U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said some small-scale property owners may hold “five, 10, 12 homes,” a remark that prompted criticism and debate online as the administration discusses limiting large investors’ role in the housing market.
Bessent made the comment during a World Economic Forum interview with Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo while explaining proposals aimed at curbing institutional purchases of single-family homes.
“We are going to give guidance at some point to see what is a mom-and-pop,” Bessent said. “Someone, maybe your parents for their retirement, bought five, 10, 12 homes. So we don’t want to push the mom-and-pops out. We just want to push everyone else out.”
"Maybe Your Parents for Their Retirement Bought 5, 10, 12 Homes, So We Don't Wanna Push the Mom-and-Pops Out," Scott Bessent at the World Economic Forum pic.twitter.com/SL8v1cPqNx
— American Gazzete (@AmericanGazzete) February 8, 2026
Bessent said institutional investors began buying large numbers of single-family homes after the 2008 financial crisis and continue to do so, particularly in fast-growing markets such as Charlotte, Atlanta and Huntsville, Alabama. He argued that tax treatment gives large investors an advantage over individual homeowners, according to the interview transcript.
His comments drew pushback on social media. One user wrote that she knew no one who owned “5, 10, 12 homes” and said the statement did not reflect reality. “Certainly not my parents. Nor I and my husband. This guy does not operate in reality,” the post said.
Another user replied that “many boomers have done this.” The original commenter responded in a follow-up post, writing, “I’m a boomer. I guess I only know poor boomers.”
That’s because everyone you know is poor
— Micah Garner (@Here_4_NBA) February 8, 2026
Many boomers have done this
A separate post argued that older generations accumulated housing assets while younger people struggle with rent, calling it “the real bubble.” The comment reflected broader public frustration over housing costs and access to homeownership.
are you saying one generation was thrifty and the other one spendy ?
— Carl Mast (@CarlMast) February 8, 2026
Bessent said the administration’s goal is to remove large institutional investors from the single-family housing market while protecting smaller landlords. He did not specify how the government would define “mom-and-pop” owners or set a numerical limit on how many properties would qualify.
Housing affordability remains a central economic issue as policymakers debate whether investor activity contributes to higher prices. The Treasury Department has not yet released formal guidance detailing how proposed restrictions on institutional buyers would be implemented.
