2) Are large investment companies like BlackRock contributing to a potential decline in homeownership?

you not on one of the major listing sites you are missing a lot of revenue potential Penny wise dollar poor

We live in Lakeland, TN 20 miles from the Blue Oval site and I recently had a new BO employee rent one of my homes with a potential to sell in the Spring/Summer of next year.

They have HUGE benefits and small potential drawbacks.

Instead of liquidating 1k in the stock, can I just give (transfer) him 1k in stock if he is OK with that (assume he is good with the investment and potential cap gains in the future)?

Are there any institutions or other loan products that offer 3.5% down (potentially can go up to 10% depending on the total construction costs) AND takes into account the rental income?

In my market I have found there are under performing apartment buildings between 10-20units that have potential to increase rents and cash flow.

Also consider contacting houses that look vacant, simply door knocking in a neighborhood that you are interested in and talking to the homeowners in a genuine way, For Sale By Owners is another potential, using an App like Nextdoor or Facebook pages/groups related to local real estate and just telling the group what you are looking for, contractors also know about houses coming on the market soon and so do property management companies, and finally garage sales are a good way to find off-market properties as people prepare to sell.To Your Success!

Those loans are great loans with potentially low down payments.

EDUCATE YOURSELF - yes, it will take time, but will lead to a selection that better meets your expectations & avoids potentially costly surprises!