$\"The$ \n

Scroll through your feed and you\u2019ll see plenty of finger-pointing about why homes cost so much. And according to a national survey, a lot of people believe big investors are to blame.<\/p>\n

Even though data shows that\u2019s not true, nearly half of Americans surveyed (<\/strong>48%<\/strong><\/a>) think investors are the top reason housing feels so expensive <\/strong>(see graph below<\/em>):<\/p>\n

But that theory doesn\u2019t actually hold up once you look at the data.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Truth About Investors<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Investors do play a role in the housing market, especially in certain areas. But they\u2019re not buying up all the homes like so many people on social media say.<\/p>\n
Nationwide, Realtor.com<\/em> found only 2.8% of all home purchases last year were made by big investors (who own more than 50 properties). <\/strong>That means roughly 97% of homes were bought and sold by regular people, not corporate giants. Danielle Hale, Chief Economist at Realtor.com<\/em>, explains:<\/p>\n
\u201cInvestors do own significant shares of the housing stock in some neighborhoods, but nationwide, <\/em>the share of investor-owned housing is not a major concern.<\/em><\/strong>\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
So, if it\u2019s not investors, why are home prices so high?<\/p>\n
What\u2019s Really Behind Today\u2019s Home Prices<\/strong><\/h4>\n
The real story behind rising prices has less to do with who\u2019s buying and more to do with what\u2019s missing: enough homes. Robert Dietz, Chief Economist at the National Association of Home Builders<\/em> (NAHB), says:<\/p>\n
\u201c<\/em>It\u2019s been popular among some to blame investors, but with housing, the economics of that don\u2019t make a lot of sense.<\/em><\/strong> The fundamental driver of housing costs is the shortage itself\u2014it\u2019s driven by the fact that there\u2019s a mismatch between the number of households and the actual size of the housing stock.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
There simply haven\u2019t been enough homes for sale to meet buyer demand. And that shortage, not investor activity, is what\u2019s pushed prices higher just about everywhere.<\/p>\n
Bottom Line<\/h3>\n
It\u2019s easy to believe investors caused today\u2019s housing challenges. But the truth is, the market just needs more homes, and that\u2019s finally starting to happen.<\/strong><\/p>\n
As more options hit the market, buying may feel a little more realistic again.<\/p>\n
Connect with a local real estate agent and talk about what\u2019s happening in your market.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/body>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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