I've not followed it closely, but I've seen the trend where investment groups and corporations are buying more single dwelling homes around the country. I didn't read all that close into this article tbh - it's probably more about them owning REITS - but seeing powerful entities buying real estate meant for regular people to buy a home is a terrible look. Worse, I think they make it more difficult for regular people to buy homes based on price and availability.

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/07/16/blacksto...s-why.html

Quote:Blackstone is an American alternative asset manager with significant interests in rental housing. In recent years, the company spent billions acquiring brands such as Tricon Residential, American Campus Communities and AIR Communities.

Blackstone’s rental housing portfolio contains apartment complexes, student housing, mobile home parks, and single-family rental properties. Many of their U.S. assets are concentrated in major cities such as New York and in Sun Belt states including Texas, Georgia and Florida.

Where do you draw the line? As long as it's not a monopoly, right?

You will own nothing and be happy.

(07-16-2025 07:18 AM)miko33 Wrote:  I've not followed it closely, but I've seen the trend where investment groups and corporations are buying more single dwelling homes around the country. I didn't read all that close into this article tbh - it's probably more about them owning REITS - but seeing powerful entities buying real estate meant for regular people to buy a home is a terrible look. Worse, I think they make it more difficult for regular people to buy homes based on price and availability.

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/07/16/blacksto...s-why.html

Quote:Blackstone is an American alternative asset manager with significant interests in rental housing. In recent years, the company spent billions acquiring brands such as Tricon Residential, American Campus Communities and AIR Communities.

Blackstone’s rental housing portfolio contains apartment complexes, student housing, mobile home parks, and single-family rental properties. Many of their U.S. assets are concentrated in major cities such as New York and in Sun Belt states including Texas, Georgia and Florida.

This is not a new issue. There were those expressing the same concerns as far back as 2-4 years ago. Investors are buying up whole developments in any stage of progress so they can rent those properties out. Homes on the fringes of my neighborhood go up for sale and within a couple of weeks they have for rent signs on them.

(07-16-2025 07:40 AM)BartlettTigerFan Wrote:  You will have nothing and be happy.

Sure thing, as long as you call a home, a car, and any other material possession you might desire nothing.

Effin loons, they want us to die.

Blackstone is doing exactly what its former subsidiary BlackRock has been doing for years, buying up single family homes to drive up prices. They claim they are doing it as “investments”. Keep in mind these are the same companies pushing social credit scores and DEI policies. They call it ESG but it’s the same Leftist garbage.

Why are Blackstone, BlackRock and other hedge funds buying up single family homes?

Communists have tried for decades to destroy the middle class in the US. The American middle class is what has made it impossible to implement their Communist utopia. Home ownership is an important part of building personal wealth and one of the bedrocks of the American dream.

If you make it harder for young people to own homes, they are more likely to accept the prison that is Communism.

There has been some talk of local and state governments trying to stop or limit hedge funds from buying single family homes but I’m not sure if that’s happened yet or not.

This has been going on for quite a while. They are even buying up trailer parks and jacking the rent up. This is part of the problem with young couples not being able to afford housing. I am all for capitalism, but congress needs to step in a limit the amount of single-family housing one company owns in a certain area.

Not sure institutional home ownership is as bad as it's made out to be. According to the 2024 dated GAO Report on Institutional Investments in Single-Family Rental Housing, based on a review of 74 studies about institutional investors in single-family rental housing, institutional investors own roughly 2% of the single-family rental housing stock across the U.S. However, they own a greater share of homes in certain markets, particularly in the southeast. So, as with all things real estate, location matters. Overall, investor home ownership is low; however, in larger cities, it can be as high as 21% like in Jacksonville, FL. Take a look at the report for more details.

(07-16-2025 08:22 AM)VA49er Wrote:  Not sure institutional home ownership is as bad as it's made out to be. According to the 2024 dated GAO Report on Institutional Investments in Single-Family Rental Housing, based on a review of 74 studies about institutional investors in single-family rental housing, institutional investors own roughly 2% of the single-family rental housing stock across the U.S. However, they own a greater share of homes in certain markets, particularly in the southeast. So, as with all things real estate, location matters. Overall, investor home ownership is low; however, in larger cities, it can be as high as 21% like in Jacksonville, FL. Take a look at the report for more details.

