Erika Barris

Which makes sense.

But when he came back...

This was okay for a little bit, but one night, James was sitting around the campfire... And I was probably on my second IPA when I realized, like, what am I doing?

But then, like many bright-eyed and bushy-tailed prospective homeowners, he met the reality of the real estate market.

And then it got worse.

COVID hit, the housing market went wild, rich Bostonians were coming to New Hampshire paying all cash.

So he came up with a kind of extreme plan.

Get rich.

Because the money's really good, and if he went someplace a little bit dangerous, it could also include hazard pay.

Cherry on top, all that he earned would be tax-free.

Hello and welcome to Planet Money.

I'm Erika Barris.

Yeah, his administration has recently started talking more about affordability.

And they're taking action with two new initiatives that aim to make buying a house easier.

But James doesn't actually think what he's doing is that extreme.

When he tells his fellow millennial friends about the lengths he's going to to buy a house, they're all like... Yep, that sounds about right.

Now, President Trump has said he does not want to bring the price of existing homes down.

Because for everyone who already owns a home, that is a significant part of their wealth.

And he doesn't want to hurt them.

And the housing affordability proposal that the Trump administration has attached the most fanfare and details to is about leveling the playing field.