If construction was stagnant for 60 years, adding 10-50% tariffs on lumber and building materials would only make it worse. Not motivated reasoning, just basic economics.

The new tariffs went into effect January 1st, by the way. If you thought things were bad now, they're about to get worse.

This announcement is just another distraction. They want you mad at Wall St, not tariffs.

> In the same vein, it’s technically feasible for automobiles to be built for just a few thousand dollars,

No it's not.

If this was true you'd see it in some other countries. It's not happening anywhere in the world. Unless you redefine automobile to mean a tiny cart with a 5HP motor and some seats.

Banks typically won't hold onto to your loan for 30 years. Mortgages in the US have been thoroughly fiscalized: your typical bank/mortgage lender bundles up a bunch of loans and sells them to another servicing party as soon as the ink dries on the closing documents. The specialized servicer package them, and offer them as securities to investors who in turn will get a monthly return based on aggregate mortgage installments.

All this to say: lending banks would be happy to finance thousands upon thousands of 5-digit mortgages, and sell those to securitization specialists.

New houses aren't built in existing neighborhoods because dense housing is unpopular, as is a distaste of having "poorer" people as neighbors. Static zoning, terrible transport networks and no funding for new public infrastructure tag-team to discourage new developments on undeveloped farmland.

Even the Slate truck is $25,000 because safety features are required.