Since 2020 I've heard a large number of bitcoiners say that private equity firms like Blackstone buying homes are a problem. Of course I, nor Bob Murphy are defending these companies it is important to understand what is actually happen and where the problems actually are. If you don't understand you can go down a path that leads to even worse outcomes.
Bob explains this very well in this episode. If you have wondered about this I recommend checking out this podcast.
I'd say they're a symptom, but not the cause.
The cause is rising house prices and growing wealth inequality, both of which are exacerbated by monetary inflation.
Best we can do is lower our time preference and buy a cheap house, without using banks if possible.
I'm leaning toward this cheap option, despite wanting to take advantage of the debt system
Bob points to the Fed adding real-estate to their balance sheet as a major driver.
He was responding to calls to ban companies (groups of individuals) from buying residential real-estate. Talk about causing unintended consequences.
malinvestments...
In Q2 2025, investors bought about 33% of all single-family homes the highest level in five years but despite the noise, major firms like Blackstone actually own less than 2-3% of the U.S. single-family home market. It’s not just the “Blackstones of the world” grabbing property; smaller buyers now drive most of the investor activity, outpacing institutional giants and flipping the usual narrative...