Too much? 17% of California homes are owned by investors

Investors own roughly one in six of California’s single-family residences.

That’s what my trusty spreadsheet found after reviewing a BatchData report that estimates investor ownership of houses and townhomes nationwide. Investors in this study include everything from giant companies controlling thousands of houses to folks with a small collection of rentals to short-term rental operators to people with a second home.

According to BatchData, California has 1.3 million of these investor-owned homes. That’s the second-highest count among the states, accounting for 8% of the 15.6 million investor-controlled homes nationwide.

No. 1 is Texas at 1.4 million, while Florida is No. 3 at 1.1 million.

Yes, we’re talking about huge housing markets. Still, investor clout cannot be ignored.

California investors own 17% of the 7.6 million single-family residences statewide. That’s the 16th-smallest share among the states and slightly below the 18% nationwide.

Investors own 17.9% of Texas homes (No. 33) and 18% in Florida (No. 32).

Just so you know, investors are easiest to find in Wyoming, with a 31% share, followed by Maine at 30% and Montana at 27%.