New York-based private equity firm Blackstone Group has been among the busiest buyers in South Florida, snatching up 1,181 homes for more than $291 million since January 2012 — six times more than next most active investor.
According to a public records analysis by research firm DataQuick, affiliates tied to the group have bought 411 Palm Beach County properties from January through May 2013. That’s more than double the firm bought during the same period last year.
The report also shows Blackstone affiliates having acquired 475 properties in Broward County during that same time period.
Andrew Gallina, a spokesperson for the company that manages Blackstone’s acquisitions, told the Sun-Sentinel the firm has cut its acquisitions by 70 to 80 percent from a year ago in most of its markets, though it still sees Broward and Palm Beach counties as legitimate prospects.
“The opportunity has move on as the market has healed itself,” Gallina said. [Sun-Sentinel] -Kerry Barger