Millions of Reluctant Landlords

About 2.5 million homes have been converted into rental units since 2007 as homeowners try to wait out the loss in value of their properties, according to a new study.

1 minute read

September 15, 2009, 9:00 AM PDT

By Tim Halbur


"There are three main causes behind the shift, said Cynthia Kroll, senior regional economist at the Fisher Center for Real Estate and Urban Economics at the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley.

Homeowners unable to keep up with monthly mortgage payments are renting out their homes or rooms in their homes to help cover costs, recently-built condominiums originally slated for sale are instead being converted into rental apartments and buyers of foreclosed properties are renting out the homes rather than selling them."

Monday, September 14, 2009 in The Huffington Post

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