America, we have a problem. According to the government's own data, individual homebuyers have outmuscled investors over the last eight years-- gaining market share and pushing up the homeownership rate to some of the highest levels in history outside of the bubble / GFC years. And yet we have a shortage of for-sale homes, driving up prices. So, naturally, we need a villain. A boogeyman. Can't blame individual buyers who own more homes today than ever and whose market share is near record highs. That won't be popular. Can't blame small local investors who own >95% of single-family rentals. That won't be popular. So here's an idea. Let's zoom in on that tiny sliver on the charts showing ~3% of single-family rentals owned by large investors. And even though this is a diverse group including publicly traded REITs based outside New York, let's use terms like "hedge funds" and "Wall Street" to paint a scarier sounding villain character. And instead of looking at acquisitions AND dispositions to show net flows often negative for investors since 2016, let's mislead people by looking at just acquisitions. And let's definitely not mention the facts from academic studies showing how rentals help diversify exclusive neighborhoods with renters who couldn't otherwise afford to buy there. Or how studies have shown rents in neighborhoods where investors are limited have risen more than those that didn't have such limitations. Or how some investors have rehabbed old crumbling houses into better shape, with many flipped back to individual buyers. Instead let's pick a few isolated anecdotes of "landlords" behaving badly. Easy. (BTW kudos to the WSJ for mentioning many of these facts and taking a balanced approached to story. My comments are directed toward those in power who continually spread these myths, not the article.) Facts are distracting. Facts don't help sell the boogeyman narrative.