WASHINGTON, D.C. – President Donald Trump said Thursday afternoon that the federal government will buy $200 billion in mortgage bonds to bring down interest rates and monthly payments.

In recent days, the U.S. president has floated a number of ideas to bring down housing costs. He said in a social media post Thursday that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, government-created entities designed to help the U.S. housing market, are worth “a fortune” and have about $200 billion in cash.

“Because of this, I am instructing my Representatives to BUY $200 BILLION DOLLARS IN MORTGAGE BONDS,” Trump wrote in the Truth Social post. “This will drive Mortgage Rates DOWN, monthly payments DOWN, and make the cost of owning a home more affordable.”

Housing has grown increasingly expensive in recent decades.

The median age for a first-time home buyer recently hit 40, a record high, according to a November 2025 report from the National Association of Realtors.

The median buyer age increased to a peak of 59 years in 2025, up from 56 the previous year. The median age of first-time buyers increased to 40 this year from 38 the previous year, while the typical age of repeat buyers also rose to 62 from 61.

First-time homebuyers decreased to 21% of the market share, down from 24% last year. That marks the lowest share since NAR began collecting the data in 1981. Before the Great Recession, the historical norm was 40%. The report noted the division in the housing market.

The Treasury Department has bought mortgage bonds in the past, including during the housing crisis of 2008 and 2009.