“Housing costs are still out of reach,” Ingraham said. “Your housing director has proposed something that has enraged your MAGA friends, which is this 50-year mortgage idea. So [there’s] a significant MAGA backlash, calling it a giveaway to the banks and simply prolonging the time it would take for Americans to own a home, outright. Is that really a good idea?”
Trump dismissed the uproar, saying the change would be minor compared to the effect of high interest rates. “It’s not even a big deal,” Trump said. “You go from 40 to 50 years, and what it means is you pay, you pay something less.”
“You pay it over a longer period of time. It’s not like a big factor. It might help a little bit,” the president added. “But the problem was that Biden did this — he increased the interest rates. And I have a lousy Fed person who’s going to be gone in a few months.”
The idea, reportedly under review by the Federal Housing Finance Agency, would allow federally backed lenders, such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, to offer 50-year fixed-rate mortgages, extending beyond the traditional 30-year loan term. Supporters argue that longer-term loans could help first-time buyers afford homes amid record-high prices.
But fiscal conservatives argue the move would saddle Americans with massive long-term interest payments and delay full home ownership for decades. Online, several prominent right-wing commentators labeled the plan “a gift to the banks.” The satirical outlet The Babylon Bee even joked that financial guru Dave Ramsey was “in critical condition after learning of 50-year mortgages.”
The uproar comes as housing affordability reaches crisis levels. The National Association of Realtors reported that the average age of first-time homebuyers has climbed to 40, the highest ever recorded, while their share of total home purchases has dropped to just 21%, down from 40% two decades ago.
TikTok real estate influencer Freddie Smith went viral illustrating why millennials are struggling to become first-time homeowners.
@fmsmith319
Housing cost from 1995 vs 2019 vs 2023
♬ original sound – Freddie Smith
“In 1995, the average house was $130,000,” Smith said. “By 2023, it jumped to $419,000.”
Smith noted that while average incomes have barely increased, housing prices have surged, especially during the pandemic, leaving millennials struggling to buy their first homes. He pointed out that in 2019, housing costs accounted for just 21% of the average American’s income, but by 2023, that figure had soared to 49%.
Trump, however, shifted the focus to his predecessor, accusing the Biden administration of leaving sky-high interest rates that are now choking first-time buyers.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/white-house/3883462/trump-downplays-concerns-over-proposed-50-year-mortgages-not-big-deal/
