No Bubble, but that doesn't mean no troubl with this trend.

I hate that this is happening@

Until now, this is not something I was aware of.  With California home prices - most especially in my area - my sense is that my market would not be a good ROI for that strategy.  Yet, the investors pencil the numbers ... 

I have not seen that happening to this extent in my market. While I always get multiple offers from these companies, I've yet to have a seller accept those offers. Although the offers are cash, their offers are not usually higher than what I see from individual buyers.

Foreign and Corporate investors should have limits as this is only part of a plan that has no good. Why is BG buying up farmland to become the largest owner of farmland in the country

Nope, no crazy stuff here.  No huge over list bidding wars, no foreign nationals buying property, no businesses buying entire subdivisions.  Hope it stays this way.

Long term hold strategies are taking place and in this case, some investors/developers are intending to rent their products for cash flow. They get appreciation too! The watch word? BUY BUY and BUY

Yes I am aware of what's going on with buying up as many homes as possible. but not so much the pension fund aspect of it.  Just talked to several investors this morning and they are still going strong. On guy said he's bought about 30 so far this year. Now he wants one of mine. We'll see.

Are they buying fully approved , but not built on yet  ? Or are they buying Developers out of Subdivisions that are underway 

This too shall pass and when it does the long term result will come forth!

We did sell to pension funds in commercial, however they were buying large office building with great tenants!  A flow of steady income was of paramount importance...That was then, who knows what the logic is now?

This has been going on for years & Candice just put in a link about Blackrock in the AR Peeps. These guys zip around the country picking up deals or in up & coming markets all the time.

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Nothing new to see here. Sour grapes on your article - the one with the most money wins the house.

Hello Fred Griffin Tallahassee Real Estate it might have impact on some areas.

Follow the money. I've been watching homes sales in my area. Institutional Investors, Private-equity firms are outbidding real buyers who want to buy homes to live in various communities because of schools, etc. Institutional investors buy, cosmetically fix, rent, sell more than double. There's a pattern, what it cost to update & sell for more is very costly for many homeowners, there are many seniors no longer able to keep up with the maintenance and don't want to be bothered with people coming into their homes and having to figure out what to do with their stuff, these Pension Funds & private equity firms make it easier to sell, hassle free. Very aggressive they are and persuasive too! Private investors are increasing the demand and have the power to outbid the average man, woman, whatever. Recently I went on a listing presentation and seller of an estate from out-of-state interviewed several real estate agents and a few investors. The seller gave all the comps I gave to her (probably others too) and she turned down all the real estate agent for a power house investor who didn't do CMA but took the work I did (others too) and made an offer seller couldn't refuse. As we know, Cash is King and who wants the hassle? The fast food concept has paved the way for fast home sales and quality doesn't really matter at all. There was a recent case in Houston, an entire community built by D.R. Horton (built for rentals) was bought up, swallowed up whole, lock, stock & barrel. Residential homes are going on the market and before most true buyers have a chance to see and decide, it's already sold, sight unseen. If this continues (which I think it will) it will be next to impossible for future generations to own. 

Wasn't aware of pension funds, but back in 2009/2010 the Blackrock Group got huge amounts of funding (in the Billions) from the Obama administration to do the same thing all over California.  They drove up the prices considerably, paying WELL OVER fixed up market value for homes that needed full rehabs because money was no object to them.  Pushed many investors out of the market.  They turned them into "rental backed securities" (because mortgage backed ones did so well...) and were trading them on the stock market.

Given how much trouble many pension plans are in out here, I can see where this seems like a good idea to bolster their assets and have an income.

We have perfomed appraisals of timber for several of them that were investing in large investment tracts.