"Keeping the American Dream Alive: Why Homes Belong to Families, Not Corporations"

In recent years, a new kind of “house hunter” has hit the market, and it’s not the family next door looking for a new place to call home. It’s corporations like BlackRock and State Street, big names in finance, quietly buying up single-family residences (SFRs) across the U.S., turning what should be homes for Americans, into high-yield investments. For many, this shift is turning the American Dream on its head, moving homeownership further out of reach for everyday people.

What’s Really Going On?

Single-family homes have always been more than just property. For generations, they've been a path to wealth, security, and stability; a place where people raise families, build memories, and invest in their future. But when corporate giants step in, buying thousands of homes at once, they reshape the landscape, transforming these homes into profit-making rental properties instead.

These corporate buyers have the kind of financial firepower that regular buyers can’t compete with, often paying in cash, outbidding families and first-time homebuyers who dream of owning a piece of the neighborhood. And as more single-family homes disappear into corporate hands, prices climb even higher, leaving those wanting to buy with fewer choices and steeper barriers. It’s a troubling trend that turns homes into commodities and communities into rental zones, one “investment” at a time.

How It’s Affecting The American Dream

For generations, owning a home has been a cornerstone of building personal and family wealth in the U.S. It’s how many people secure a stable future, put down roots, and pass something on to the next generation. But the increasing corporatization of the single-family home market means fewer people can achieve that. Instead of building equity, families are left paying rent, often to corporate landlords who are invested in maximizing returns rather than investing in the local community.

This trend isn’t just about housing. It’s about the values we place on homes, neighborhoods, and the lives we build in them. When a family wants to buy but can’t, due to sky-high prices driven by corporate cash, the result is more than financial. It impacts the stability of communities, making it harder for people to feel truly rooted and connected to their neighborhoods.

Belong’s Mission: Putting Homes Back In The Hands Of The People

At Belong, we believe that homes should belong to people, not portfolios. That’s why our mission is to help keep homes in the hands of families and individual homeowners—not financial giants. We’re here to help regular people access the benefits of homeownership by making leasing easier and creating pathways for more families to own homes over time.

Our approach is simple: empower homeowners to lease their properties responsibly, keeping homes accessible and within reach for those who need them. We’re passionate about preserving the American Dream, one home at a time, and ensuring communities aren’t transformed into investment playgrounds for the ultra-wealthy.

Here’s How We Can Protect The Future Of Homeownership

Belong isn’t just about property management. We’re about people management. We’re committed to making sure that homes stay homes; for individuals, for families, and for future generations. We’re focused on supporting neighborhoods where people know each other’s names, where families can put down roots, and where homes are places to live, not just assets on a balance sheet.

Together, we can build a future where homes stay with the people who live in them and where the American Dream remains within reach for everyone. At Belong, we’re committed to being part of that solution, keeping the “home” in homeownership, no corporations attached.

Disclaimer: We don’t enjoy using the word ‘landlord’. We prefer to refer to members in our network as homeowners and residents, not landlords and tenants, since we’re on a mission to upend and redefine the traditional landlord-tenant relationship. That said, this article is for homeowners taking the leap for the first time who are looking for answers with more common industry terms like ‘landlords’ and ‘tenants’, so in some instances we have had to stick to the old moniker for owners of rental homes. This article is not intended as financial advice.