This should be illegal. Especially for Private equity firms. Owning a extra few properties as rentals is one thing but the way this stuff happens is very corrupt. Archive: https://archive.today/tq9Vw From the post: >>That’s a conclusion from my trusty spreadsheet’s review of data on investor activity across the nation from BatchData, a small data tracker that digs deeper into property records than many traditional real estate analysts. BatchData reviewed California ownership records to identify the state’s owner-occupied residences compared to houses controlled by investors. This study included properties for short-term or long-term rentals, second homes, and vacation retreats but did not follow condos or build-to-rent single-family-home projects. By this math, 19% of California houses were owned by investors, ranking No. 36 among the states and just below the 20% national norm. By county, tiny Sierra has the most (83%) and Ventura the least (14%).