Builders, meanwhile, are luring buyers with some perks but are barely budging on prices. That's partly because these companies have another place to turn: the rental market. Opportunistic investors — mostly small and midsize players, who own the vast majority of single-family rentals in the country — are happy to oblige. Builders have also started developing entire communities of single-family homes to be rented out rather than sold, a strategy known as build-for-rent. Their embrace of the rental market says more about the obstacles for buyers than for builders.

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Persons: homebuilders, John Burns, Keith Hughes, —, Horton, Don Mullen, they've, Adam Stern, Sean Morgan, Alex Offutt, Ray Sturm, Sturm, Selma Hepp, It's Organizations: John Burns Research, Consulting, Builders, John, Houston, Owners, SFR, Sun, Dallas, Local, Business Purpose, Offutt Locations: Tampa , Florida, Carolinas, Nashville, Horton