Better living through better policy.

Tag: Housing Affordability

Washington Post: Mortgage rates just fell below a crucial psychological threshold

Post author By Patrick M. Brenner
Post date March 14, 2026
No Comments on Washington Post: Mortgage rates just fell below a crucial psychological threshold

The difference from a 6 percent rate is tiny, but the appeal to customers is big.

Tags 30-Year Fixed Mortgage, American Housing Market, Annual Percentage Rate, APR, Asset Ownership, Auto Loans, Banking Regulation, Buy Now Pay Later, Charm Pricing, Consumer Credit, Consumer Finance, Consumer Psychology, Cost Of Borrowing, Credit Cards, Credit Markets, Credit Transparency, Debt Culture, Depository Institutions Deregulation And Monetary Control Act, Economic Behavior, Economic Perception, Financial Deregulation, Financial Disclosure, Financial Literacy, Financial Markets, financial regulation, Home Buying, Household Debt, Housing Affordability, Housing Demand, Housing Economics, Housing Finance, Housing Market, Housing Policy, Interest Rate Exportation, Interest Rate Perception, Interest Rate Psychology, Lending Regulation, Lending Standards, Lending Transparency, Loan Pricing, Marquette National Bank v. First Of Omaha Service Corp, Monthly Payments, Mortgage Advertising, Mortgage Economics, Mortgage Industry, Mortgage Interest Rates, Mortgage Marketing, Mortgage Policy, Mortgage Rate Threshold, Mortgage Rates, Mortgage Refinance, Mortgage Sentiment, Patrick M Brenner, Payday Loans, Personal Finance, Psychological Pricing, Real Estate Finance, Southwest Public Policy Institute, Subscription Economy, Total Loan Repayment, Truth In Lending Act, U.S. Household Debt, Washington Post Opinion

Conservatism Culture Domestic Policy Economic Opportunity Economy Government Regulation Housing Infrastructure & Technology Legal and Judicial Life Markets and Finance Political Thought Poverty & Welfare Poverty and Inequality Progressivism Public Opinion The Constitution Updates

Housing Shock: The Cost of Investor Ownership Bans

Post author By Patrick M. Brenner
Post date February 24, 2026
No Comments on Housing Shock: The Cost of Investor Ownership Bans

A prohibition on institutional investors could destabilize housing markets, but a targeted exemption can protect homeowners and renters.

Tags Affordable Housing Policy, American Housing Market, Build-To-Rent Housing, Congressional Housing Policy, Economic Policy, Federal Housing Policy, Federal Legislation, Forced Divestment, Free Market Housing Policy, Home Value Stability, Homeownership Policy, Housing Affordability, Housing Affordability Solutions, Housing Asset Prices, Housing Construction, Housing Crisis, Housing Development, Housing Economics, Housing Investment, Housing Investment Incentives, Housing Investment Policy, Housing Market Fire Sale, Housing Market Liquidity, Housing Market Policy, Housing Market Reform, Housing Market Stability, Housing Market Volatility, Housing Policy, Housing Policy Exemptions, Housing Policy Research, Housing Regulation, Housing Shortage, Housing Supply, Housing Supply Constraints, Institutional Homeownership, Institutional Investor Ban, Institutional Investors, Investor Ownership Caps, Investor-To-Investor Sales, Land Use Policy, Market Stabilization Policy, Market-Based Housing Solutions, Neighborhood Property Values, Patrick M Brenner, Permitting Reform, Private Capital In Housing, Property Rights, Public Policy Analysis, Real Estate Investment, Real Estate Liquidity, Real Estate Markets, Real Estate Public Policy, Real Estate Regulation, Real Estate Valuation, Regulatory Barriers, Rental Housing Supply, Rental Market Stability, Single-Family Housing, Single-Family Rentals, Southwest Public Policy Institute, Think Tank Research, Zoning Reform

Conservatism Courts Crime and Justice Culture Cybersecurity Domestic Policy Economic Opportunity Economy Government Regulation Government Transparency and Accountability Infrastructure & Technology Legal and Judicial Life Markets and Finance Political Thought Poverty & Welfare Poverty and Inequality Progressivism Public Opinion Technology The Constitution Transparency

Real Clear Markets: Credit Card Rate Caps Will Lead To a Shortage of Credit Cards

Post author By Patrick M. Brenner
Post date January 19, 2026
1 Comment on Real Clear Markets: Credit Card Rate Caps Will Lead To a Shortage of Credit Cards

Why a national credit card rate cap would shrink access and worsen inequality.

