It's an interesting conundrum. A couple of years ago one of my nieces put her starter home outside Raleigh, NC on the market and within a few days received an offer she couldn't refuse that allowed her to upgrade homes.
I guess it swings both ways, the corporations swoop in to take control of housing that allow some middle class owners to inch up a bit, yet at the same time make it harder for the lower end of the market to get a foothold