Home-Buying Companies Stuck With Hundreds of Houses as Demand Slows
As mortgage rates surged, some customers backed out of purchases or needed more time for financing
3 min
Ribbon Home Inc. had a fast-growing business during the housing boom. The New York City-based startup purchased homes with cash on behalf of buyers. Then it sold the homes to the buyers at the same price, plus a fee, once the buyers got a mortgage.
This approach made their clients’ offers more appealing, since sellers often prefer all-cash transactions that can close quickly and are considered more reliable. Ribbon has been active in hot markets such as Atlanta and Charlotte.
But last year as mortgage rates surged, some Ribbon customers backed out of their purchases or needed more time to get financing. That left the company owning nearly 400 homes, according to property records analysed by research firm Attom Data Solutions and confirmed by the company.
Ribbon is one of a handful of young companies known as power buyers. These firms created a niche business around helping home buyers gain an edge during the hyper competitive housing boom. Now that the market has cooled, some of these companies are stuck with hundreds of homes they acquired on behalf of clients.
Orchard Technologies Inc., another power buyer that has been active in places such as Denver and Dallas, helps customers buy a new home and move before selling their previous home. If clients can’t sell their homes after four months, Orchard agrees to buy them.
The company now owns about 200 homes its customers were unable to sell, said its Chief Executive Court Cunningham. Mr. Cunningham said Orchard has had to buy homes from customers three times as frequently over the past six months.
The unanticipated glut of homes these firms are carrying is an example of how housing-oriented companies that thrived when mortgage rates were super low are struggling to survive in a higher rate environment.
Online home-flipping companies also experienced turbulence as rates surged. Opendoor Technologies Inc. last year slashed prices on thousands of homes it purchased near the height of the market. The company reported huge losses and laid off 18% of its workforce.
Ribbon has let go of about 170 employees, or 85% of its staff, but it still needs to unload its surplus of houses. About half of those homes Ribbon will try to sell on the open market because their customers didn’t follow through on their purchases. People backed out because they didn’t want to sell their current homes in a down market, had credit issues or had a life event that changed their plans, said Shaival Shah, Ribbon’s chief executive.
The other half the company hopes to sell to the original customers. Most of those customers are renting from Ribbon, and some have asked for more time to obtain financing, Mr. Shah said.
Some power buyers say they are optimistic the housing market can stabilise, and recently there have been a few signs that buying may be picking up.
Power buyers say that their business will continue to serve home buyers in competitive markets and help even the playing field with investors, who often purchase homes with cash. Meanwhile, many are focused on improving products aimed at prospective sellers who are nervous to list their homes in a slow market.
“There was sort of a power shift, from the power sitting with the seller knowing that their home is going to sell within a day, to the power sitting with the buyer,” said Tim Heyl, founder of the Austin-based power buyer Homeward Inc.
Ribbon, which halted its cash-buyer program last year, said it is developing new products before it restarts. HomeLight Inc., another power buyer, recently changed up one of its main offerings so that it wouldn’t buy as many homes moving forward, said Drew Uher, the company’s chief executive.
Mr. Cunningham, of Orchard, said his company has reduced losses from homes it acquired by charging customers fees on both the sale of their previous homes and the purchase of their new homes. He said seller demand for backup offers from Orchard is rising given ongoing uncertainty about home sales.
Some executives said they don’t expect every power buyer to survive. Many relied on venture capital to grow during the height of the housing market, but they are unlikely to raise as much money now. Between January and late November 2022, venture investment in proptech companies decreased 21% compared with the same period the year prior, according to a report from Keefe, Bruyette and Woods Inc.
“People were doing all sorts of things to outbid or be the most competitive offer,” said Diane Vanna, a real-estate agent at Baird & Warner in Chicago, who in 2021 represented a buyer who won a bidding war against 36 other offers. “Now it’s really levelled off.”
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This stylish family home combines a classic palette and finishes with a flexible floorplan
Just 55 minutes from Sydney, make this your creative getaway located in the majestic Hawkesbury region.
Whimsy Farm is a playful period estate positioned in Byron Bay’s picturesque hinterland.
3 min
Tucked away in Byron Bay’s coveted hinterland, Whimsy Farm is a traditional rural homestead surrounded by more than 16ha of lush fertile grounds with equestrian facilities and a host of whimsical additions including a fairytale-inspired maze.
Just listed with Sotheby’s International Realty Byron Bay, agents Denzil Lloyd and Will Phillips are running an expressions of interest campaign on the glamorous getaway with a price guide of $5.25 million to $5.75 million.
The romantic estate in Federal, 25 kms from Byron Bay dates back more than a century, but has been meticulously renovated by its current owners to attain modern day dream home status.
Back in 2016, the enviable property even featured on Foxtel’s short-lived reality TV show I Own Australia’s Best Home. The picturesque parcel has also been appreciated by location scouts and has appeared in a long list of fashion brand and magazine shoots such as Country Style and Queensland Homes.
Owner Melinda Boundy, founder of boutique interiors firm Melinda Boundy Design, was instrumental in reviving the historic Federal homestead. She has described the rural property as a “a respite from the world” where she and her husband have raised their two sons over the past decade.
“I brought my boys down 10 years ago to nurture their creativity, their boyhood,” Boundy said in a recent Instagram post announcing the impending sale.
“We found our farm with its double-storey treehouse and 40 acres the perfect place for two young boys to thrive.”
In addition to hiring out the estate for formal events, Boundy said the family had celebrated several milestones at the address.
“Many parties, sleepovers, friends staying and events have been held [here]. It has seen the filming of a TV show or two, music videos, location shoots and weddings,” she added.
“Now it’s time to pass the baton to another family to share the magic and wonderment of this beautiful compound.”
Lloyd agreed that the listing is a magical estate, ripe for the picking.
“It’s a wonderland. There’s the maze, but it’s also got the treehouse, teepee, dams, beautiful established veggie gardens and it’s perfect for those who love horse riding,” Mr Lloyd said.
“It really is an oasis with plenty of classical charm as well. It’s not an ostentatious home; it’s an original Queenslander from 1910.”
Living up to its storybook name, Whimsy Farm is home to a preserved traditional Queenslander residence with five bedrooms, plus a freestanding guest cottage. There is also a separate pool house and a combined shed or office on site, all capturing scenic hinterland views.
The main single-storey residence has a choice of entertaining spaces inside and out as well as bedrooms opening to private alfresco areas. A grand kitchen and the large living room both open to a vast terrace and pool area.
In the primary bedrooms suite there is a bay window overlooking the natural surrounds, an ensuite with double vanities, and out on the covered deck an outdoor bathtub is an idyllic spot for soaking under the stars.
The playful property has also operated as a holiday rental and offers up unique bonus features including a solar-heated semi circle pool, a double-storey treehouse, a teepee, horse stables, paddocks and a an Olympic-sized dressage arena.
A true tree change destination, the Federal address is home to 10 acres of regenerated forest, eight water tanks, two lagoons, extensive raised veggie gardens and a citrus orchard.
It is conveniently located a scenic 30-minute drive to Byron Bay and 20 minutes to Bangalow.
Whimsy Farm at 711 Federal Dr, Federal is listed through Sotheby’s International Realty Byron Bay through an expressions of interest campaign closing February 20, 5pm.
This stylish family home combines a classic palette and finishes with a flexible floorplan
Just 55 minutes from Sydney, make this your creative getaway located in the majestic Hawkesbury region.