Tags Affordability Crisis, Capital Allocation, Command Economy Policies, Consumer Credit Policy, Consumer Debt, Consumer Finance Research, Consumer Protection Policy, credit access, Credit Building, Credit Card Accounts, Credit Card Interest Rates, Credit Card Limits, Credit Card Rate Caps, Credit Card Regulation, Credit Card Rewards Programs, Credit Contraction, Credit Market Infrastructure, Credit Markets, Credit Rationing, Credit Underwriting, Digital Payments, Donald Trump Economic Policy, Economic Freedom, Economic Inequality, Economic Policy Analysis, Federal Reserve Bank Of New York, financial inclusion, Financial Mobility, financial regulation, Financial Risk Pricing, Financial Stability, Fraud Protection, Free Market Economics, Household Debt, Household Finance, Housing Affordability, Inflation And Cost Of Living, Interest Rate Caps, Lending Standards, Market Distortions, Milton Friedman, Monetary Policy, National Interest Rate Cap, Online Commerce, Patrick M. Brenner, Payment Systems, Price Controls, Prime Borrowers, Regulatory Overreach, Southwest Public Policy Institute (SPPI), Subprime Borrowers, Temporary Government Programs, Trump Credit Card Proposal

Conservatism Culture Domestic Policy Economic Opportunity Economy Government Regulation Housing Legal and Judicial Markets and Finance Political Thought Poverty & Welfare Poverty and Inequality Progressivism Public Opinion Top Issues Updates

Fox News: Trump’s 50-year mortgage just introduces a new kind of debt

Post author By Patrick M. Brenner
Post date November 17, 2025
No Comments on Fox News: Trump’s 50-year mortgage just introduces a new kind of debt

50-year loan terms would triple total debt while government regulations continue driving up building costs

Conservatism Culture Debt Domestic Policy Economic Opportunity Economy Government Regulation Housing Infrastructure & Technology Life Markets and Finance Political Thought Poverty & Welfare Poverty and Inequality Public Opinion Reports Top Issues Transparency Updates

Report: The Case Against 50-Year Mortgages

Post author By Southwest Public Policy Institute
Post date November 8, 2025
2 Comments on Report: The Case Against 50-Year Mortgages

How will Washington’s housing “fix” entrench debt, inflate prices, and undermine the American Dream?

Tags 50-Year Mortgage, Abrazos Homes, Affordable Housing, Annual Percentage Rate (APR), Bill Pulte, Building Permits, Central Planning, Construction Costs, Consumer Price Index (CPI), Donald Trump, Economic Policy, Fannie Mae, Federal Housing Administration (FHA), Federal Reserve, financial regulation, Freddie Mac, Government Subsidies, Home Builders, Homeownership, Housing Affordability, Housing Policy, Housing Supply, Immigration Policy, Inflation, Jerome Powell, Mackenzie Bishop, Mortgage Market, Mortgage Rates, Mortgage-Backed Securities (MBS), Patrick M. Brenner, Property Taxes, Real Estate Market, Red Tape, Skilled Trades, Southwest Public Policy Institute (SPPI), Sticky Inflation, Tariffs, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), Truth in Lending Act (TILA), Zoning Reform

Conservatism Culture Domestic Policy Economic Opportunity Economy Government Regulation Housing Life Markets and Finance Political Thought Poverty & Welfare Poverty and Inequality Public Opinion Top Issues Transparency Updates

The Wall Street Journal: The Case Against 30-Year Mortgages

Post author By Patrick M. Brenner
Post date November 8, 2025
1 Comment on The Wall Street Journal: The Case Against 30-Year Mortgages

Subsidized debt drives up prices, sucks up wealth, and makes it hard for millennials to buy homes.

Tags 30-Year Mortgage, 50-Year Mortgage, American Dream, Amortization, Annual Percentage Rate (APR), Central Planning, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Economic Policy, Fannie Mae, Federal Housing Administration (FHA), Federal Reserve, financial regulation, Freddie Mac, GI Bill, Government Subsidies, Home Owners’ Loan Corporation (HOLC), Homeownership, Housing Affordability, Housing Finance, Housing Policy, Housing Prices, Inflation, Lending Reform, Millennials, Mortgage Interest, Mortgage Rates, Mortgage-Backed Securities (MBS), Patrick M. Brenner, Real Estate Market, Southwest Public Policy Institute (SPPI), The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), Truth in Lending Act (TILA)