U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance is arguing that “20 million illegal aliens” are preventing Americans from being able to access affordable homeownership.
The Ohio Republican’s comments came on X (formerly Twitter) as a response to remarks by financial writer James Surowiecki, who was responding to a tweet by the account “@jackunheard” that complained, “I’m so sick of this administration. I’m 23 years old. I’m ready to buy a house and start putting my roots down, but I have to stick to renting because the house market is ridiculous. Vote for the convicted felon. This s*** is getting old.”
Surowiecki’s response to @jacunheard was: “How will Trump’s policies make it easier for this guy to buy a house? He has no answer. (Literally – I asked.) It’s just “Mortgage rates were low under Trump, and they’re higher under Biden, therefore Trump will bring mortgage rates down.” It’s magical thinking.”
Vance, who has been cited in some media reporters as a potentially running mate to Trump in this year’s presidential election, picked up on Suorwiecki’s tweet by stating: “Not having 20 million illegal aliens who need to be housed (often at public expense) will absolutely make housing more affordable for American citizens. But I see the left’s strategy of making fun of people for suffering under Biden policies continues apace.”
Surowiecki responded to Vance by tweeting, “How are you planning to find and deport these ‘20 million illegal aliens’?” The senator did not immediately answer the question.
Photo: Team JD Vance
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This was my twitter response to that tweet:
Rich GOP donor corps buy SFRs & Condo investments to get richer. Unregulated BIG-BIZ goes into great neighborhoods, using all cash, to buy property to turn into expensive rentals. 1st time buyers can’t compete.
The GOP blames immigrants so folks don’t see what they truly support.
SO MUCH BALONEY I don’t even know where to begin.
You are SO wrong.
The facts are clear and Vance is CORRECT.
Investment groups buying up affordable housing IS the bigger problem. They also max out rents. Wonder if Vance has a clue.
Pat Ballasch – 2 thumbs up.
His response said “be housed” not “buy houses”. This requires so so much more than 3 and 4 sentences and I’ll say in Calufornia where about 3 million illegals have moved in the last three years, renting, with jobs WHO USED TO HAVE, and overall border security flooding an unlimited amount of drugs in, all of which are legal, is there impact on rents and homelessness? They are rare among the homeless by the way. The crushing demand and absorption of anything affordable pushes upstream. Then meet the real influence of foreign buyers pushing up on the sale housing and can you connect dots?
Realtor of 28 years here. You are exactly right! Young couples are pushed out of the bidding process by the companies that are offering cash. Period.
Virginia, you are 100% correct. And not only are the bulk investors making it impossible for owner occupants to compete for homes, like all absentee landlords, they are destructive to the quality of our neighborhoods.
As a realtor I call BS.
Same here!
JD’s comments are just ridiculous! He obviously knows nothing about real estate.
Realtor in what state? In California about 3 million of the 8 million illegals in threr years moved in, and are not homeless. Where do they live? He said “be housed” not “buy houses”. The overwhelming demand they put on the best priced rental inventory crushes that inventory, which goes up the line. This takes a whole lot more than three or four sentences to explain, and if you worked from 2007 through 2017 and more you can’t deny foreign capital buys lots of homes. Many have no intention of immigrating. Every effort to improve housing for our neediest citizenry is defeated by massive massive immigration – this is just math. We won’t keep up for years if the border closed today.
Must the media report on another politician making ignorant remarks? This isn’t news. Stick to news, please.
Exactly. Why give this douche the time of day.?
I agree why do you print this s….. I am a realtor as well and the guy is just stupid!
He is exactly right! This is just like musical chairs! WHen you bring in more people than you have housing for, the fight for housing creates a rush to get one. If you own a chair you are in the catbird seat. look at the demographic. The majority of them are single males and share a living unit with four or more people. A 2000 a month rent to them is only 400 a month. A working family feels the full brunt. They are taking more units than get built. It is pushing up every thing real estate. It is adding to the homeless problem. If California has four million illegals which equals 1 million units of housing, it far exceeds the number built.. WHen you get pushed out of rentals or the rental gets closer to buying price, existing housing goes up. The tech industry in California distorts the economy. It pays huge wages and doesnt provide a number of jobs for the income of the company. It does provide service jobs but unlike automotive that provides manufacturing jobs for the middle class. it is basically becoming a two class state.
Just how are illegal alien’s able to buy up these houses? lol
As a realtor JD is barking up the wrong tree, as usual!
He hasn’t got a clue.
Excuse me? I have nearly 30 years and over 500M in sales (in a non-coastal moderate market) and Vance is 100% correct.
Affordable housing should go to Americans . I don’t know that the Trump administration is going to change that .
If you are pushing buyers into houses right now, unless they are paying cash you should be ashamed of yourself. Yes, Biden is to blame. With all of his reckless spending we now can’t afford to live.
What you said makes zero sense. Therefore, you have no idea what you are talking about. I’m a realtor, BTW.
Then you should know the correct term is “REALTOR”.
Vance is an opportunist and a trumper fascist.
As soon as interest rates went down to 2-3 % Prices skyrocketed Lack of affordable housing is not all about today’s interest rate.
Trump has always said he made his fortune out of crises, the administration allowed Huges companies to borrow cheap money to out beat with their cash offers the regular American buyer, the administration including Mr. FED saw this happening and didn’t do anything to regulate. Why? I can see big lobbies here collecting rents quiet, laughing at all ignorants trying to blame immigration. BlackRock to name one of them, let’s look at their portfolios and their luxurious lifestyles buying expensive yachts and fake boobs haha!
