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Feb 15 14 tweets 6 min read Read on X
This is absolutely insane:

Since DOGE began discussing mass layoffs, the median home price in Washington DC has FALLEN by -$139,000.

In 30 days, nearly 4,000 homes have been listed for sale in and around Washington DC.

What is happening? Let us explain.

(a thread) Image
Here's a chart showing median home price in the Washington, DC area.

In November 2024, the median home in Washington, DC was worth ~$699,000, according to Redfin.

Today, the median home is worth $560,000, marking a -20% drop in ~3 months.

Mass selling is an understatement. Image
There are now nearly 8,000 homes for sale in the Washington, DC metro area.

Nearly HALF of these homes have been listed for sale over the last 30 days.

Since November 2024, nearly 5,000 homes have been listed for sale, well above average.

So, what exactly is happening here? Image
Year-over-year, home listings in the Washington DC metro area are up ~23%.

Parts of Virginia are seeing 60%-70%+ jumps in year-over-year listings.

Keep in mind, this is during the winter months in a housing market that has been historically LOW on supply.

Truly insane. Image
Listings accelerated after DOGE's federal employee buyout offer was announced.

The offer pays employees through September 2025 if they quit, with 5%-10% of employees expected agree.

As of this week, 65,000 federal employees have accepted the buyout offer, per WSJ. Image
Today, Fox News reported that 3,600 probationary Health and Human Services employees were laid off by DOGE.

This is expected to save $600 MILLION in taxpayer dollars annually.

The 65,000 DOGE cuts so far are now saving an estimated ~$38 billion in annual taxpayer dollars. Image
On day 8 of the formation of @DOGE, the below announcement was made.

DOGE is reportedly saving the US Government $1 billion PER DAY.

This means DOGE could reduce US deficit spending by 20% in YEAR 1.

More layoffs are coming as workforce reduction has been a primary DOGE goal. Image
Here's where it gets even more interesting:

There has been a SURGE in new listings in Washington, DC with a listing price of $1,000,000+.

There are now 525 listings of $1+ million and 44 listings worth $5+ million.

This suggests high-profile job exits are rising. Image
Just wait until we see the effects on commercial real estate in Washington, DC.

DOGE announced plans to eliminate up to TWO-THIRDS of US government office buildings, per WSJ.

Not a single major US government agency is currently occupying even 50% of their office space. Image
DOGE has specifically noted that Washington, DC federal government buildings are particularly empty.

On average, they are just 12% occupied.

The Department of Agriculture saw just ~456 of 7,400 employees use their office.

The DC real estate market is just getting started. Image
If you zoom out further, there are ~15 THOUSAND homes for sale around Washington, DC.

In fact, there are so many homes for sale in the downtown area that Zillow is grouping 280 homes together.

This is an unprecedented level of selling in a generally "strong" housing market. Image
Are layoffs and rising inventory in DC a coincidence?

Time will tell. But, we see more layoffs ahead as DOGE looks to cut $4 billion/day.

With US debt up $13 TRILLION since 2020, spending cuts are needed.

Follow us @KobeissiLetter for real time analysis as this develops. Image
DOGE's goal of rapidly reducing the $1.8 trillion US deficit will impact MULTIPLE markets.

The 10-year note yield has fallen ~40 bps from its high and gold is nearing $3000, even as inflation rebounded.

Subscribe below to see how we are trading it:

thekobeissiletter.com/subscribeImage
With mortgage demand at 30-year lows, stocks at all time highs, and DOGE disrupting government spending, tons of change is coming.

As investors, we must evolve with this change.

Be sure to turn on @Kobeissiletter post notifications to receive our real-time analysis.

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More from @KobeissiLetter

May 5
Gold won't stop.

Gold is surging again, now trading above $3,300/oz, even as the S&P 500 is up +17% from its April 7th low.

Since 2020, the gold ETF, $GLD, has now OUTPERFORMED the S&P 500 by 35 percentage points.

Are you still watching gold?

(a thread) Image
Heading into 2025, $GLD was underperforming the S&P 500 since 2020 by ~10%.

However, as uncertainty has risen, $GLD is now up +109% since 2020 compared to +74% in the S&P 500.

But, why are gold prices surging even as the market recovers?

Uncertainty remains the answer. Image
The equity market's rebound has been a product of SENTIMENT.

