The Trump administration is reportedly considering an antitrust investigation into homebuilders, according to a Bloomberg News report sourced from unnamed “people familiar with the discussions.”
The Bloomberg report cited an exchange of information involving a homebuilder’s association called Leading Builders of America as being the potential center of the investigation. The discussions could have involved how to limit housing supply or coordinate pricing, said the report’s unnamed sources.
A decision on whether to pursue an investigation into potential criminal charges has yet to be made, and the report’s sources added the matter could be dropped without launching a formal probe. The Department of Justice did not comment on the report.
The administration has targeted homebuilders as being responsible for the lack of affordable homeownership opportunities, with both President Trump and Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte calling out builders for not creating enough new housing.
Home builders can’t afford to build “affordable” housing due to more government regulations, higher costs of materials (tariffs anyone?), the scarcity of qualified workers and so much more. Sounds as if it’s another shakedown/money grab by Trump.
your ignorance is only exceeded by your blind hate for our president.
Tariffs will create jobs in America for Americans.
Tariffs will help make the American workers more competitive against foreign made products.
We have plenty of raw materials to build more houses, we should not need to import materials.
Henry. That is soooo not true. Any of it. 80% of our lumber comes from Canada. Tariffs make everything more expensive! Manufacturing here is not viable. Please stop watching Fox entertainment. Your “facts” are not correct.
Bless Your Heart!
One of our local City Council members was fussing — he felt that the city was losing its charm because all the new houses were ugly and looked the same. The Building Official looked him in the eye and reminded him that the Council’s ultra restrictive building regulations made it impossible to build anything else. P.S. the cost of materials skyrocketed LONG before Trump was ever in office. I paid $4.95 for a sheet of OSB in 2007–a few years later the same OSB was nearly $50.00. Hard to build inexpensive houses.
Nice try, it never skyrocketed before TRump went into office. OSB board was $30.00- 65.00 during Covid times up from $11.00, but it is $17-18.00 a sheet now. There was an oversupply of OSB board in 2007 ,so that explains a lower price you may have paid in 2007, it was never that cheap where I live at that time.
If they got rid of the burdensome regulations and allow people to have some freedom. Everything would be better. Can’t blame Trump for that, the Democrat controlled. Everything has ruined this country. Time to take it back.
Jeff, you’re exactly right!
You’re right on Jeff!!!
There is no conspiracy here. Housing affordability has been impacted on multiple fronts and everyone is in the same arena.
Man cost, labor cost, material cost, interest, rates, property, taxes, insurance, all skyrocketing at once. The cost to build is what it is. There is no collusion. It is just reality of excessive cost to build in all directions..
More needs to be done to build housing that working people can afford to buy. The American dream would be good for everyone in the USA. Put some money into infrastructure. Builders will build if that infrastructure in the ground before the builder pulls a building permit. Jim Moon
the real estate business is very much like stock market and oil prices…nothing where an attempt should be made to control the prices….its supply and demand…ups and downs….once you try to control, the system. it will not work…and yes b uilding supplies have gone way up as a result of tariffs…..