--- title: "Trump's housing order tells two federal lenders to cut interest rates" description: "The multipart order targets the cost of buying a home, while down payments and fraud risks stay in focus for buyers." url: https://real-estate.skoop.news/trumps-latest-housing-move-promises-major-relief-but-which-b-dcaf0c/ published: 2026-11-02T11:47:24.801788-05:00 modified: 2026-11-02T11:47:24.801802-05:00 section: "Real Estate & Mortgages" publisher: "skoop.news" language: en keywords: ["Trump", "Departments of Agriculture", "Veterans Affairs", "ALTA CEO Chris Morton", "American Land Title Association", "Consumer Financial Protection Bureau", "Broker Action Coalition", "Americans", "Realtor.com", "housing"] hashtags: ["#DepartmentsOfAgriculture", "#VeteransAffairs", "#ALTACEOChrisMorton", "#Housing", "#realestate"] image: https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0a/Howard_Walk%2C_Hampstead_Garden_Suburb_-_geograph.org.uk_-_7076866.jpg/1280px-Howard_Walk%2C_Hampstead_Garden_Suburb_-_geograph.org.uk_-_7076866.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail --- # Trump's housing order tells two federal lenders to cut interest rates > The multipart order targets the cost of buying a home, while down payments and fraud risks stay in focus for buyers. Published 2026-11-02 · Updated 2026-11-02 · Real Estate & Mortgages, [skoop.news](https://skoop.news/) ## In brief - FHFA director Bill Pulte praised Trump's new housing order as the greatest of its kind and said it could save millions of Americans thousands of dollars. [[1]](https://www.newsweek.com/trump-unveils-two-major-housing-moves-that-could-save-americans-thousands-12610180) - Brendan McKay, chief advocacy officer at the Broker Action Coalition, said the reforms could cut refinancing costs by nearly $2,400 on an illustrative $500,000 loan. [[2]](https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/trumps-latest-housing-policy-down-payment-money-monday/?cid=psc_yahoo_syndication_trends_trumps-latest-housing-policy-down-payment-money-monday) - The national median down payment in the second quarter of 2026 climbed to $27,100, or 13.7% of the typical purchase price, up from 12.9% at the start of the year, according to Realtor.com. [[2]](https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/trumps-latest-housing-policy-down-payment-money-monday/?cid=psc_yahoo_syndication_trends_trumps-latest-housing-policy-down-payment-money-monday) ## What the order does FHFA director Bill Pulte praised Trump's new housing order as the greatest of its kind and said it could save millions of Americans thousands of dollars. [[1]](https://www.newsweek.com/trump-unveils-two-major-housing-moves-that-could-save-americans-thousands-12610180) Trump signed the order, which is aimed at housing affordability, last month. [[2]](https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/trumps-latest-housing-policy-down-payment-money-monday/?cid=psc_yahoo_syndication_trends_trumps-latest-housing-policy-down-payment-money-monday) The multipart order is titled Decreasing Housing Costs for the American People. [[1]](https://www.newsweek.com/trump-unveils-two-major-housing-moves-that-could-save-americans-thousands-12610180) It directs the Departments of Agriculture and Veterans Affairs to reduce interest rates on their direct single-family loan programs. [[2]](https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/trumps-latest-housing-policy-down-payment-money-monday/?cid=psc_yahoo_syndication_trends_trumps-latest-housing-policy-down-payment-money-monday) Treasury has also proposed a rule that would bar large institutional investors from buying single-family homes, absent specific exceptions. [[1]](https://www.newsweek.com/trump-unveils-two-major-housing-moves-that-could-save-americans-thousands-12610180) ## Refinancing and mortgage insurance Brendan McKay, chief advocacy officer at the Broker Action Coalition, said the reforms could cut refinancing costs by nearly $2,400 on an illustrative $500,000 loan. [[2]](https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/trumps-latest-housing-policy-down-payment-money-monday/?cid=psc_yahoo_syndication_trends_trumps-latest-housing-policy-down-payment-money-monday) Mortgage insurance typically costs between 0.46% and 1.5% of the loan each year, based on credit score. [[2]](https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/trumps-latest-housing-policy-down-payment-money-monday/?cid=psc_yahoo_syndication_trends_trumps-latest-housing-policy-down-payment-money-monday) As an example, a 1% rate on a $450,000 loan adds $375 to the monthly payment, a savings of $4,500 a year if