---
title: HB 1252. Homes for Georgians First Act; enact
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb1252
cite_as: HB 1252, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1252
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1252.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1252/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73019
date: 2026-02-11
status: introduced
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13
license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1251.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1253.md
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 132
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1252.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 1252
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-02-09
last_action: House Second Readers
sponsors:
- Phil Olaleye
- Mary Oliver
- Spencer Frye
- Leesa Hagan
- Derrick McCollum
- Debra Bazemore
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB1252/2025
upstream_id: 2112333
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- housing market
- institutional home buyers
- property law
- real estate investment
- affordable housing
---
# HB 1252. Homes for Georgians First Act; enact
## Text
House Bill 1252
By: Representatives Olaleye of the 59th, Oliver of the 84th, Frye of the 122nd, Hagan of the
156th, McCollum of the 30th, and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Article 2 of Chapter 5 of Title 44 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,
relating to conveyances, so as to prohibit certain entities from acquiring an interest in a
single-family residence in certain circumstances; to provide for definitions; to provide for a
short title; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
This Act shall be known and may be cited as the "Homes for Georgians First Act."
SECTION 2.
Article 2 of Chapter 5 of Title 44 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
conveyances, is amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:
"44-5-49.
(a) As used in this Code section, the term:
(1) 'Institutional real estate investor' means an entity or combined group that, directly or
indirectly:
(A) Owns 100 or more single-family residences, or two-family residences;
(B) Manages or receives funds pooled from investors;
(C) Acts as a fiduciary with respect to one or more investors; and
(D) Has $375 million or more in net value or assets under management on any day
during the taxable year.
(2) 'Single-family resident home buyer' means a purchaser of a dwelling for the purpose
of a primary residence and not as a vacation or investment property.
(b) An institutional real estate investor shall not acquire an interest in any single-family
residence unless:
(1) A period of 30 days has passed since such property was offered for sale; and
(2) A single-family resident home buyer failed to acquire such property by matching an
offer from an institutional real estate investor or other third party."
SECTION 3.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.
## Summaries written by Georgia Commons
The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary.
House Bill 1252 would stop large institutional investors from buying single-family homes in Georgia unless the home has been on the market at least 30 days and no individual buyer matched a competing offer.
### Plain-language summary
Currently, Georgia law places no special restrictions on how large investment firms buy up single-family or two-family homes, which some argue drives up prices and shrinks the supply of homes available to ordinary buyers. This bill, called the "Homes for Georgians First Act," adds a new section to Georgia's property law (O.C.G.A. ยง 44-5-49) that targets what it calls "institutional real estate investors," defined as large entities that own 100 or more single-family or two-family homes, manage pooled investor funds, act as a fiduciary for investors, and hold at least $375 million in assets.
Under the bill, these large investors could not buy a single-family home unless the property had been listed for sale for at least 30 days and a regular home buyer purchasing it as a primary residence had failed to match the investor's offer or another competing offer. The bill does not set an explicit effective date beyond standard enactment, and it repeals any conflicting laws.
### What it does
- Creates a new definition of 'institutional real estate investor' covering large entities that own 100+ single-family or two-family homes and manage at least $375 million in assets.
- Defines a 'single-family resident home buyer' as someone purchasing a home to live in, not as a vacation or investment property.
- Bars institutional real estate investors from acquiring any interest in a single-family residence unless the property has been on the market for at least 30 days.
- Requires that, even after 30 days, the sale can only proceed to the institutional investor if no resident home buyer matched the investor's offer.
- Repeals any existing Georgia laws that conflict with these new restrictions.
### Who it affects
Large real estate investment firms and institutional buyers that meet the size and asset thresholds, individual home buyers and families seeking to purchase primary residences, and home sellers whose properties may be marketed differently to comply with the new waiting period and matching rule.
### Why it matters
If enacted, the bill would give individual home buyers a 30-day window and a right to match competing offers before large institutional investors could purchase a single-family home, potentially changing how quickly big investors can buy homes and who ends up owning them in Georgia neighborhoods.
### Key provisions
- Section 1 gives the bill its short title, the 'Homes for Georgians First Act.'
- Section 2 adds new Code section 44-5-49, defining 'institutional real estate investor' using four combined criteria: owning 100+ qualifying homes, managing pooled investor funds, acting as a fiduciary, and holding $375 million or more in assets or net value.
- Section 2 also defines 'single-family resident home buyer' as someone buying a home as a primary residence, not for investment or vacation use.
- Section 2 prohibits institutional real estate investors from acquiring an interest in a single-family residence unless the home has been listed for sale for at least 30 days and no resident home buyer matched a competing offer.
- Section 3 repeals any state laws that conflict with the new restrictions.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2026-02-09)
- Last action: House Second Readers (2026-02-11)
- Sponsors: Phil Olaleye, Mary Oliver, Spencer Frye, Leesa Hagan, Derrick McCollum, Debra Bazemore
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73019
> The history, votes, and amendments (132 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1252.md?full=1