Does Wall Street Own Your Dream Home?

May 29, 2024

If you or someone you know has had trouble finding an affordable home to buy, the problem may not be caused by high interest rates or the population growth in the metropolitan Atlanta market.

The problem may be due to large-scale investors swooping in with vast resources of cash to jump to the head of the sales line. A new study by researchers at Georgia State University and Rutgers University in New Jersey details just how rapidly Wall Street has taken a liking to the single-family homes market.

That’s particularly true in Atlanta, which in recent years has led the nation in single-home buyers with deep corporate financial resources. In recent years, corporate investors bought more than 30 percent of homes purchased here. Charlotte was not far behind, followed quickly by fast-growing cities like Jacksonville, Las Vegas, and Phoenix.

The new report, which was authored by GSU professor Taylor Shelton and Rutgers researcher Eric Seymour, shows that in Atlanta three corporate landlords own 19,000 single-family rental homes, “These companies own tens of thousands of properties in a relatively select set of neighborhoods,” GSU’s Shelton said, “which allows them to exercise really significant market power over tenants and renters because they have such a large concentration of holdings in those neighborhoods,”

Atlanta Jewish Times, May 29, 2024

Recent Posts

NJSPL: New Jersey Policy Priorities Survey Results

By Angie Nga Le Between October 7 and November 14, 2024, the New Jersey State Policy Lab conducted a brief survey to gain insights into emerging issues and policy priorities in New Jersey. The survey aimed to inform the Policy Lab’s strategic research planning,...

Dr. Grafova Examines Financial Hardships for Cancer Survivors

Household income and county income inequality are associated with financial hardship among cancer survivors in New Jersey Abstract Purpose To examine how household income and county income inequality are linked to financial hardship among cancer survivors. Methods...

Exploring Postsecondary Outcomes of Dual-Enrollment

Heldrich Report: Exploring Postsecondary Outcomes of Dual-Enrollment Participation in New Jersey A new study from the New Jersey Statewide Data System (NJSDS) explores the educational pathways of New Jersey high school graduates from 2014 and 2015 who participated in...

“Rutgers Then and Now:” A Discussion with the Authors

“Rutgers Then and Now”: A Discussion with Authors James W. Hughes and David Listokin As 2024 comes to a close and EJB Talks concludes another season, Stuart Shapiro discusses the new book by University Professor and Bloustein School Dean Emeritus James W. Hughes and...

NJSPL Report: Transportation Priorities for Camden County

By Carla Villacis, Kristin Curtis, Shaghayegh Poursabbagh, Oğuz Kaan Özalp, and Fawaz Al-Juaid Read Report The Senator Walter Rand Institute for Public Affairs at Rutgers-Camden (WRI) exists to conduct community-focused research that connects to the public policy and...

Upcoming Events

2025 Bloustein Alumni Awards Celebration

Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers University 71 Hamilton Street, New Brunswick, NJ, United States

Since 1994, the Bloustein School Alumni Association has aimed to present awards to accomplished alumni each year. Our goal is to pay tribute to alumni and friends to recognize their […]

RAISE 2025 – Our Future With AI: Utopian or Dystopian?

Gov. James J. Florio Special Events Forum, CSB 33 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ, United States

Informatics - Data Science - AI Competition Step into the future of innovation! RAISE-25 will challenge you to unravel the scope of AI's impact on our lives and human society. […]