Investors own 87,928 of Orange County’s single-family houses, or 16% of the market.
That’s a highlight of my trusty spreadsheet’s review of first-quarter investor stats from BatchData, which studied ownership of 566,948 houses countywide. Statewide, investors own 19% of all houses. Nationally, the share is 20%.
BatchData, a small data tracker that digs deep into property records, reviewed homeownership in order to identify owner-occupied residences compared with those owned by investors.
The study includes properties used for short-term or long-term rentals, second homes and vacation retreats. It does not track condos, build-to-rent single-family home projects, or multi-unit properties.
BatchData found Orange County investors bought 1,246 houses in the first quarter while selling 627.
RELATED: Where in California do investors own the most houses?
So, Orange County, investors increased their stakes by 619 houses in 2025’s first quarter. That’s 2% fewer net additions vs. 2024’s first quarter.
Compare that to the sales pace of all single-family houses in Orange County – up 4% in the same 12-month period, according to data from Attom.
Critics argue that investors reduce the chances of success for first-time homebuyers. Supporters argue investors bring cash into the market and frequently buy homes that the typical house hunter doesn’t want.
For all of last year, investors added 2,415 houses – buying 4,967 while selling 2,552.
Compared to the pace between 2020 and 2023, that’s 68% more net additions. Sales of all single-family houses shrank 24% in the same period, Attom data shows.
It adds up to a 3.5% increase in the investor stake in Orange County houses in the 15 months ended in March.
By the way, BatchData found that most California investors are “mom and pop” types, as 91% of investment houses are owned by folks with five or fewer properties.
Jonathan Lansner is the business columnist for the Southern California News Group. He can be reached at jlansner@scng.com
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