Overview
- Following President Trump’s Jan. 7 call for a ban with details promised at Davos, Sens. Bernie Moreno and Josh Hawley said they will introduce legislation to codify the restriction.
- New analyses highlight that large investors hold about 0.5% of single-family homes nationwide and roughly 3.3% of single-family rental units owned by firms with more than 1,000 homes.
- John Burns Research and Consulting estimates investors made up about 4% of new-home sales in 2025, and institutional buying has recently declined as higher rates and costs cooled demand.
- Commentary warns that removing a buyer-of-last-resort could lead homebuilders to cut production, noting institutions supported the market after the foreclosure crisis and during the late-2022 downturn.
- AEI and Federal Reserve research identify local zoning and land-use rules as major drivers of high housing costs, suggesting expanding supply would be more effective than banning investors.