eliminated. [[2]](https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/trumps-latest-housing-policy-down-payment-money-monday/?cid=psc_yahoo_syndication_trends_trumps-latest-housing-policy-down-payment-money-monday) ## Down payments and closing fees The national median down payment in the second quarter of 2026 climbed to $27,100, or 13.7% of the typical purchase price, up from 12.9% at the start of the year, according to Realtor.com. [[2]](https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/trumps-latest-housing-policy-down-payment-money-monday/?cid=psc_yahoo_syndication_trends_trumps-latest-housing-policy-down-payment-money-monday) On an annual basis, the typical down payment fell from 14.3% year over year, the lowest second-quarter level since 2021. [[2]](https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/trumps-latest-housing-policy-down-payment-money-monday/?cid=psc_yahoo_syndication_trends_trumps-latest-housing-policy-down-payment-money-monday) Closing fees hit a median of $6,000 in 2022. [[2]](https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/trumps-latest-housing-policy-down-payment-money-monday/?cid=psc_yahoo_syndication_trends_trumps-latest-housing-policy-down-payment-money-monday) The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has gone silent after the Trump administration scaled back its operations. [[2]](https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/trumps-latest-housing-policy-down-payment-money-monday/?cid=psc_yahoo_syndication_trends_trumps-latest-housing-policy-down-payment-money-monday) ## Fraud and household strain According to the American Land Title Association, seller impersonation fraud attempts doubled from 2024 to 2025, hitting 59% of surveyed title firms. [[2]](https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/trumps-latest-housing-policy-down-payment-money-monday/?cid=psc_yahoo_syndication_trends_trumps-latest-housing-policy-down-payment-money-monday) ALTA CEO Chris Morton said fraud is unaffordable and that the threats facing homeowners are growing. [[2]](https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/trumps-latest-housing-policy-down-payment-money-monday/?cid=psc_yahoo_syndication_trends_trumps-latest-housing-policy-down-payment-money-monday) LendingTree found that 59 percent of mortgage holders say they are house poor. [[1]](https://www.newsweek.com/trump-unveils-two-major-housing-moves-that-could-save-americans-thousands-12610180) ## What this means for you If you borrow through the Departments of Agriculture or Veterans Affairs direct single-family loan programs, the order directs those agencies to reduce interest rates. [[2]](https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/trumps-latest-housing-policy-down-payment-money-monday/?cid=psc_yahoo_syndication_trends_trumps-latest-housing-policy-down-payment-money-monday) If you pay mortgage insurance, it typically costs between 0.46% and 1.5% of the loan each year, based on credit score. [[2]](https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/trumps-latest-housing-policy-down-payment-money-monday/?cid=psc_yahoo_syndication_trends_trumps-latest-housing-policy-down-payment-money-monday) On a $450,000 loan, a 1% rate adds $375 to the monthly payment. [[2]](https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/trumps-latest-housing-policy-down-payment-money-monday/?cid=psc_yahoo_syndication_trends_trumps-latest-housing-policy-down-payment-money-monday) If you are saving for a purchase, the national median down payment was $27,100 in the second quarter of 2026. [[2]](https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/trumps-latest-housing-policy-down-payment-money-monday/?cid=psc_yahoo_syndication_trends_trumps-latest-housing-policy-down-payment-money-monday) ## Sources 1. [Trump Unveils Two Major Housing Moves That Could Save Americans ‘Thousands’](https://www.newsweek.com/trump-unveils-two-major-housing-moves-that-could-save-americans-thousands-12610180) — Newsweek 2. [Trump’s Latest Housing Move Promises Major Relief, but Which Buyers Will Actually Save Thousands?](https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/trumps-latest-housing-policy-down-payment-money-monday/?cid=psc_yahoo_syndication_trends_trumps-latest-housing-policy-down-payment-money-monday) — Yahoo Finance Image: Photo (illustrative): David Howard / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Howard_Walk,_Hampstead_Garden_Suburb_-_geograph.org.uk_-_7076866.jpg) --- Written from the sources above and checked twice (rules and an independent model) before publishing. How we work: https://skoop.news/how-we-work/ · Corrections: https://skoop.news/corrections/