Investors bought a quarter of US homes sold last year
In 2012 I was looking at investing in REITs.  One REIT's pitch was that they owned such a large percentage of the rental housing in Tampa Florida, that even though vacancy rates were high, and rents were going down throughout the nation and other areas in the state of Florida, they were able to keep rents high in Tampa.<p>Disgusted, I realized the harm that REITs and private equity are doing to housing markets, and wanted nothing to do with it.<p>We need legislation that discourages housing as investment if we are to maintain  housing as shelter.  Unlikely, as wealthy folks who make money with the status quo run things.