The problem is internal here at home lobbies and corrupt politicians make their own amendments for their own gains.
For decades foreigners can buy real estate easy peasy in the USA. Try going to Japan, Mexico, South America etc. and buy a home – forget it! But hey they are just coming here to make a better living & to escape political persecution, you suckers keep buying that BS. You’ll see decline in just about every city & surrounding neighborhoods. The division of the haves & have nots will widen. Got get yourself another starbucks & STFU!
That is ridiculous! How are illegal aliens BUYING up all the affordable houses with NO $$$?
No, but foreign entities are buying up as much as they can grab.
I don’t see it. He can make whatever unsupported claim he wants, doesn’t make it true. I am also a realtor and an undocumented person inquired about buying a house. There was just no way he could qualify.
Assuming this is true (which it is not), what is wrong with 20 million illegal immigrants forking over $500k for a house??? This is the core principle of capitalism. If you have the money, you can buy whatever you want. Doesn’t matter if you’re white, black, green, yellow, man, woman, documented or undocumented.
These cash buyers are beating US citizens in multiple offers and then they are spiking rental prices through the roof.
A lot of American-owned businesses are doing this too. Also, if you’re a foreign investor and sell a property, Uncle Sam gets a huge chunk of it. His comment was about illegal aliens, and it’s false.
I think what he’s trying to say is instead of helping all these illegal aliens with the billions of dollars it is costing the US is to put that money towards home buying programs for US citizens. That seems reasonable to me.
The senator is correct. It is basic supply and demand. Any REALTOR like myself should be able to see it. The illegals are not buying homes for the most part, they are being given housing by the government or private charities that would otherwise increase the supply, hence lowering the prices of entry-level housing for ALL. We are spending BILLIONS in taxes that could go to housing our veterans and other needy US citizens
Finally someone who “gets it! ” Wake up. The American Dream is being vaporized.
I am a Realtor with about 20 years experience and this is just not true!
Although Vance is 100% correct, Vance is just now figuring this out? GOP politicians are not smart. As a Cal Berkeley Economics graduate, I said this 15 years ago. These invited guests must live somewhere. There are not 20M homes being built. So naturally, supply and demand rules apply. More people looking, more homes in demand, housing shortage due to 20M looking, prices of homes and apartments skyrocket.
You must have skipped a few classes my friend. I’ve been a Broker for 8 years and illegals have ZERO impact on the availability of housing for purchase. Builders aren’t building enough to meet demand and owners are not selling and moving. That is driving prices up and availability down. Illegals live many to a dwelling in houses few people would live in. They have NO money to compete in our housing markets.
I’m a Realtor and Vance hasn’t a clue about the Real Estate market. There is a housing deficit of about 30% of the demand. This has been growing for years and years, across multiple administrations. It is made worse by a lack of Sellers that want to put their homes on the market. This drives prices up. It’s supply and demand. Does anyone with more than two working brain cells believe that an illegal immigrant has enough money to buy into our real estate markets. His comments are just plain ridiculous.
From both a broker and appraiser….. Vance is 100% right. I cover 6 counties in the middle of my state. One of the county seats is heavy illegal aliens for sure. They occupy houses whether rented or purchased by others. And… by the way…. I vote for no mortgages being available to any except proven US citizens. No illegal aliens or foreign entities.
It is unfortunate that the important topic of housing affordability can’t be discussed among real estate professionals without partisan vitriol. It’s indicative of the negative aspect of social media, and the “silly season” (election year).
The housing affordability problem has many components. Home prices, like everything else, rise because of demand and when demand exceeds supply, prices rise more rapidly, as they have in recent years. Rapid increases in demand that arise from importing excess demand (i.e. “20 million illegal aliens”) is certainly a contributor, but not the sole or even primary cause.
The extraordinary inflation we’ve experienced under the current administration, due to misguided fiscal excesses like the so-called “inflation reduction act” and $trillions in other taxpayer funded stimulus programs, is a substantial contributor to higher home prices because costs have been driven substantially higher by excess inflation. In addition, Real Wages for the vast majority of prospective home buyers have actually fallen under the current Administration, which exacerbates the affordability problem.
Another big and longer term affordability issue relates to the costs of regulations, both state and federal, which slow housing production and drive up costs. It wouldn’t matter who was buying houses (“rich investors”) or renting houses (“illegal aliens”) if we had more of them and could produce them more rapidly and cost effectively.
In the end, policies truly matter, but the cause of the affordability problem is far more complex than partisan politics will explain.
Institutional investors and illegals are the problem. It’s both. Not every ghetto should be turned in to upgraded flips or rent be controlled by a few owners. Also sticking thousands of illegals in places were citizens could have shelter makes a difference. IT ALL MAKES A DIFFERENCE. So instead of arguing we should do something about it? Not a chance is partisan 2 party team politics.
The housing market right now is between condo owners and home owners wishing to upsize or downsize as well as corporations buying them up. The local/state and fed govts and not for profits are giving tax breaks to the big construction companies to build apartment buildings and all they have to do is make a “few” affordable. Who monitors them after a couple years? No one. Because once the original renters with low income qualifications move out… they charge the full rent as the other units… audit your govt. and who gets the tax bucks .. vote them out or call them out. Affordable housing is a joke especially when the govt has its hands in it… they set it up to fail and have a backup plan to gain it back to their favor… the bubble will burst again… foreclosures like in the Obama admin… rinse / repeat
Great job simplifying a complicated subject! Appreciate the easy explanation.