[neilv]

> Mr. Neumann, who has purchased more than 3,000 apartment units [...] The investment thesis for Flow appears to reflect economic and social trends that are driving more people to rent homes rather than buy them at a time when there is a housing shortage.

Could that be part of a causal relationship?

[edwnj]

A very tiny part. The big reason is supply/demand, we are short hundreds of thousands of houses that needs to be built..

Yeh Blackrock buying tens of thousands of houses is not helping but thats not that main issue here let alone a few thousand apartment units bought by Neumann.

[tormeh]

Land-use restrictions and NIMBYism drives up housing costs. I don't blame investors from wanting to make money off of that. They didn't start the fire, so why not roast some marshmallows? It may be in somewhat bad taste, but they're not doing anyone any harm. Direct your anger at the local governments that block cheap mass housing from being built.

Of course the real reason is that people want property values to increase and rents to decrease. This is a circle you can't square. Many voters are homeowners who have all their savings tied up in their home. In legislations without safety nets this might be their retirement plan and social security, too. In practice this turns into a destructive political force that crushes everyone who doesn't own their home. Incentives, baby!

[afavour]

> They didn't start the fire, so why not roast some marshmallows?

I think the metaphor would be “they didn’t start the fire so why not throw some more fuel onto it?”

[nradov]

If you actually talk with the most active NIMBYs, they tend to be more concerned with quality of life than with property values. They have lived in the same home for many years and don't plan to sell. Building more housing in their neighborhood means less privacy, more noise, more traffic, more crime, and a shortage of street parking. You might consider them selfish but their concerns aren't irrational.

[mouzogu]

how is it someone can just take 3,000 properties off the market. isn't this kind of speculative hoarding destructive for society...most people dream to have even 1.