barchart <a href="https://x.com/Barchart/status/2008927870538916000?s=20" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">said </a>the U.S. housing market has reached its most unaffordable level on record, a claim echoed by long-term charts showing inflation-adjusted home prices well above prior peaks.
As traditional paths to homeownership narrow, some analysts say crypto is being viewed less as speculation and more as an alternative store of value or entry point into <a href="https://www.thestreet.com/crypto/explained/what-is-tokenization-explained" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">tokenized </a>real estate and crypto-backed lending.
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 Image shared by Barchart on X
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<a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5770722" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Research cited</a> by major financial outlets has also linked worsening housing affordability to higher risk-taking among younger adults, including increased exposure to cryptocurrencies.
<h2 id="political-signal-not-a-silver-bullet">Political signal, not a silver bullet</h2>
Trump’s proposal would not force existing institutional landlords to sell homes, and turning it into law would require congressional approval and clear definitions of what qualifies as a large investor.
Still, the announcement sends a strong political signal.&nbsp;
Housing affordability has become a central economic issue, and policymakers are under pressure to show action ahead of 2026 U.S. elections.
For now, Cuban’s reaction captures the mood. The idea may resonate with frustrated buyers, but its real impact will depend on execution, follow-through and whether deeper structural problems are addressed.
<a href="https://www.thestreet.com/crypto/markets/economists-warn-unaffordable-housing-is-forcing-young-americans-to-crypto" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Related: Economists warn unaffordable housing is forcing young Americans to crypto</a>

Exclusive: Mark Cuban responds to Trump's ban on buying single family homes

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