High prices already stalled home sales recently, but the government’s first shutdown in nearly seven years is further slowing parts of the housing market. Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images

Chase Franklin had everything set for his cross-country move this month from North Dakota to Kansas for a new job. But a stalemate in Washington has thrown his plans into chaos.

Days before Franklin was supposed to close on his new home and relocate, the government shut down — freezing the US Department of Agriculture-backed mortgage he planned to use to buy the home. That left him rushing to find housing for his family.

Franklin is not alone. More than one-third of home buyers across the country turn to federally backed loans to make homeownership possible, according to a 2024 re

See Full Page