Investors bought a record share of U.S. homes in 2021
It&#x27;s become basically impossible to buy a house as a normal person, even on a higher tech salary.  In most markets around the US now, the expectation is that buyers will waive inspection requirements, make an offer as all-cash (e.g. pre-approved financing), with no contingencies (e.g. not based on sale of their previous home).<p>I&#x27;m currently trying to buy a different house, my older sister just bought a different farm, we both have had a horrible experience.  My sister had multiple properties where her bid was beat out by someone offering $100k+ over ask, all-cash, mostly REITs and other types of corporate investors.  This wasn&#x27;t even in a city (farm obviously).  I&#x27;m trying to find both a house and a place to rent, because my realtor&#x2F;broker has advised me that I need to rent for at least a few months while I sell my existing house so I can buy with no contingencies, or I&#x27;ll never get under contract.  I finally found a proper spot for us to rent, was supposed to be available April 1st and was accepting leases starting March 15th according to the listing.  Was just informed yesterday that the owner has already got it under application and has four other renters waiting in the wings.<p>This market is ridiculous if you actually need a place to live, and it&#x27;s not even a matter of income.  I&#x27;m in the top 1% of earners overall in the US, and I can&#x27;t even close the deal on a place to live.  I&#x27;ve had my current house for a bit over ten years, and it makes me almost want to give up and not move, although I must for family reasons.  When I look into it, most of the properties being swept under me (and others) aren&#x27;t even being bought by people, they&#x27;re being bought by REITs or other investment vehicles, mostly by foreign money.  You&#x27;ve also got companies like OpenDoor and Zillow scooping even high-earners trying to buy a place to live.