It starts with a closing store.

[louis-t]

35. Yes, and they aren't the only ones. It is a major reason

for shortage of houses for sale and increasing rents. The other reason is builders haven't built houses in an affordable price range for most people in the last 20 years. I am suspicious of the "family-owned" home buying businesses that are all over tv now. This guy and his wife and 2 kids aren't buying up homes, they must have wealthy backers. The commercials alone cost a fortune, running 20 times a day on many networks. What I'm also seeing is, it's getting tougher to qualify for rentals. Most of the Landlords are increasing their minimum credit score requirement. I used to be able to get people through with a 550 credit score and I would laugh at the ones saying "bring me a 700 credit score and I'll rent to them". Now it's 650 minimum, and if it's a couple, they both have to have 650 or better. Rentals are staying on the market for months, rather than rent to someone who they think might damage the home or stop paying and have to be evicted. I'm not sure where this is going, but it's possible rents could come down when the market gets glutted with rental homes.