The housing market’s troubles can’t be blamed solely on high interest rates, according to Chuck Flint, CEO of the Coalition for Affordability and Prosperity. During an appearance on Breitbart News Daily, Flint argued that Congress has failed to update a key capital gains tax exemption for nearly three decades, creating what he called a “stealth tax” on home sellers that is choking the market.
“The law hasn’t been updated in 29 years,” Flint said, referring to the rule that allows individuals to exclude up to $250,000 in capital gains from the sale of a primary residence — or $500,000 for married couples filing jointly. That exemption was set in the late 1990s, when the median home price was just $139,000 in 2000. Median prices have since climbed more than 200 percent, now exceeding $417,000.
Because the exemption has never been adjusted for inflation, Flint explained, the government reaps an ever-larger share of home sale proceeds. “The government just gets a windfall now if you sell your home,” he said.
That creates a disincentive for potential sellers. “While you’ve got interest rates impacting the housing market, you’ve got sellers that are staring down the barrel of a big tax, saying, ‘Ok, well, why should I put my home on the market if I’m just going to lose all this money?’” Flint said. “That’s the crux of the problem.”
Flint noted that other tax provisions are routinely indexed for inflation — the standard deduction is adjusted annually, and tax-deductible retirement contribution limits rise too. The home-sale exclusion, by contrast, has been left untouched since 1997, even as the market has dramatically appreciated. He called updating it “such an easy fix.”
The vehicle for that fix, he said, is Senate Bill 3332, which has Republican backing and, according to Flint, bipartisan co-sponsors. He urged Senate leadership to bring it up immediately. “Just throw it right on the floor and pass it, and send it to the president’s desk,” he said, noting that President Donald Trump has previously raised the issue.
Under the proposed legislation, the exclusion would rise to $500,000 for individuals and $1 million for married couples. “Going back to what Congress wants,” Flint said, “clearly the intent is when you sell your home, you should be able to keep that equity.”
Flint pointed to supporters on both sides of the aisle, including conservative Republicans such as Mike Lee, Jim Banks, and Senator Kennedy, as well as some Democrats. He framed the bill as consistent with the broader GOP tax-cut agenda, which the White House advanced with the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill” extending earlier tax cuts.
For Flint, the stakes are simple: letting homeowners keep more of their equity isn’t just fair, it’s an economic driver. “You put the money in, you should be able to keep that,” he said. “Why not? Let people keep and put more money in their pocket.”
The housing market remains frozen, in his view, not just because of mortgage rates but because of the looming tax hit. Raising the exemption, he argued, would send a signal to would-be sellers that they won’t be penalized for selling, potentially freeing up inventory and making it easier for buyers to find homes.
“If the Senate is serious about affordability,” Flint said, “this is the easy way to help unfreeze the market.”
Breitbart News Daily airs weekdays on SiriusXM Patriot 125 from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. Eastern.
Source: www.breitbart.com — https://www.breitbart.com/radio/2026/09/03/exclusive-chuck-flint-congress-must-raise-house-exemption-an-easy-fix-to-unfreeze-the-housing-market/