The Fear & Greed index is up ~54 points since its April 2025 low.

However, we have not seen a material reduction in macroeconomic uncertainty.

Equity and gold markets are telling two different near-term stories. Image
Read 12 tweets
May 3
This is insane:

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway just announced they now hold a record $348 BILLION in cash.

Since 2022, Buffett's cash balance is up $239 BILLION and he has net SOLD stocks for 10-straight quarters.

What does Warren Buffett see here?

(a thread) Image
Below is Berkshire Hathaway's balance sheet:

They now hold $305.5 BILLION of US Treasury Bills and $36.9 billion of cash in their insurance and other business.

In their Railroad, Utilities and Energy business, they hold another ~$5.3 billion of cash.

This is unprecedented. Image
To put this in perspective, the US Federal Reserve currently holds $195.3 billion in US Treasury Bills.

This means that Berkshire Hathaway now holds ~$110.2 billion MORE of T-bills than the Fed.

Berkshire Hathaway's T-bill balance is ~56% HIGHER than the Fed itself. Image
Read 12 tweets
Apr 30
The Fed's worst nightmare just got worse:

New data showed that US GDP CONTRATCTED by -0.3% in Q1 2025, while +0.3% growth was expected.

To make things worse, the GDP Price Index surged to +3.7%, its highest since August 2023.

What does Powell do now?

(a thread) Image
Annualized US GDP growth came in at -0.3% this morning, below expectations of +0.3%.

This marks the first negative reading since Q2 2022.

Just 4 months ago, GDP was expected to grow by over 3% in Q1 2025.

We have seen a MASSIVE shift in US economic output. Image
Treasury Yields are surging, with the 10Y Note Yield up almost 10 bps from its pre-data release low.

Why are rates rising in an economy that is shrinking?

The market knows that stagflation has arrived.

The Fed is facing the lose-lose situation they thought would never arrive. Image
Read 13 tweets
Apr 21
Where are the trade deals?

The S&P 500 has now erased -$2.5 TRILLION since the April 9th high after the 90-day tariff "pause."

While markets await trade deals, Japan just said they "won't just keep conceding" in US tariff talks.

Here's what's happening.

(a thread) Image
On April 16th, Bloomberg published the below article claiming that trade negotiations with Japan are underway.

Trump Administration officials claimed trade deals were being discussed with 50+ countries.

Markets rallied sharply on this news over the last 5-10 days. Image
Below is a timeline of recent events.

We are now on the 12th day of the 90-day tariff "pause" and no trade deals have been announced.

As seen below, the market has already priced-in at least partial trade deals.

However, it's been nearly 2 weeks without a single deal. Image
Read 14 tweets
Apr 16
What just happened?

After rising +2,400 points since its April 7th low, the Nasdaq is now down nearly -900 points since Monday's high.

Today, Fed Chair Powell made it clear that the "Fed put" is NOT saving the market any time soon.

Here's what happened.

(a thread) Image
First, selling pressure began mounting yesterday at around 6 PM ET.

Nvidia, $NVDA, said the US banned them from selling H20 chips to China "for the indefinite future."

Nvidia says this will come with a $5.5 billion charge to Q1 earnings.

$NVDA fell over -10% intraday today. Image
Then, the selloff accelerated following the below WSJ report.

US officials are planning to use negotiations with 70+ nations to ask them to disallow China to ship goods through their countries..

The US is reportedly attempting to "isolate" China.

Yet another escalation. Image
Read 13 tweets
Apr 16
Gold is trading like we are in a depression:

Over the last 20 years, gold is now OUTPERFORMING stocks, up +620% compared to a +580% gain in the S&P 500.

Over the last 9 months, gold has officially surged by over +$1,000/oz.

What is gold telling us?

(a thread) Image
Beginning in 2020, stocks widened their performance gap against gold.

However, as equities have entered a bear market, capital has rushed into gold.

As we have been writing for the last 12+ months, gold is the ONLY global safe haven asset now.

US bonds are not as desired. Image
As shown below, gold has CRUSHED bond returns over the last 4-5 years.

Since March 2020, gold is now up +114% while a popular bond-tracking ETF, $TLT, is down -45%.

This shift in sentiment has been gold's most bullish development in recent history.

So, why did it happen? Image
Read 13 tweets

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