Specifically, the Preserving Pathways to Homeownership Act would require states to enact legislation imposing two simple, commonsense requirements for transactions that involve the use of a land contract for the purchase of a home: Recording: Sellers would be required to record the contract within five days of execution. ... Under the bill, if the buyer defaults, the seller seeking to take back a home would be required to use the state’s foreclosure process.
Establish basic consumer protections for homebuyers using land contracts by requiring states to enact legislation mandating that sellers record land contracts within five days of execution and use the foreclosure process for reclaiming homes in cases of buyer default.
Occurrences
Evidence
In July 2024, Senators Tina Smith (D-MN) and Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) introduced the Preserving Pathways to Homeownership Act, aiming to establish basic consumer protections for homebuyers using land contracts. The bill requires sellers to record land contracts within five days of execution and mandates the use of foreclosure processes for reclaiming homes in cases of buyer default.
In February 2024, Senators Tina Smith and Cynthia Lummis introduced the Preserving Pathways to Homeownership Act to standardize laws surrounding contracts for deed on residential properties. The bill mandates that sellers file contracts with a recorder of deeds office within five days of signing and requires foreclosure procedures in cases of buyer default.
In July 2025, Senator Tina Smith announced that two of her major bipartisan housing bills were included in a package that passed unanimously out of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Development Committee. The package, the Renewing Opportunity in the American Dream (ROAD) to Housing Act of 2025, represents the first comprehensive national legislation on housing since the 2008 financial crisis.
In September 2024, Senator Tina Smith and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez introduced the Homes Act, aiming to build and preserve as many as 1.3 million homes across the country. The bill seeks to establish a national Housing Development Authority to create and maintain a stock of permanent, sustainable, affordable housing.
In May 2025, Senator Tina Smith joined colleagues on a bipartisan, bicameral bill to provide resources to help communities overhaul their zoning and land use regulations. The Housing Supply Frameworks Act aims to assist states and localities in breaking down barriers and increasing the supply of affordable housing across income levels.
In February 2026, Senators Jack Reed and Tina Smith introduced the Affordable Housing and Homeownership Protection Act, aiming to generate up to $50 billion over ten years to help build and preserve approximately 2.9 million affordable housing units nationwide. The bill seeks to disincentivize institutional investors from purchasing large numbers of single-family homes.
In May 2025, Senator Tina Smith joined colleagues on a bipartisan, bicameral bill to provide resources to help communities overhaul their zoning and land use regulations. The Housing Supply Frameworks Act aims to assist states and localities in breaking down barriers and increasing the supply of affordable housing across income levels.
In May 2023, Senator Tina Smith reintroduced the Community Connect Grant Program Act to reauthorize a key USDA program. The bill aims to make investments available for broadband projects in tribal, low-income, and remote rural areas.
Assessments
Senator Tina Smith introduced the Preserving Pathways to Homeownership Act, which directly addresses the promise by requiring land contract recording within five days and mandating foreclosure processes in cases of buyer default. However, there is no evidence that this legislation was enacted or that the required consumer protections were established nationwide, only that the bill was introduced. Serious and direct legislative effort is clear, but the outcome (enactment and implementation) was not achieved during the same term.