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Learn what happens when out-of-state investors gobble up Indy homes

A 'For Rent' sign is posted near a home on February 07, 2022 in Houston, Texas. If you rent a house in Indianapolis, there’s a decent chance you’re paying money every month to an out-of-state investor who owns the home. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

INDIANAPOLIS (MIRROR INDY) — If you rent a house in Indianapolis, there’s a decent chance you’re paying money every month to an out-of-state investor who owns the home.

That’s because about a quarter of the roughly 49,000 rental houses in Marion County are owned by investors from outside Indiana, according to the Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana. And the housing center says that number is growing.

Investors often make cash offers and outbid other homebuyers before flipping the house to rent, a 2023 IndyStar investigation found.

[Analysis finds that Indiana’s housing affordability gap is growing]

Private equity’s role in the housing market is part of the focus of Brendan Ballou’s book, “Plunder: Private Equity’s Plan to Pillage America.”

He’ll discuss findings from his book and how people can address housing disparities during an event at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 13 at Indiana Landmarks, 1201 Central Ave.

The event — hosted by the fair housing center — includes an exhibit about private equity’s influence on the state’s housing market, as well as a Q&A with Ballou. The exhibit opens at 5:30 p.m.

The event is free, but registration is required.

If you go

What: Plunder: A Conversation About Private Equity

When: 6:30 p.m. Aug. 13 (arrive at 5:30 to see an exhibit about private equity)

Where: Indiana Landmarks, 1201 Central Ave.

Cost: Free, but registration is required

Mirror Indy reporter Tyler Fenwick covers economics. Contact him at 317-766-1406 or tyler.fenwick@mirrorindy.org. Follow him on X @ty_fenwick.