It's a perception thing though that's the kicker. if Blackstone buys traditional apartment buildings no one cares. However, it's personal when they start buying up single dwelling homes - even duplexes. Logic says owning only 2% is not a big deal although as you point out concentrated in few markets can become a distortion. All that said - single family and duplex homes should be off limits to institutional investment houses and MNCs...even down to mid sized corporations. Common people need to have something they can look forward to.

(07-16-2025 08:29 AM)miko33 Wrote:  

(07-16-2025 08:22 AM)VA49er Wrote:  Not sure institutional home ownership is as bad as it's made out to be. According to the 2024 dated GAO Report on Institutional Investments in Single-Family Rental Housing, based on a review of 74 studies about institutional investors in single-family rental housing, institutional investors own roughly 2% of the single-family rental housing stock across the U.S. However, they own a greater share of homes in certain markets, particularly in the southeast. So, as with all things real estate, location matters. Overall, investor home ownership is low; however, in larger cities, it can be as high as 21% like in Jacksonville, FL. Take a look at the report for more details.

It's a perception thing though that's the kicker. if Blackstone buys traditional apartment buildings no one cares. However, it's personal when they start buying up single dwelling homes - even duplexes. Logic says owning only 2% is not a big deal although as you point out concentrated in few markets can become a distortion. All that said - single family and duplex homes should be off limits to institutional investment houses and MNCs...even down to mid sized corporations. Common people need to have something they can look forward to.

There is a market need for rental SFH. We lived in those all but 7 years until I got out of college. Those two homes were the only ones my parents owned.

(07-16-2025 09:11 AM)bullet Wrote:  

(07-16-2025 08:29 AM)miko33 Wrote:  

(07-16-2025 08:22 AM)VA49er Wrote:  Not sure institutional home ownership is as bad as it's made out to be. According to the 2024 dated GAO Report on Institutional Investments in Single-Family Rental Housing, based on a review of 74 studies about institutional investors in single-family rental housing, institutional investors own roughly 2% of the single-family rental housing stock across the U.S. However, they own a greater share of homes in certain markets, particularly in the southeast. So, as with all things real estate, location matters. Overall, investor home ownership is low; however, in larger cities, it can be as high as 21% like in Jacksonville, FL. Take a look at the report for more details.

It's a perception thing though that's the kicker. if Blackstone buys traditional apartment buildings no one cares. However, it's personal when they start buying up single dwelling homes - even duplexes. Logic says owning only 2% is not a big deal although as you point out concentrated in few markets can become a distortion. All that said - single family and duplex homes should be off limits to institutional investment houses and MNCs...even down to mid sized corporations. Common people need to have something they can look forward to.

There is a market need for rental SFH. We lived in those all but 7 years until I got out of college. Those two homes were the only ones my parents owned.

Do you still live in the Pasadena Deer Park area?

(07-16-2025 09:52 AM)BlueDragon Wrote:  

(07-16-2025 09:11 AM)bullet Wrote:  

(07-16-2025 08:29 AM)miko33 Wrote:  

(07-16-2025 08:22 AM)VA49er Wrote:  Not sure institutional home ownership is as bad as it's made out to be. According to the 2024 dated GAO Report on Institutional Investments in Single-Family Rental Housing, based on a review of 74 studies about institutional investors in single-family rental housing, institutional investors own roughly 2% of the single-family rental housing stock across the U.S. However, they own a greater share of homes in certain markets, particularly in the southeast. So, as with all things real estate, location matters. Overall, investor home ownership is low; however, in larger cities, it can be as high as 21% like in Jacksonville, FL. Take a look at the report for more details.

