Investors Prop Up Real Estate Market

Want to know who bought that house up the street? Chances are, it was an investor.

Real estate investors are buying three homes for every one house bought by someone for their personal use, according to a Move.com study released today. And it's a pattern that's likely to continue in the next two years.

Today's investors are different from those a decade ago who bought homes and would flip them as fast as a stack of burning pancakes. Only 11 percent of today's investors expect to sell the property within 12 months, and 50 percent said that they plan on holding on for at least five years. Interestingly, the study found that only 36.5 percent of today's investors have experience in more than one property transaction.