The David Frum Show Why Housing Feels Hopeless
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Aug 13, 2025 Glenn Kelman, CEO of Redfin and co-founder of Plumtree Software, discusses the dismal state of the U.S. housing market. He explains how pandemic-era mortgage rates have paralyzed both buyers and sellers, leaving many young people unable to purchase homes. The conversation dives into essential topics like zoning reform, immigration, and the aging of first-time homebuyers. Despite the challenges, Kelman remains hopeful for a brighter future if America can relearn how to build effectively.
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Florida As A Volatile Real Estate Example
- Florida faces a triple whammy: storm-driven insurance spikes, past price rises, and a slowing in-migration.
- Condos and some markets in Florida are now very hard to sell, hurting the local economy.
Pandemic Migration Nationalized The Crisis
- Remote work and pandemic migration made local housing problems national by bringing high prices to cheaper regions.
- That shift spread housing anxiety from coastal tech cities to once-affordable Midwest and Sunbelt areas.
Specific Zoning Fixes To Build Faster
- Eliminate exclusionary single-family zoning, cut parking minimums, and shorten approval timelines.
- Make permitting as easy as in faster-building states so builders will return to constrained markets.