It's a perception thing though that's the kicker. if Blackstone buys traditional apartment buildings no one cares. However, it's personal when they start buying up single dwelling homes - even duplexes. Logic says owning only 2% is not a big deal although as you point out concentrated in few markets can become a distortion. All that said - single family and duplex homes should be off limits to institutional investment houses and MNCs...even down to mid sized corporations. Common people need to have something they can look forward to.

There is a market need for rental SFH. We lived in those all but 7 years until I got out of college. Those two homes were the only ones my parents owned.

Do you still live in the Pasadena Deer Park area?

I never lived there. One of my best friends did live in Deer Park.

Per Grok,

As of 2024, the number of first-time homebuyers in the U.S. has reached a historic low, with estimates around 1.14 million, down from a long-term average and significantly less than the peak years like 2004, when approximately 3.2 million first-time buyers were reported. The median age of first-time buyers has risen to 38, up from 35 in 2023 and much higher than the late 20s seen in the 1980s, reflecting challenges in affordability.

Who is Grok?

(07-16-2025 03:51 PM)BartlettTigerFan Wrote:  Who is Grok?

Elon's little artificial buddy on X.

(07-16-2025 06:01 PM)TigerBlue4Ever Wrote:  

(07-16-2025 03:51 PM)BartlettTigerFan Wrote:  Who is Grok?

Elon's little artificial buddy on X.

may as well call it 666 and be done with it ...

Gen Z and millennials can’t afford to buy a house, and it shows: The number of first-time homebuyers is half the historical norm

To put it in perspective, the number of first-time homebuyers in 2004 was nearly 3.2 million, according to NAR data shared with Fortune on Tuesday. By 2024, that number had plummeted to just 1.14 million.
https://fortune.com/2025/07/09/gen-z-mil...ng-market/

(07-16-2025 06:11 PM)stinkfist Wrote:  

(07-16-2025 06:01 PM)TigerBlue4Ever Wrote:  

(07-16-2025 03:51 PM)BartlettTigerFan Wrote:  Who is Grok?

Elon's little artificial buddy on X.

may as well call it 666 and be done with it ...

Yeah there's some massive baked in bad stuff with Grok. Like ask it to post photos of average americans, you won't get 1 white person. Then call it out and it will refuse to post any photos.

Anyone that pays attention to all this AI psh!t, well....

AI says what someone like me tells it to say.

(07-16-2025 09:11 AM)bullet Wrote:  

(07-16-2025 08:29 AM)miko33 Wrote:  

(07-16-2025 08:22 AM)VA49er Wrote:  Not sure institutional home ownership is as bad as it's made out to be. According to the 2024 dated GAO Report on Institutional Investments in Single-Family Rental Housing, based on a review of 74 studies about institutional investors in single-family rental housing, institutional investors own roughly 2% of the single-family rental housing stock across the U.S. However, they own a greater share of homes in certain markets, particularly in the southeast. So, as with all things real estate, location matters. Overall, investor home ownership is low; however, in larger cities, it can be as high as 21% like in Jacksonville, FL. Take a look at the report for more details.

It's a perception thing though that's the kicker. if Blackstone buys traditional apartment buildings no one cares. However, it's personal when they start buying up single dwelling homes - even duplexes. Logic says owning only 2% is not a big deal although as you point out concentrated in few markets can become a distortion. All that said - single family and duplex homes should be off limits to institutional investment houses and MNCs...even down to mid sized corporations. Common people need to have something they can look forward to.

There is a market need for rental SFH. We lived in those all but 7 years until I got out of college. Those two homes were the only ones my parents owned.

My thoughts on that is not to kill the single family rental house market but to keep the deep pocketed firms who can distort the market by outbidding everyone for houses that they would remove from the market for other potential home buyers. Of course the alternative of having a smaller firm or even an individual person/family who wants to own a few rental homes wouldn't change the issue with removing houses from inventory and raising prices for first time home buyers.

Not sure what the ideal answer is to balance all of that - but I do know that large investment fund companies or major MNCs or REITS buying these homes is a problem wrt affordability. Other factors affect pricing as well but this is one of those.