How I Would Fix the Housing Market | Episode 550

Hey, it’s James from SurvivalPunk.com, and it’s a cool 55-degree morning here as I cruise at metaphorical 40,000 feet thinking about one of the biggest, nastiest, most rigged disasters in America today: the housing market.

If you already own your forever home and never plan on moving, maybe this episode won’t hit as hard.
But if you’ve got kids, want to buy someday, or care about your community at all?
This mess affects you.

And today I’m breaking down exactly what I would do to fix this broken, overpriced, overregulated clown show of a market we’re stuck in.

The Housing Market Is Completely Broken

Everything about American housing is upside down:

• Starter homes cost $340–$400k

• Insurance has doubled

• Property taxes have doubled

• Wages have gone up maybe 40% in 25 years

• Home prices have gone up 300%

No one can buy.
No one can sell.
No one can move.

We backed ourselves into a corner where:

• Buyers can’t afford homes

• Sellers don’t want to give up their 3% pandemic mortgages

• Downsizing is impossible

• Moving is pointless

• And the monthly payments on a “starter home” look like $2,400+

This isn’t sustainable.

Interest Rates Are NOT the Main Problem

Politicians love repeating:
“High interest rates are the only problem!”

No.
Not even close.

I ran the numbers myself. Even at 0% interest, a $340k house is still not affordable for the average American.

The problem isn’t interest rates.
The problem is the price.

Inflated, bloated, hyper-overpriced homes that normal humans can’t buy, can’t insure, and can’t pay taxes on.

Lowering interest rates won’t magically fix affordability.
It just pours gas on the fire.

Government Red Tape Is a Disaster

Want to know what killed starter homes?

Zoning.
Permits.
Government greed.

City rules that make everything more expensive:

• Single-family zoning

• Minimum lot sizes

• Height limits

• Mandatory parking

• Permit fees stacked a mile high

• Endless “safety” codes that add cost but not quality

The government outlawed cheap housing and then pretended to be shocked when houses got expensive.

If you want affordable homes, the first step is simple:

Legalize them.

We Need Small Starter Homes Again

A real starter home is not:

• 2,400 square feet

• Granite counters

• Cathedral ceilings

• Spa bathrooms

• Luxury vinyl plank

• $450,000

Starter homes should be:

• 900–1,200 sq ft

• 2–3 bedrooms

• Simple construction

• Basic finishes

• Safe, clean, functional

A normal young couple doesn’t need a palace.
They need a place to live.

Cities must fast-track permits for small homes and stop taxing every piece of lumber like it’s gold-plated.

Stop Overbuilding Luxury

The funniest part?
Most “starter” homes being built today are packed with luxury upgrades:

• Granite

• Designer tile

• Smart appliances

• Fancy lighting

• Chefs’ kitchens in houses where no one cooks

That crap adds tens of thousands to the price.
Builders love it because taxes go up.
Cities love it because taxes go up.
Banks love it because loans go up.

Normal people?
Locked out of the market.

Bring back basic homes.
Let people upgrade later when they can afford it.

Corporate Home Buying: Not Illegal… But a Problem

I don’t want the government banning private companies from owning houses — that’s dangerous territory.

But do I like that BlackRock is out here outbidding families for single-family homes?
Hell no.

A compromise:

• Restrict corporations from buying unlimited single-family homes

• Allow them to buy multi-family (apartments, duplexes)

• Cap their market share

A family should not be competing against Wall Street for a three-bedroom ranch.

Tax Incentives for Builders — The Nuclear Option

Now this is the big idea from your transcript — and honestly, it’s brilliant:
Tax-free construction labor and materials.

If you’re a framer, electrician, roofer, plumber —
your income for building new homes becomes tax-free.

Companies building affordable homes?
Tax-free revenue.

Straight-up Afghanistan contractor treatment.

This would:

• Massively boost the trades

• Attract new workers

• Lower build costs

• Speed up construction

• Flood the market with new homes

The housing market needs a defibrillator.
This is the shock.

Trump’s 50-Year Mortgage Idea Is Hot, Steaming Garbage

A 50-year mortgage is not a solution.
It’s a trap.

Here’s why:

• You pay double the interest

• You build almost no equity

• You’re chained to a house until you’re elderly

• Total repayment ends up near $1 million for a basic home

This is not fixing affordability.
This is debt slavery with a picket fence.

If you can afford it, the 15-year mortgage is king.
The 30-year is the standard.
A 50-year is a crime.

The Real Fix? Flood the Market With Affordable Homes

There is no painless solution.
But the least-destructive way forward is clear:

Build small homes fast and cheap — LEGALLY.

Do that and:

• Prices fall

• Taxes fall

• Insurance falls

• Buyers can buy

• Sellers can move

• Mobility comes back

• Families can start their lives

Rip the band-aid off.
Yes, some homeowners will see values drop.
But the alternative?
A frozen, dead market where no one can afford to live.

Final Thoughts

The entire U.S. economy is broken — wages, inflation, housing, all of it.
There might not be a perfect solution… but there ARE better ideas than 50-year mortgages and loosening credit standards.

Reduce red tape.
Incentivize building.
Legalize small homes.
Cap corporate buyers.
Stop overregulating everything.

And stop pretending interest rates are the only problem.

This has been James from SurvivalPunk.com — DIY to survive, even in a broken housing market.

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